What to Buy in Paraguay: 10 Souvenirs Worth the Suitcase Space
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Photo: crafts in Areguá. Leandro Neumann Ciuffo / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0).
Paraguay is a souvenir sleeper hit. Almost everything worth buying is still made by hand, often by someone whose grandmother made the same thing, and most of it costs less than a cocktail in Miami. The hard part is not finding gifts. It is explaining to the airline why your carry-on is mostly lace.
The quick answer: the classic Paraguay souvenirs are ñandutí lace (Itauguá), ao po’i embroidered cotton (Yataity), silver filigree (Luque), a tereré set with guampa and bombilla, and ceramics from Areguá. Buy at the source when you can; Asunción’s craft shops are the backup.
The 10 best souvenirs from Paraguay
1. Ñandutí lace
The “spiderweb” lace is the national craft. Coasters and earrings make easy gifts; table runners are the splurge. Best place: Itauguá. Full guide: where to buy ñandutí.
2. Ao po’i shirts and dresses
A fine, loose-weave cotton hand-embroidered in Yataity, in the Guairá department. Men’s guayabera-style shirts and women’s dresses are breathable and look great in summer anywhere. Look for it in Asunción craft shops or the plaza market in Yataity.
3. Filigree jewelry from Luque
Delicate silver (and sometimes gold) wirework shaped into flowers, hummingbirds and harps. Earrings are the sweet spot. See our Luque filigree guide.
4. A tereré set
A guampa (cup, often horn, wood or leather-covered), a metal bombilla (straw) and a bag of yerba mate. Tereré is recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage, and you will see people drinking it everywhere. Learn the ritual in our tereré guide.
5. Areguá ceramics
Areguá’s streets are lined with pottery workshops selling planters, figurines and tableware made from local clay. Fragile, but worth the bubble wrap. See our Areguá day trip.
6. Palo santo
The fragrant wood from the Chaco is carved into bowls, boxes and pens, and its essential oil is sold in small bottles. Buy from established shops and ask about the origin.
7. Leather goods
Belts, wallets, bags and leather-wrapped guampas. Paraguay is cattle country, and the quality-to-price ratio is excellent.
8. Caña
Paraguay’s sugarcane spirit, sold in supermarkets. Pack it in checked luggage and check your home country’s allowance.
9. Indigenous crafts
Woven bags, carvings and baskets by Indigenous communities. The shop at the Museo del Barro is a good, fair place to start.
10. A Paraguayan harp (or a recording)
Miniature harps are a popular decorative gift. Not taking up the harp? A record of Paraguayan harp music is much easier to pack. See our harp music guide.
Where to buy souvenirs near Asunción
- Itauguá for ñandutí.
- Luque for filigree (it is next to the airport).
- Areguá for ceramics.
- Central Asunción for a bit of everything. See our Asunción shopping guide.
All three craft towns fit into a day trip from Asunción. Customs rules for wood, plants and food vary by country, so check yours before packing yerba or palo santo.
Latin botanicals, shipped to your door
Palo santo, yerba and other Latin American botanicals show up in some of our favorite beauty brands. Our edit is on ShopMy.
FAQ
What is Paraguay famous for making?
Ñandutí lace, ao po’i cotton, silver filigree, harps and tereré gear.
Can I buy souvenirs at Asunción airport?
There are a few shops, but choice is limited and prices are higher. Buy in town.
Keep reading
Tours and experiences in Asunción
See more Asunción experiences on GetYourGuide ↗ · Compare tours on Viator ↗
Some links on this page are affiliate links: if you book through them, Jet Set LatAM may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Researched in October 2026.
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