Asunción, Paraguay · With Kurt & Genesis
Come for the market.
Stay for the people.
Our Mercado 4 visit became a search for tereré, a conversation with the yuyos sellers and a bori bori taste test we didn’t quite agree on. Here’s what we found—and how to find the moments you want to see.
Walk through Mercado 4 with us →44-minute episode · Mainly Spanish · English captions available on YouTube
Episode published August 16, 2026. Guide updated September 5, 2026.
▶ The full market adventure on YouTube
Where is Mercado 4 in Asunción?
Mercado Municipal Nº 4 is in Asunción’s Pettirossi area. For the part of the market in our tereré story, use Paseo de los Yuyos, at República Francesa and Avenida Silvio Pettirossi, as your reference point. The municipality identifies this intersection as the starting point for its cultural market tours.
Start with a named place
Open the map before you set out. Confirm your meeting or drop-off point with your driver or guide; the market extends beyond a single building.
This is a location reference, not a turn-by-turn reconstruction of our walk.
Location source: Municipality of Asunción’s Mercado 4 tour announcement. Check new announcements for current tour dates.
From our filmed visit
Three reasons to come along
Tereré and the yuyos sellers
At the Paseo de los Yuyos, a seller showed us herbs and how he prepares tereré. Genesis tried it for the first time. The conversation took a funny turn when the traditional remedies came out.
Meet the yuyos sellers at 10:18 →Following the food
Asado, mandioca and a search for bori bori led us through the market. We asked the people making the food what was in it, then sat down to try the broth and its corn-and-cheese dumplings.
See our bori bori taste test at 35:41 →Where locals sent us next
We asked what else to see in Asunción. The answers connected the historic centre, the riverfront and places beyond the market. These were recommendations we received, rather than stops all filmed that day.
Hear the local suggestions at 40:23 →A taste test with two opinions
Kurt liked the bori bori more than Genesis did. A market visit is more interesting when you can see the reactions, hear the conversation and decide what you’d try yourself.
See the whole Mercado 4 experience →The sellers discuss traditional uses for herbs in the episode. We present that as a cultural conversation, not medical advice or evidence that a remedy treats an illness.
Practical notes · Checked September 5, 2026
Before you visit Mercado 4
Opening hours
Hours vary between stalls and galleries. Published travel guides give different schedules, and we could not verify one current opening time for the entire market. Plan a daytime visit and confirm a particular shop or tour before making a special trip.
Shopping and cash
Ask the price in guaraníes before buying. During our visit, two packaged products were each quoted at Gs. 20,000. That is a historical quote from the episode, not today’s price list. We also encountered imported merchandise; ask where an item was made if you want a Paraguayan souvenir.
See the purchase at 17:43 →Food choices
Our episode shows asado, mandioca and bori bori. It does not establish every stall’s menu, opening time or food standards. Ask what is in a dish and its current price, especially if you have dietary restrictions. We haven’t verified an exact address for the stall where we ate.
Is Mercado 4 safe to visit?
Our visit is one experience, not a safety guarantee. Keep your phone and wallet secure, avoid displaying a large amount of cash and pay attention to your surroundings and exits in crowded passages. If you need an ATM, official UK travel guidance recommends one inside a building. It also flags fire risks in crowded markets.
For transport, agree on a clear meeting point and use a reputable service; the same guidance recommends arranging a licensed taxi through a hotel rather than hailing one in the street. Read the current Paraguay safety and transport advice before your trip.
A few useful answers
What is the Paseo de los Yuyos?
It is the herb-selling area of Mercado 4 where we met the sellers and tried tereré. Our visit reaches it at 10:18. Find the location reference above, then watch that part of the walk.
Can I follow the video if I don’t speak Spanish?
Yes. The episode is mainly in Spanish, and English subtitles are published on YouTube. Turn on CC and select English in the player’s subtitle settings.
Do I need to book a tour?
We don’t have a current tour booking to recommend. The municipality has organized cultural and food tours starting at the Paseo de los Yuyos. Check its latest Mercado 4 announcements for a confirmed date; an older event notice is not a standing weekly schedule.
What does bori bori look like?
In the bowl we tried, there were corn-and-cheese dumplings in a broth. The seller explains the dish before we taste it. See the dish and our reactions at 35:41.
Keep exploring Asunción
Another local voice, another side of the city
What a local driver told us about Asunción
Continue with a conversation about the city and everyday life. It is one person’s perspective, to put alongside the practical guidance above.
Watch the Asunción conversation →Planning more time in the country? Explore our Paraguay stories, see our first weeks in Encarnación, or choose a different adventure in the episode library.
How we made this guide: The visit notes follow our episode published August 16, 2026, with chapter links so you can see the moments for yourself. Location and current-travel references are linked beside the practical information. Prices reflect the filmed visit and are not current quotes.