Things To Do in Asuncion

Take a walking tour of the city center, starting at the Customs house, locally known as the Aduana, at Avenida Colon and Paraguayo Independiente. Walk east to the Palacio de Gobierno, a beautiful Versailles-style palace. It was once decreed that if anybody so much as looked at this building they would be shot on sight. Gladly, this rule no longer applies and now the soldiers in front will only shoo you away, except on Sunday when the building is open to the public. Continue east onto Plaza Independencia, where you'll find a 19th-century building that houses the Congresso Nacional. The Cathedral on the far corner is entered from the side street Bogado.

Other Attractions

You can catch some of Paraguay's former railway glory at the Railway Museum, Eligio Ayala and Mexico streets (tel. 021/447-848), which is open daily 8am to 5pm and costs G/5,000. If the griminess of the city center gets overwhelming, go northwest on Avenida Ortigas 6km (3 3/4 miles) to the pastoral 250-hectare (618-acre) park Jardín Botánico, Avenida Ortigas and Primer Presidente (tel. 021/281-389). It's open Monday to Friday from 7am to 6pm, Saturday from 7am to 5pm, and Sundays and holidays from 9am to 1pm. It also contains two natural history and indigenous museums. Admission into the park is G/950. One kilometer (about a half mile) south of the park is the beautiful and historical church Santísima Trinidad, Avenida Santísimo Sacramento and Santísima Trinidad. For something more somber, visit the burned-out shell of Ycuá Bolaños Supermarket, Santísima Trinidad and Estigarribia, the scene of a tragic fire in 2004 that killed 700 people. It is now a memorial site.

For consumer goods, go to Ciudad del Este. In Asunción you can come across some quality handicrafts, especially Ñanduti lace from the town of Itauguá. Aó poí is another famous product, a type of fine unbleached cotton. It and other textiles are made in the nearby town of Villarica. Palo santo are small items made from Paraguayan wood. You can find some of these items in the markets listed below or at roadside stores on the "Circuito de Oro" tour. A good quality store is IPA, Antequerra 241 (tel. 021/498-343; www.artesania.gov.py). The products are certified and come straight from their creators. For textiles, check out Taller Fábrica, Mariscal Estigarribia 2174 (tel. 021/204-081). For art, go to Arte Latinoamericano, Santa Rosa 586 (tel. 021/615-508).

If you like air-conditioned shopping, there are plenty of upscale shopping malls, especially in the Villa Morra area. Shopping del Sol, Avenida Aviadores de Chaco and DF de Gonzalez (tel. 021/611-780; www.shoppingdelsol.com.py), is the biggest in the country and is opposite the Sheraton. Close by is glitzy Paseo Carmelitas, Avenida España and Malutin (www.paseocarmelitas.com.py).

Markets

For handicrafts, go to Plaza de los Heroes. The biggest and liveliest market is Mercado Cuatro, Avenida Dr. Francia and Pettirossi. Vendors there sell everything from food to clothes; it's open daily from 6.30am to 6pm. On Saturday, Plaza de la Independencia has a morning market with handicrafts and souvenirs, and there is a small passageway with stalls selling similar items on Colon and Presidente Franco.

Don't let its dark streets turn you off. There is a party going on somewhere in this city if you look hard enough. There are plenty of bars dotted all around the city, especially a few blocks east of Plaza Uruguaya. You'll also find some down-at-the-heel karaoke bars around Palma and Colon. The Britannia Pub, Cerro Cora 851 (tel. 021/901-2850), is a British-style bar popular with locals and expats. In existence for over 20 years, it is still going strong, with good crowds drinking beer from huge tankards on any given night of the week (except Mon). Another favorite is Austria Pub, Austria 1783 y Vienna (tel. 021/604-662), situated upstairs in a small shopping mall called Excelsior in the downtown area.

For something trendier and more upscale, you have to go to Villa Morra and its various glitzy shopping malls. Kamastro, Paseo Carmelitas, Avenida España and Senador Long (tel. 021/615-041), is an interesting art-house bar with psychedelic guitars and naked body prints on the walls. Close by, you'll find Kilkenny Irish Pub, Malutin and Avenida España (tel. 021/672-768; www.kilkenny.com.py). Across the road, in a smaller mall, is Hooters, Avenida España and Romulo Feliciangeli (tel. 021/665-215), an American-based chain boasting cold beers and tasty chicken wings. Some of the best nightclubs are on the city outskirts. Faces, Mcal López 2585 (tel. 021/672-768), and Coyote, Sucre 1655 (tel. 021/662-816; www.coyote.com.py), are the biggest and best known. Canvas, Shopping del Sol ((tel. 021/622-875), is a slick and happening nightspot with five dance floors pumping out electronica and bossa nova. The high-tech restaurant is worth a visit just to experience the touch-screen menus on each table.