About Asuncion

After several years of colonial rule and sufferings from the severe destruction, during the Three Alliance War, Paraguay redefines Pheonix which resurrected from its own ashes. There has been consistent growth in tourists, interested in the remains of the colonial era and to enjoy the South American atmosphere, cuisine, and culture at a comparatively very low cost. Asuncion is the most visited place in Paraguay. Nuestra Señora Santa Maria de la Asunción is the full name of Asuncion. Asunción means Assumption of Mary; and the full name means Our Lady, Holy Mary of the Assumption. In 1537, on the feast day of the Assumption, the city was founded by Spanish explorers. In colonial times, Asuncion was known as Madre de Ciudades or the 'Mother of Cities' as it is the oldest city in South America. The architecture of the city is modern, Italian, colonial-style. The old city center boasts of 19th-Century historic buildings and landmarks, named after local heroes and battles. Though tourism is on a rise l, it is still an underrated and an under-visited city.

Public Transport System

Buses and taxis

Cleanliness and Efficiency

Efficiency : Moderate, Cleanliness : Moderate

Mode & Cost of Transports

Bus fare:  3,600 for GS.3,600 if the bus is air-conditioned and  GS.2,200  if the bus is not air-conditioned.

Taxi Start ( Normal Tariff)                  GS 5,000.00

Taxi 1 km ( Normal Tariff)                  GS 15,000.00

Taxi 1-hour waiting ( Normal Tariff)    GS 60,000.00

 After 10 p.m. and on Sundays a 30% surcharge is added.  Tips are not expected. Either hire taxis using meters or settle the fare beforehand.

 From the airport to the city center, taxis in front of the terminal charge a flat, non-negotiable rate of GS.100,000.

Basic Items & Cost

Name Price
Water Bottle PYG 2855.00
Cup of Coffee PYG 9600.00
Milk Carton Pack PYG 4685.00
Rice/Kg PYG 4545.00
White Bread PYG 3307.00
Eggs (12) PYG 10188.00
Combo Meal PYG 28000.00
Fine Dining PYG 150000.00
Bottle of Coke or Pepsi PYG 4650.00
Domestic Beer PYG 6000.00
Imported Beer PYG 10000.00
Bottle of Wine PYG 35000.00
Cigarettes (20 Pack) PYG 12000.00
Taxi ( 1 km ) PYG 15000.00
Ticket in local transport (Single way). PYG 3300.00
Rent ( One Bed Room) PYG 1475000.00
  • Try the free walking tour of Asunción conducted by SERTUR (National Tourist Board) from Monday to Friday starting at 3:00 p.m. The tour is given in English and Spanish and takes about 3 hours.
  • Walk through the main roads of Asunción during dusk and capture beautiful moments on camera against the backdrop of illuminated alleys and colored buildings.
  • Try the Paraguayan traditional food e.g. mbeju (cake made with manioc flour and cheese), Pastel madi’o (manioc pastry stuffed with minced meat), Paraguayan mascada (tortilla made with manioc and beef), chipa (a cheese bread made with manioc flour), sopa (a kind cheesy cornbread), and Vori Vori (a traditional soup garnished with balls of cornmeal).
  • Taste their equivalent to tea but differently prepared which is Mate. On adding sugar or a sweetener, the Mate becomes Mate Dulce. During summer, Yerba is drunk from a cow horn fashioned cup and sucked through a silver-plated straw (the bombilla). The cup filled with Yerba is passed around as a social custom to all the people in the group. If offered one must accept at least one cup.
  • One can drink tap water.
  • Shop from Mercado 4 or the Sunday Flea Market to get cheap bargains and souvenirs.
  • Beware of pickpocketers especially in crowded streets and buses.
  • Hire taxis using meters or else it is easy to get cheated.
  • Ask for directions more than once.
  • Prostitution and also transvestite prostitution is rampant in dark shady areas. Be careful.
  • Be careful while crossing streets as traffic rules are often flouted.
  • Take the necessary vaccinations before traveling to Asuncion. The city is full of mosquitoes, flies, ants and small bugs.
  • Pigs, dogs, chicken, horses, and cows run loose. The roads may be unpaved. Be careful.
  • Women might face stares and eve teasing. Best to ignore.

Night Life

The city has ensured that its visitors are well entertained at nights too! There are a variety of bars, discotheques, nightclubs, and casinos catering to all age groups. Britannia pub even brews its own beer and provides luxurious outdoor and indoor ambiance. In dance clubs like Coyote and Seven, one can dance through the night with his favorite drink. Polcas and Guaranias are traditional music styles. Guaranias are slow rhythmic romantic music while polcas indicate the closing time of the pub. 904 even has pool tables for those who enjoy playing. In Sacramento Brewing Co., one can sample locally brewed beers. Jockey Club organizes international music concerts from time to time for music lovers. For the serious intellectuals, there is Café Literario, an ideal place to sit with a book and enjoy the solitude or mingle with likeminded for discussions on various subjects over wine or coffee. There are casinos, too, for people who wish to indulge and gamble. American Casino Asuncion and Casino Janeiro are some of the casinos that entertain guests for 24 hours. A visit to the beautifully and brightly illuminated Palacio Mariscal Lopez will stay as a beautiful memory.

Must See

  • Walk through the city to see the coexistence of old and new cultures, decaying colonial and modern shiny buildings, and traditional and modern lifestyles.
  • Strolling down the Costanera along the river Paraguay to have a relaxing time, is a must. Sunset is a great time to unwind and get spellbound by its effect.
  • To promote tourism, the neighborhood Loma San Jeronimo has been created. It is a result of a joint effort between the Tourism Ministry of Paraguay and the local residents. It has brightly painted houses with several recycled art projects on the roadsides. On weekends, enjoy live music there.
  • Visit museums to learn about their history and appreciate their survival and ethnic culture.
  • See the colonial buildings, cathedrals, López Palace, Palacio Mariscal Lopez and the National Pantheon of Heroes among many others.
  • At Estación Ferrocarril (Railway Station), the first run in South America is displayed. The other items from that period are also kept.
  • Drink terere and relish the local cuisine.
  • Shop for local goods and souvenirs.
  • At night, enjoy and relax in various pubs, dance clubs, and casinos.

Experiences

  • Take walking tours to see the city closely.
  • Watch concerts and shows at Teatro Municipal Ignacio A. Pane and Arlequin Teatro.
  • Go gambling in casinos and test your performance at bowling alleys.
  • Visit historic sites, monuments, museums, cathedrals, and parks.
  • Meet locals and foreigners at pubs and bars.
  • Visit the various local markets and shopping malls to get the best deals.
  • Keep a day for colorful neighborhood, Loma San Jeronimo.
  • Try authentic traditional Paraguayan cuisine at Lido Bar.
  • A day trip to the following places of interest can also be planned.
  • Itá Letra (45 km away) in the Amambay Hills near Villarrica for the carvings paw prints, fertility symbols and the constellations of our galaxy in the cave. They carvings are said to belong to between 5000 and 2500 B.C.
  • Itauguá ( 35 km away) for Folk music and tribal art and ‘ nanduti’.
  • Basilica de Caacupé (65 km away) for the impressive cathedral in Caacupé, east of Asunción.
  • Iglesia de Yaguarón (53 km away) for the most decorative and beautiful church in South America. The original bell tower and gold-leaf ceiling still exist.
  • Bella Vista’s tereré plantations (5.9 km away) in Bella Vista to take a tour of the herbal tereré tea plantation.

Activities

Shopping

Mercado Cuatro
Flea Markets and Bazaars
Silvio Petirossi y Mayor Fleitas, Galería Bonanza, Planta Alta, Asunción, Paraguay
Distance From City Center
2..8 km
Paseo la Galería
Shopping Malls
Avenida Santa Teresa, 1827, Aviadores del Chaco y Herminio Maldonado, Asunción, Paraguay
Distance From City Center
8.6 km
Mariscal Lopez Shopping
Shopping Malls
Quesada, Asunción, Paraguay
Distance From City Center
6.3 km
Shopping del Sol
Shopping Malls
Aviadores del Chaco, Asunción, Paraguay
Distance From City Center
7.7 km
Paseo Carmelitas
Shopping Malls
1272 Avenida España, Asunción, Paraguay
Distance From City Center
6.4 km
Sunday flea market
Flea Markets and Bazaars
Calle Palma, Asunción.
Distance From City Center
6.5 km
Folklore
Handicrafts and Souviners
Mariscal José Félix Estigarribia y Vicente Ignacio Iturbe, Asunción, Paraguay
Distance From City Center
0.7 km
Mercado de Pulgas
Antique Markets
Eusebio Lillo Robles, Asunción, Paraguay
Distance From City Center
8.0 km
Ao P’oí Raity
Handicrafts and Souviners
F R Moreno 155, Asunción, Paraguay
Distance From City Center
8.1 km
Paseo Via Allegra
Shopping Malls
Senador Long esq. Teniente Hector Vera, Asunción, Paraguay
Distance From City Center
6.6 km
Shopping Villa Morra
Shopping Malls
3794 Avenida Mariscal Francisco Solano López, Asunción, Paraguay
Distance From City Center
6.3 km
Casa Vera.
Handicrafts and Souviners
Mariscal Estigarribia 470, Asunción, Asunción, Paraguay
Distance From City Center
8.2 km
Excelsior Mall
Shopping Malls
Manduvira, Asunción, Paraguay
Distance From City Center
1.0 km
APTA - Asociación de Profesionales Taxistas de Asunción
Sub Parada Taxi N° 32
Parada De Taxi N° 52
Sub Parada 47
Parada De Taxi N° 28
Parada de Taxi Nro 66
Parada de Taxi Nro 61
Servicios De Taxis 70
Parada de Taxi N° 35
Parada De Taxi N 57 Asuncion
Parada de Taxi N°75
Parada de Taxi N° 25
Parada de taxi 64
Taxi stop Fernando De La Mora
  • Nanduti, a special type of Paraguayan lace based on spider’s web
  • Lace tablecloths, doilies, and throws
  • Pottery
  • Tooled leather
  • Carved wood
  • Mugs for terere
  • Hammocks
  • Traditional clothes
  • Electronic goods but do not get cheated
  • Antiques like paintings, rare objects, old coins weapons, clocks and even medals of war heroes can be bought from "Mercado de Pulgas" held every Sunday in front of Nueva Americana. Bargain

Official Language

Spanish , Guaraní

Other Language

Portuguese, Italian, German, a... Read more

Spoken Language

Spanish and Guaraní are the ... Read more

Currency

Guarani (PYG)

Population

0.53 (Millions)

Weather Icon

Weather

Clear Sky 34.83°C

Clock Icon

TimeZone

11:27 AM (GMT -04:00)

 

Ambulance Icon

Ambulance

 

Police Icon

Police

912

 

Electric socket

Type C
Type C ( 220 V 50 Hz)
Airplane Icon

Airport Name / IATA Code

Silvio Pettirossi International Airport - ASU

Best time to visit

December,January, February, June, July, and August: December, January, and February (Summer) - Perfect time of year enjoyable for warm weather travelers. Busiest tourist season. Winter -June, July, and August - Mid-year months, the second busiest season, so lodging and accommodations may cost more.

Moderate time to visit

March, April, and May Fall - Warm and humid with rains with colder temperatures. Slow for tourism. Best deals for accommodation.

Worst time to visit

September, October, and November Spring - Rains or snows a significant lot. Tourism is slowest, so hotels may be affordably priced.

Taxi

Start Tariff: PYG 5000.00

1 Km. Tariff: PYG 15000.00

1 Hour Waiting Tariff: PYG 60000.00

Available service

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Monthly Average Temperature & Rainfall

Local Services in Asuncion (Contact directly)

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