Heritage Stories · South America
Paraguay A Century of Faith & Community
From the Chaco to Jesuit Missions and Iguazu Falls
OVERVIEW
Paraguay A Century of Faith & Community
From the Chaco to Jesuit Missions and Iguazu Falls
June 23 – July 5, 2027
From $3,830 USD | $5,175 CAD
Across Paraguay, faith and community have taken root in landscapes shaped by challenge, migration, and perseverance. This journey follows that story from the Mennonite colonies of the Chaco to communities around Asunción and Campo 9, with the 100th anniversary of Menno Colony at its heart.
Join worship, celebrations, local visits, and shared meals that bring a century of history into the present. Then travel east to Paraguay’s Jesuit mission ruins, an earlier chapter in the country’s spiritual story, before crossing into Brazil to experience Iguazu Falls from both the Brazilian and Argentine sides. Together, these places reveal enduring stories of belonging, resilience, and hope.
Conrad Stoesz & Mary Lou Bonham
Tour Experts
13 Days
Duration
Paraguay, Brazil, Argentina
Countries Visited
Moderately Active
Activity Level
Trip Highlights
100 Years of Menno Colony – Join anniversary worship, celebrations, and cultural events marking a century of faith, perseverance, and community in the Chaco.
Life in the Chaco – Visit colony industries, farms, and community sites to discover how Mennonite life has adapted to this demanding landscape.
Meaningful Local Encounters – Share worship, meals, and conversations with Mennonite families and other communities, experiencing Paraguay through the people who call it home.
Jesuit Mission Ruins – Explore Paraguay’s UNESCO-recognized mission heritage by day and see the historic ruins illuminated during an evening light show.
Iguazu Falls – Experience the falls from Brazil and Argentina, where thundering water and vast landscapes offer a memorable conclusion to the journey.
DAY 1 • June 23, 2027
The Journey Begins
Arrive in Asunción and begin the journey north into the Chaco. Pause along the way for empanadas before reaching Loma Plata, where time to settle in is followed by a welcome dinner and the first opportunity to meet fellow travelers.
Overnight: Loma Plata
DAY 2 • June 24, 2027
Work, Land, and Ingenuity
Spend the day discovering how Menno Colony has taken root in the Chaco. Visits to agricultural and industrial sites, including Trebol, Pesempoo, and Frigo Chorti, reveal the practical ingenuity behind community life, while time together offers a closer look at the rhythms of work and place.
Overnight: Loma Plata
DAY 3 • June 25, 2027
A Century Remembered
Join the main celebration marking 100 years of Menno Colony. Alongside local residents and invited public leaders, take part in a historic gathering that honours the faith, perseverance, and shared vision of those who built community in the Chaco across generations.
Overnight: Loma Plata
DAY 4 • June 26, 2027
A Festival of Memory
Commemorative events continue through sermons, concerts, parades, ox carts, horse-drawn rides, old tractors, local food, screenings, and sport. Visits to Fernheim, Neuland, and Yalve Sanga widen the story, offering a fuller view of the Chaco’s cultural diversity and the communities connected to this anniversary.
Overnight: Loma Plata
DAY 5 • June 27, 2027
Thanksgiving Across Cultures
Gather with local communities for an intercultural thanksgiving service on the final day of anniversary activities. This shared time of worship brings together many voices and traditions, creating space to reflect on a century of faith, the relationships formed along the way, and the hopes carried forward.
Overnight: Loma Plata
DAY 6 • June 28, 2027
Faith Beyond the Colonies
Leave the Chaco and return to Asunción, where the story of Mennonite life continues in an urban setting. Visits connected to Menno-Heim, Concordia, and Chortitzer offer insight into community networks beyond the colonies and the ways faith and belonging are expressed in the capital, followed by dinner at Paraqvaria.
Overnight: Asunción
DAY 7 • June 29, 2027
Service Along the Way
Travel from Asunción with a visit to the hospital at Km 81, learning about its service and place within the surrounding community. After lunch, continue toward Campo 9, watching Paraguay’s landscapes change as the journey moves from the capital into another centre of Mennonite life.
Overnight: Campo 9
DAY 8 • June 30, 2027
Hospitality and Daily Life
Explore the Mennonite communities of Sommerfeld and Bergthal through visits to local factories, museums, the Hilagro mill, and other colony sites. A shared lunch and evening meal with Mennonite families bring the day’s history into the present through hospitality, conversation, and everyday community life.
Overnight: Campo 9
DAY 9 • July 1, 2027
Echoes of Earlier Missions
Continue to Encarnación and step into an earlier chapter of Paraguay’s faith story at the Jesuit mission ruins. Explore the historic complex, then return in the evening for a light show that brings the site’s architecture, memory, and enduring significance into a new perspective.
Overnight: Encarnación
DAY 10 • July 2, 2027
A New Landscape Unfolds
Travel to Ciudad del Este and cross the border into Brazil, continuing to Foz do Iguaçu. After days shaped by colony histories and mission communities, the journey enters a new landscape near the falls, with a traditional Brazilian dinner offering a warm introduction to the region.
Overnight: Foz do Iguaçu
DAY 11 • July 3, 2027
The Power of Water
Witness Iguazu Falls from both the Brazilian and Argentine sides, experiencing the scale, sound, and movement of one of the world’s great natural wonders. An optional visit to the Bird Park or Itaipu Hydroelectric Plant may also be offered before gathering for a farewell dinner.
Overnight: Foz do Iguaçu
DAY 12 • July 4, 2027
Power, Scale, and Reflection
Subject to availability, visit the Itaipu Hydroelectric Plant and learn more about its scale and role in the region. Then return to Asunción, carrying the contrasts of the journey, from the dry Chaco to communities, mission ruins, and immense waterfalls.
Overnight: Asunción
DAY 13 • July 5, 2027
Homeward With the Story
Depart Asunción for home as the journey comes to a close. Carry forward the people, places, and stories encountered along the way, from a century of Mennonite life in the Chaco to Paraguay’s mission heritage and the unforgettable power of Iguazu Falls.
Pricing
Registration By
Early Bird Rate until December 23, 2026
Standard Tour Fare
Shared Occupancy
$3,830 USD | $5,175 CAD
$4,237 USD | $5,725 CAD
Single Occupancy
$4,210 USD | $5,687 CAD
$4,617 USD | $6,237 CAD
What’s Included
12 nights of accommodations in carefully selected and centrally located hotels
All land transportation during the tour in private motorcoach, including water
Daily breakfasts, along with 1 lunch and 10 dinners, including thoughtfully hosted group dining experiences featuring multi-course menus at local restaurants
All admission fees to included sightseeing, excursions, and cultural sites as detailed in the itinerary
The full-time services of TourMagination Tour Experts to guide and support you throughout your journey
Gratuities for drivers, site guides, and included group meals
What’s Not Included
International airfare and associated fees
Visas, entry permits, and any required digital travel authorizations (if required)
Meals not specified in the itinerary
Beverages with meals (water is included)
Optional excursions, activities, and personal purchases
Gratuities for hotel staff, airport porters, and other personal services not explicitly included
Travel insurance (strongly recommended)
Tour Experts
Conrad Stoesz
Tour Expert
Mary Lou Bonham
Tour Expert
Questions?
Reach out to our team at office@tourmagination.com
or by phone at (877) 668-2732.