Carlos Antonio Lopez Park

## Carlos Antonio López Park, Asunción: Green Hill With a Complicated Backstory

Carlos Antonio López Park (Parque Carlos Antonio López) is one of Asunción’s main urban green spaces, set on a low hill in the Carlos A. López / Sajonia area along Av. Carlos Antonio López. From its paths you get open views across the city, and you’re walking on ground that was once Asunción’s Mangrullo cemetery – a piece of Paraguayan history that most casual visitors never realize.

For RealJourneyTravels readers planning time in the Paraguayan capital, this park is useful for three things:

– A free, sizeable space to run, walk, or cycle.
– A snapshot of everyday Asunción life outdoors.
– A case study in how a historic green space struggles with maintenance and urban pressures.

Below is what you can realistically expect today, plus context you won’t usually see in brochure copy.

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## A Quick Orientation

– Location: Av. Carlos Antonio López, in the Carlos A. López / Sajonia sector of Asunción.
– Setting: The park sits on a gentle hill that used to be one of the city’s highest points, which is why some paths still give clear panoramas of Asunción.
– Type of place: Large public park with dense vegetation, walking and cycling tracks, and sports areas.
– Price: Listed among Asunción’s free attractions on TripAdvisor (so you should not expect an entrance fee as of that listing).
– Hours: A local directory (asu.com.py) currently lists the park as open 24 hours a day, every day of the week.

> Data check: Opening hours and fee status are inherently changeable. Treat “24 hours” and “free entry” as current indications, not guarantees—verify locally before a late-night visit.

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## A Short, Strange History: From Cemetery to City Park

Understanding the ground under your feet adds a different layer to a simple walk here.

### From war-time cemetery to green space

– The hill known as Mangrullo once hosted the Cementerio del Mangrullo, a cemetery opened during the War of the Triple Alliance. It was used roughly from 1869 until its closure as a cemetery in 1918.
– After the closure, burials were gradually transferred to another cemetery (“Cementerio del Sur”), but local accounts note that even decades later, children occasionally found bones and remnants during works on the site.

### Creation of Carlos Antonio López Park

– During the 1930s, the land was converted into a public park.
– An ordinance in 1935 officially gave it the name Parque Carlos Antonio López, in honor of Paraguay’s first constitutional president.
– A historical note from the municipality and local writers describes it as one of Asunción’s most important recreational spaces, hosting a municipal library and becoming a reference point for the Sajonia neighborhood’s evolution.

### Loss of land and closed lookout tower

Several features you might read about online are now primarily of historical interest:

– In the 1960s, almost half of the original park was carved off to install what is now the Canal 9 SNT “Cerro Corá” TV station.
– In the early 1980s, a tower with a viewing platform was built and later closed to the public; local sources describe it as a disused lookout rather than an active viewpoint today.
– A sculpture of a deer by Paraguayan sculptor Francisco Almeida once stood in the park and has since disappeared, according to the same historic account.

> Outdated-info flag: Most detailed historical descriptions of the tower, sculpture, and library come from local blogs and community sources published around 2013–2020. They accurately reflect the park’s past but may not match current signage or remaining structures on the ground.

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## What the Park Is Like to Use Today

### Running, walking, and cycling

Multiple travel and local sources describe Parque Carlos Antonio López as:

– A popular spot for jogging and walking, with paths winding through dense vegetation.
– Suitable for cycling and even trail running on some of the unpaved sections.

Visitors note that:

– The park functions as a “green gym,” with people using it regularly for runs and outdoor workouts.
– One reviewer who lives nearby explicitly calls it a safe place from dawn to dusk, which aligns with the general pattern that daylight hours are the most comfortable time to be there.

Given Asunción’s humid subtropical climate, with very hot, humid summers and mild winters, early mornings and late afternoons are the most realistic windows for exercise. Average January temperatures hover around 28 °C with high humidity; winter averages are around 17 °C.

### Sports and fitness facilities

Based on municipal-style writeups and user Q&A, historically the park has included:

– Basketball courts
– A football (soccer) pitch
– Outdoor calisthenics / gym equipment
– Two children’s playgrounds, with swings and slides
– Public toilets, typically operating from early morning to early evening
– Free car parking on-site

These facilities make it a useful stop if you’re looking for:

– A place to keep up a running habit during a trip.
– A low-cost way to burn kids’ energy during an Asunción stay.
– A casual, local-feeling sports environment rather than a manicured park.

> Outdated-info flag: Most detailed facility lists date from 2013–2020. Elements like outdoor gym equipment and playground condition can change quickly. Treat this as a baseline and check recent reviews or satellite imagery if specific facilities are critical to your plan.

### Shade, greenery, and views

– The park is described as having abundant greenery and tall trees, providing shade for walking paths and rest areas.
– Because it sits on a small hill that was once the city’s highest point, some sections offer open views over Asunción’s urban sprawl.

This combination of tree cover and elevation is what makes it attractive as a quick “green break” within the city.

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## Community, Culture, and Inclusive Use of the Space

Parque Carlos Antonio López is not just a recreational space; different groups use it for events and outreach:

– The Municipality of Asunción has used the park as a meeting point and site for Semana Santa (Holy Week) activities, including a Via Crucis in 2024 with free public access.
– A local LGBTQ+ organization, SOMOSGAY, has run free HIV testing days in the park, promoting access to PrEP information and sexual health services.
– Community organizations advertise festivals such as San Juan celebrations with free entry, inviting families and friends to gather in the park.

These examples show that the park is used as:

– A venue for religious and cultural events.
– A base for public-health and inclusive community initiatives.
– A flexible space that reflects the social dynamics of contemporary Asunción.

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## Safety, Cleanliness, and Current Condition

This is where you need a realistic picture.

### Mixed reviews on maintenance

Some travellers and long-time residents praise the park as a “green lung” of Sajonia and a beloved space for decades.

At the same time:

– Reviews note that certain sectors accumulate rubbish and that the park “deserves better care.”
– Long-standing complaints mention informal car minders (“cuida coches”) who pressure visitors for money to “look after” parked vehicles, particularly in the mornings.

In May 2025, Asunción newspaper ABC reported that sections of Parque Carlos Antonio López were flooded with standing water and litter, describing the park and its surroundings as dirty and in a state of deterioration. A city councillor formally requested urgent intervention by the municipality.

> Time-sensitive note: That ABC report is from early 2025. Conditions in public parks can improve or decline quickly depending on municipal budgets and local initiatives, so check very recent visitor photos or local news if park quality is a key factor in your plan.

### Personal safety

The overall pattern from visitor summaries is:

– Daytime (dawn to dusk): generally considered comfortable for running, walking, and family visits, with people around using the sports facilities.
– Night-time / off-peak: some summaries flag safety concerns, recommending that visitors stay alert, especially when the park is quiet.

Practical steps that align with general South American city-park advice:

– Prioritize morning or late-afternoon visits instead of late evening.
– Avoid walking alone through the most isolated areas when the park is sparsely used.
– Keep valuables discreet and avoid leaving anything visible in parked vehicles.
– If you encounter aggressive “parking attendants,” it’s safer to park elsewhere or arrive by taxi / ride-hailing rather than escalate a confrontation.

These recommendations are consistent with both traveller reports and broader safety guidance for Asunción’s urban parks.

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## Practical Visiting Tips

### Getting there

– The park is on Av. Carlos Antonio López, near the intersection with Bartolomé Coronel, in the extended Sajonia / Carlos A. López area.
– It sits a short drive from central Asunción and is commonly reached by taxi, ride-hailing, or local buses running along major avenues in this sector. (Specific bus lines change too often to list reliably here without on-the-ground verification.)

If you’re already visiting nearby sights such as Palacio de López or the Museo de la Estación Central del Ferrocarril Carlos Antonio López, the park makes a logical add-on within a half-day of exploring.

### When to go

Given Asunción’s climate:

– Best seasons: April–September are generally cooler and drier, which suits outdoor exercise and walking. to Travel
– Best time of day: Early morning or late afternoon to avoid peak heat and sun intensity, especially from November to March when temperatures are often above 30 °C and humidity is high.

### Who will get the most value out of this park?

Carlos Antonio López Park makes sense if you: