Asuncion is the capital city of Paraguay, a small country in South America. It has an incredibly rich history and unique features that make it a nice, small destination if you are looking to take a trip to the continent.
The city of Asuncion will surprise you with everything it has to offer in terms of food and cultural offerings.
Day 1: Arrival
Where to stay in Asuncion, Paraguay
We recommend the Recoleta and Villa Morra neighborhoods. They are right next to each other and are both incredibly walkable. They have a large number of restaurants, malls, and grocery stores and you can easily walk from one neighborhood to the other. It is also easy to get an Uber or a taxi from these neighborhoods.
There are some nice and affordable hotels in Recoleta and Villa Morra. If you are staying for a longer amount of time or are looking for a more affordable place to stay, you can opt for an Airbnb or short-term rental. We found one with in-unit laundry and a roof-top pool for our week-long stay and our host was the most warm and welcoming.
Start your trip at a Museum
After dropping off your luggage at your hotel, head to the Museo del Barro to learn about the multicultural identities within Paraguay.
This is a country that celebrates the original populations of the land. Based on history written by the Jesuits of the area, the native populations here were not decimated by colonists and missionaries. The Guarani people make up the largest of these native populations and their culture is still prevalent today. In fact, the majority of the population are mestizo, mixed between Guarani and European. The Guarani language continues to be spoken today and is one of the two official languages of the country (Spanish is the other). Most people speak a mixture of the two languages in conversation.
At this museum, there are exhibitions on artifacts and artwork from different native populations. It also celebrates modern artists from the region. The museum is only in Spanish but you can use Google Translate tools to help you understand the exhibitions. You can read more about doing that here. Even if you cannot understand what is written, it is still valuable to visit the museum and get a sense of the artwork and culture of Paraguay. The architecture and building of the museum is also interesting. It is made of brick, a local product because of the rich clay in the soil surrounding Asuncion.
Explore a Paraguayan Mall
After the museum, walk down to the beautiful Paseo la Galeria mall, located under the two wavy skyscrapers. Here, you can find a variety of restaurants to go to for dinner or just grab an ice cream at Heladeria Paris, where you will have a nice view of the outdoor area of the mall. And if it is really hot outside, wander inside to cool down.
Dinner Out on the Town
If you did not get dinner at the mall, you can go back to the Recoleta/Villa Morra area to find a nice restaurant. People typically eat around 9 pm so feel free to take a rest before going out to eat. One suggestion for dinner is Mozzafiato Pizzeria, where you can get a nice woodfired pizza. This area has other types of food, including French, seafood, burgers, etc. Take your time eating and drinking at these restaurants. The service will be slower and the meal is intended to be a full experience.
Day 2: Learning About the History
Tour of the City Center
Start off your day with a free walking tour throughout the city center. This tour, linked here by Victor, is a comprehensive tour of the center of Asuncion, aligning the buildings around the city with the history of Paraguay. You will learn about how Paraguay became a country, the Triple Alliance War that caused the country to lose more than 50% of the population, and the consequences of the dictatorships on Paraguay.
A Little Battle of the Classics
There are two restaurants in the center neighborhood of Asuncion that are Paraguayan institutions: Lido Bar and El Bolsi. You should choose one of the two to go to for lunch or you could grab something small from both and compare them. Lido Bar has a bar/diner area on the first floor, an outdoor patio, and a seated restaurant on the second floor. Similarly, El Bolsi has a diner area and a seated restaurant.
At these restaurants, you can get some classic Paraguayan appetizers, including:
- Sopa Paraguaya – (not a soup) a cornmeal bread with cheese, onions, and eggs
- Chipa Guasu – a corn souffle bread (this is my favorite)
- Chipa Paraguaya – a dense bagel-like bread
- Mbeju – a cheesy flatbread
- Empanada/Pastel Mandi’o – an empanada or dough pocket made of yucca root and stuffed with ground meat
There are other foods that are classic Paraguayan dishes and these restaurants will not lead you astray.
Walking the Riverfront
After lunch, you will now have some energy to go for a little walk to the riverfront. Here, you can see people playing in the river and the “Asuncion” letters behind the presidential office of Palacio de los Lopez. Eventually, you will arrive to the Paraguay-Taiwan friendship monument, which celebrates the relationship that Paraguay and Taiwan have had for over 50 years.
Loma San Jeronimo
From the riverfront, you have a couple of choices. You can return to your accommodations and relax. If it is really hot (like it was for us), this is a nice time to go to the pool. If you still have a lot of energy, you can make your way to the Loma San Jeronimo neighborhood. While the 20 minute walk will not be spectacular, you will arrive in a bohemian neighborhood with murals and a beautiful tiled staircase. Head to Ko’ape Bar Mirador to get a drink at this bar that has a view of the city. (We didn’t have time to visit it but it seemed like a nice spot). Afterwards, go back to your accommodations to relax and refresh yourself for dinner.
A Wild Churrasqueria Dinner
Now that you’ve walked a whole lot, it’s time to refuel at a meal that will truly be an experience. You are headed to O Gaucho, a churrasquería or large barbeque restaurant. While I recommend this restaurant mainly to people who love meat or want to try different cuts of meat, there are still plenty of options for vegetarians/pescetarians. This includes delicious grilled salmon, sushi, a salad bar, a cheese spread, a hot food bar, dessert, and ice cream station. Now let’s talk about how this restaurant works. For a fixed price (for us, it was around $20 per person), you will have access to all of the food you can dream of. (This is called rodizio dining.) Half of the experience is a buffet (the food in the buffet is listed above). The other half is as described below:
While you are eating this buffet food, servers walk through the restaurant with different barbecued cuts of meat. They will come to your table and offer you a piece. If it interests you, you can say yes to them. If you want to try many different cuts of meat, make sure you tell them that you only want only a little. Don’t forget to leave a little room for dessert!
Day 3: Absorbing the Culture
Circuito de Oro
After the tour, relax and refresh at your accommodation and get ready for dinner. If you want to grab a beer prior to dinner, Jardin Urbano is a bar with a great outdoor garden.
A Top Restaurant
For dinner, you will go to Pakuri, a new Paraguayan restaurant. The food, while Paraguayan, is much lighter than the traditional cuisine. The architecture of the restaurant is interestingly built out of shipping containers. Not only is the food here delicious but the cocktails are also light and refreshing.
Day 4: Let's Wrap It All Up
Mercado 4
For your final morning in Asuncion, you will explore a large local market that takes up an entire neighborhood. Wander through the stalls that sell commodities, food, produce, artisanal items, and anything else that you can think of. This is your chance to get the final souvenirs before heading back to your accommodations to pick up your bags and onto the airport to head onto your journey.
Other Things to Do Near Asuncion
In Asuncion
Parque de la Salud: A beautiful park within the city with a nice walking path that loops through the whole park.
Within Paraguay
Encarnacion: This is the tourism capital of Paraguay. It is located near Jesuit ruins and is a border town between Paraguay and Argentina. The city also has a few beaches. We did not visit this town but this blogger (Laidback Trip) has a great guide to visiting from March 2023. The bus between Encarnacion and Asuncion is 5-6 hours.