Asunción

904 Bar

A lot like Britannia: similar food, similar drinks, similar prices. Has a pool table, and occasionally puts on live-music shows.

Mon-Thu from 18:00, Fri from 17:00, Sat from 19:00

Bar San Roque

One of the oldest restaurants in town. A mix of traditional and fine cuisine. Excellent food and service in a very traditional feeling atmosphere. Really fantastic beer on tap served in their chilled Oktoberfest steins.

Open all day

Britannia Pub

Popular hangout for locals and foreigners. Try their microbrewed Britannia Beer and the chicken platter.

Tue-Fri from 19:30, Sat-Sun from 20:00

Casa Clari

Really nice views of the López Palace. Good food/drink menu, but slightly pricier than other bars in the centre.

Casa de la Independencia

Historic house built in 1772 where the independence of Paraguay was secretly planned in 1811. Well preserved historic museum furnished with items of historic and artistic interest.

Mon-Fri 08:00-18:00; Sat 08:00-13:00·Free

Centro Cultural El Cabildo

One of the few museums that open on weekends it's in an old colonial building that was the Congress Palace until 2003. Near the riverside costanera it has various exhibition spaces. The Sala Museo del Barro is one of the sections which presents pieces of indigenous art from native groups of Paraguay and Latin America. Another permanent exhibition space is the Sala Agustín Pío Barrios - Mangoré, which treasures the life and work of the great composer of the Paraguayan guitar. Another section is the Sala de la Escena Paraguaya - Edda de los Ríos which aims to disseminate everything related to the performing arts in Paraguay. There are also works from potter artist Julia Isídrez exhibiting a variety of clay works, in dark tone, with designs of faces, animals and nature figures. The Cabildo also incorporates works from traditional Christmas cribs by local artists such as Lucy Yegros, Gabriela Zuccolillo and Carlo Spatuzza.

Tue-Fri 09:00-20:00; Sat Sun 10:00-17:00·Free

El Bolsi

Opened in 1960, it's one of the oldest restaurants in town. It has a café and pastry section, and a separate restaurant section. Also, an outdoor section on the sidewalk is pleasant in the evenings. International and local dishes. Very popular among locals and tourists.

Daily 24 hours

Estación Central del Ferrocarril

Central Railway Station

Paraguay was the first country in South America to have a steam-powered train. It now houses a museum, but more impressive is the building itself and old wagons.

free

Estadio Defensores del Chaco

42,354 capacity stadium which is home of the Paraguay national football team, Club Guaraní and Club Olimpia.

Hacienda Las Palomas

Really good Mexican food (not "chips & salsa Tex-Mex"). The margaritas are particularly good, but the food is even better.

Iglesia de la Encarnación

Big church with a big pipe organ, the only one in the country.

Jardín Botánico y Zoológico

Visit the botanical garden and zoo - it's a very peaceful place filled with trees and nice paths. Find a nice shady spot and enjoy a picnic lunch. Inside the park you can visit Madame Lynch's house, very beautiful example of Paraguayan colonial architecture.

La Tabernita

A cafe bar with good atmosphere, good music, drinks and very friendly staff (if you like 1970s, 80s, 90s rock & pop).

07:00-15:00 and 18:30-late

Lido Bar

Established 1954 in the style of a contemporary American cafe-bar, Lido Bar has hardly changed. It was the first place Anthony Bourdain visited when he made his tv program on Paraguayan food. All the customers sit around a big circular bar. The menu offers Paraguayan foods, pasta, meat and a selection of desserts and fruit juices. The fish soup (sopa pescado) is famous and recommended. Very popular during peak times, particularly lunch and dinner.

Open now · closes 1:30 am tomorrow

Manzana de la Rivera

Cultural and exhibition complex in a series of interconnected old colonial houses comprising an entire square block. Has a nice outdoor cafe overlooking the Palacio de López.

free

Mburuvicha Roga

The name translates as "the chief house" in Guarani language. It's where the presidential family lives. Not open to the public. Only the exterior is visible from its main entrance on Avenida Mariscal López.

Mercado 4

A chaotic market where you can buy just about anything very cheaply, it is particularly good for counterfeit clothing and pirated CDs and DVDs (of varying quality). Most Paraguayans still shop at local produce markets, but you can buy everything at great prices. Good street food and some foreign, mostly Chinese, restaurants.

Metropolitan Cathedral

Catedral Metropolitana

The national cathedral. Next to the broad and picturesque plaza Independencia.

Mirador Ita Pyta Punta

The name means red stone rock in Guaraní. Pleasant small park at one of the edges of the city. Attractive lookout over the river Paraguay with nice views of sunsets in the afternoons. Officially the lookout is "temporarily" closed and fenced off, but locals opened the doors through it. Ita Pyta Punta is not the safest neighbourhood at night. Maybe better accessible by taxi if you're alone.

Museo del Barro

Best museum in town. Displays of Paraguayan art, dating from pre-colonial ceramics and textiles to avant garde contemporary art.

National Congress of Paraguay

Palacio Legislativo

One of the more impressive new buildings in the city. It was built in 2002 with a US$20 million donation from the Republic of China (Taiwan) government. Paraguay is one of the few countries and also the only country in South America that recognizes the Republic of China (Taiwan) as opposed to mainland China (People's Republic of China). Most striking is its mirrored façade, which reflects the nearby slums along the bank of the river. You can ask for a tour in English, and maybe get one. Arrive by 13:00, so that you will be able to visit the small museum inside.

Palacio de López

Government Palace

Houses the Paraguayan executive branch government. Very well lit at night. The interior is not open to the public.

Palma Street

The main shopping street. Pretty much everything you can buy here, you can get cheaper in one of the parallel streets.

Panteón Nacional de los Héroes

Houses the tomb of the unknown soldier along with other national heroes from Paraguay's history, also commemorative plaques for heroes of the Triple Alliance and Chaco War. Changing of the guard occurs every other day.

Parque Seminario

Lively park where people perform jogging and walking. It belongs to the Archdiocese of Asunción and it has a nice brick church, the Capellanía del Migrante, with English services.

Open now · closes 10 pm·US$0.50 pedestrians, US$1.50 cars.

Paseo Carmelitas

Food plaza with a selection of bars and restaurants to go at noon for lunch and after office until late at night. One of the most popular places in Asuncion during the night and on weekends.

from morning till late

Plaza Uruguaya

A nice shady park with bookstores and some old buildings around it. Free wifi.

Running

Lots of elite Asunceños work off the stresses of their days at Parque Ñu Guazú, just outside Asunción in the city of Luque, on the way to the airport. There's a great paved 9-km loop for jogging or walking.

Seoul

Korean buffet, with many vegetarian options where you fill your plate and pay per weight.

Open for lunch and dinner (19:30)

Teatro Municipal

Renovated; check for regular shows. Nice cafe at one of theater's corners.