Roaming South America

Formosa, Argentina

April 21, 2023

Formosa, Argentina, population: about 235,000. Formosa is located at the border of Argentina and Paraguay south of the capital Asunción. Formosa was founded in 1879 when Commander Fontana founded a settlement. The word 'formosa' is the archaic form of the modern Spanish word 'hermosa' which means, in English, 'beautiful'. All the way back into the 16th century, early explorers called this area 'Vuelta Fermosa' or 'Vuelta la Formosa.' This was the area where the city now sits at a turn in the Paraguay River. Those early explorers searched for the legendary 'Sierra de la Plata' or 'mountain of silver'.

The town has some beautiful parks and boulevards. One park is alongside the river and runs for many kilometers. It is popular with cyclists, runners, and walkers. At the far end is a fountain that lights up in many colors. There are also many sports parks including countless soccer fields, one for field hockey, a bicycle velodrome, a motocross bicycle track, a go-kart track, and more. The town is clean, the streets are litter-free, and the noise level is very low. I heard horns honk no more than 5 times, and as for loud motorcycles (the bane of South American cities), I heard three. This city is quiet, and a very pleasant place.

Formosa has a humid subtropical climate. The average daytime high of 28° C (83° F), and the night average low of 17° C (63° F). The city's elevation is 57 meters (187 feet). Formosa averages 1406 mm (55 inches) of rain per year. For the year the humidity averages 74%.

So, my impressions: I like Formosa. I added it to my top 10 list of potential new hometowns. The only reservations I have are regarding the economy of Argentina. Argentina has been suffering from an extreme drought for many years which has had a devastating effect on its economy. Inflation is sky-high while the value of their peso is going down. So, for that reason, it won't be at the top of my list, but it is still on the list, for now.

My goal is to find a new place to live. So to reach that goal I am traveling most of South America, visiting the countries of Ecuador, Perú, Bolivia, and Chile, passing through Argentina, visiting Paraguay, passing through a bit of Brazil, and finally visiting Uruguay. I have a list of towns, about 70, that meet these qualifications: Cities with average day temperatures of 22-28° C (72-83° F) and night temps of 14° C (57° F) and higher; and a population between 28,000-300,000. I analyzed climate and population data of around 700 towns in the countries mentioned above and then pulled out the ones that meet the previously mentioned criteria, which leaves about 70. My preference leans towards towns of less than 100,000 people.  And, now that I have visited more than 30 towns/cities, I've decided I will probably want an inland town. I love the beach and walking in the warm water, but, getting sunburned is just too easy, even on a cloudy day. At least, here in Ecuador. I've also decided that any town with more than 100,000 population will be too big. I've decided that any small town/city (less than around 80,000 population) that meets the temp specifications and has a supermarket and ATM is one worth considering to live in.

My goal is to visit the towns and discover which one calls out to me - "Chip, Chip, make your new home here, this is your new home town". That hasn't happened yet, but the seven towns listed below are very close to giving me that feeling. At any rate, I am not visiting tourist attractions or archeological sites, etc. Those will have to wait for another trip through South America.

At this point in my journey, I have five towns on my Top 10 list - Tingo Maria, Moyobamba, La Merced, Perú, and Catamayo and Puyo, Ecuador. In my travels in Ecuador, I visited 32 towns/cities. In Perú, I visited 26 towns/cities; in Chile, only five towns; and in Argentina, I visited 13 towns.

Next up: Villeta, Paraguay.