Santa Maria Hotel

Santa Maria Hotel is a rustic but charming little Paraguayan guesthouse.

Santa Maria is a delightful, unspoilt small town with a peaceful, almost spiritual atmosphere:  It’s one of Paraguay’s more photogenic villages, with cobbled streets and low-slung white-washed houses around a big shady plaza. It used to be the largest of the Jesuit Mission Reductions. The excellent museum has a treasure trove of exquisite carvings and religious statues from the Jesuit era.

On the corner of Santa Maria’s shady plaza and close to the church, Santa Maria Hotel is a rustic but charming little guesthouse, with just four rooms and a typically Paraguayan feel. With whitewashed walls and terracotta roof, the hotel blends in perfectly with the other houses on the square, and the sunny lawn and terrace to the front is a nice place to sit and watch village life. The hotel’s owner is a British resident of Santa Maria and it is managed by staff from the village. Rooms are compact and very simply presented and feature local crafts, wall-hangings and blankets. Meals are available with advance notice and there’s a small library and shady back garden with chairs and a hammock. Wifi is available.