Approximately 57 kilometers east of Asuncion is the beautiful town of Caacupe. Translated from Guarani (ka(a) ku’pe), Caacupe means ‘behind the mount’. Caacupe was founded by the Spanish in 1770.
The Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Miracles
The city is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Caacupé and is best known as the site of the Virgin of Caacupé, Saint Patron of Paraguay. The Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Miracles, Caacupé stands in the centre of the town. At night it lights up the centre of the city like a beacon.
Legend has it that in the 1600’s Franciscan Missionaries commissioned a local man, Jose, to carve a statue of the Virgin Mary. While searching for Yerba Mate tree Jose encountered a hostile tribe of Mbayae warriors. Fearing for his life, he knew that the Mbayae were against Christianity. Jose hid in the trunk of a tree and prayed. The story goes that the Virgin Mary descended and comforted Jose and promised to protect him. In response, Jose promised he would carve two images of the Virgin.
Tapaicuá Lake flooded in 1603, and Jose’s house was swept away. After much praying, the flooding subsided and the statue was found floating in the lake. Today this statue is located in the nearby town of Tobati.
Paraguay is predominantly a Catholic country. In fact, an estimated 87+% of the population identify as Catholic. In December each year, a crowd of approximately 300,000 people descend on the town of Caacupe for the annual festival to honor the statuette “Our Lady Of Miracles”
Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Miracles
A Beautiful Town
Of course the Spanish influence is everywhere in Caacupe. The streets are clean, and the buildings are interesting. Caacupe is definately a destination. Because of its popularity Caacupe is an incredibly well-equipped town considering its population. It has a theatre, lots of amazing restaurants, cafes and shops.
Meeting New Friends
We were only in Caacupe for a few days but we made some awesome friends there. We were particularly happy to catch up with Simon, who we have been chatting with online for several weeks. Simon has been scouting around for property for us, so it was great to catch up with him. Simon has been in Paraguay for many years and he is such a great person to speak to. Check out Simon’s blog at Simons Paraguay. .
Where We Stayed
While in Caacupe stayed at Hotel Copadisimo, located in the heart of town, an easy walk to all the great spots. Family-operated, this hotel is immaculate and the people are lovely. They also have a bar & restaurant onsite.
Where We Ate
La Farola Resto Bar – we loved this restaurant. Everything was delicious and the service was impeccable. Although we didn’t have the gnocchi, a friend told us it’s amazing.
El Comisario PizzerÃa – great pizza, very popular with the locals.
Quick Facts about Caacupe
We are excited to be moving to Caacupe in October 2023 – so SUBSCRIBE to our blog to stay updated on our life & travels in Caacupe!
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