Mercado 4 and the Paseo de los Yuyos

Mercado 4 is Asunción's biggest traditional market, the Mercado Municipal Nº 4, run by the city. It spreads over more than 300,000 square metres in barrio Pettirossi, with aisles of fruit and vegetables, clothing, shoes, electronics and household goods under colored awnings. Beside the market administration is the Paseo de los Yuyos, the row of stalls selling the fresh herbs that people across Paraguay crush into tereré. Entry is free. This page covers when it opens, what to see, where to eat and how to get there.

Quick facts

The city publishes no official opening hours for the market. The hours below come from one online listing, so treat them as a guide.

Hours: is Mercado 4 open today?

Most likely yes. The market trades every day of the week, but the city does not publish official hours, and the only listing found gives full days from Monday to Friday and mornings only at weekends. Saturday and Sunday both close before midday according to that listing, so plan a weekend visit for early morning. Individual stalls may keep their own times.

Does Mercado 4 open on Sundays? Yes, on Sunday mornings, per the listing in the box above. For more Sunday ideas, see what is open on a Sunday.

The Paseo de los Yuyos

The Paseo de los Yuyos is a line of stalls selling yuyos, or pohã ñana: fresh medicinal herbs and roots that people crush in a wooden mortar and mix with cold water for tereré. In 2019 the then mayor said people had been preparing yuyos there for tereré and mate for more than 50 years. In 2020 UNESCO inscribed the practices and traditional knowledge of tereré in the culture of pohã ñana on its list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Our guide to tereré explains how the drink is made.

Where the stalls are. The city places the Paseo on República Francesa at Avenida Pettirossi, in front of the market administration. In August 2026, about eight of the herb sellers said they were being asked to move for a private building project on the lot behind their stalls, to a spot on José Asunción Flores while the work, estimated at seven months, goes ahead. The city's markets director said new stalls would be built a few metres away and that a written resolution was being prepared. The stalls may have moved by the time you visit, so check before visiting.

How to buy. Tell the seller what the herbs are for (a cold tereré or a hot mate) and ask which ones they suggest. If you have no mortar at home, ask whether they can crush them for you.

Food and lunch

Many people come to Mercado 4 to eat as well as shop. The city names a "juguería", the area of fresh juice sellers, on the ground floor of the municipal building at Pettirossi and República Francesa, which it renovated in 2026. One listing describes traditional Paraguayan cooking inside the market, and in 2026 the city set up traditional food stalls on Avenida Pettirossi for San Juan and again for the Día del Carrulín on 1 August.

What else is there

According to the city, textiles lead the market, followed by footwear, technology and food. You will also find fruit and vegetables, meat, groceries, thermoses for tereré, accessories, wickerwork and flowers. The city says there is even a school and a medical clinic inside the market grounds, and a volunteer fire company works from the market building.

The city is also promoting Mercado 4 as a place to visit. Its Eju Mercadope campaign, launched in October 2025, offers free guided walks that start at the Paseo de los Yuyos, and in September 2026 it reported one of its first evening concerts, "Mercado 4 Suena", as part of a plan to bring people in after dark. A master plan with the Universidad Católica, the first in the market's history, is due in 2026, with covered walkways (the first 50 metres are under way) and pedestrian-only inner streets among its aims. Expect some works in progress.

Where it is and how to get there

Mercado 4 fills a wide triangle of streets in barrio Pettirossi, between Avenida Pettirossi, Próceres de Mayo, Avenida Rodríguez de Francia and Avenida Perú, a few minutes from downtown. Map

• By ride app: about 10 to 20 minutes from the Ycuá Satí / Villa Morra side of town (an estimate; traffic changes it). See booking a ride. Ask to be dropped at Pettirossi and República Francesa if you want to start at the Paseo de los Yuyos.
• By bus: check your route in the bus apps and see how bus cards work. From Areguá, Grupo Bene's line 203 runs via Luque to Mercado 4, which makes an easy pairing with a day in Areguá.
• By car: the city counts more than 30,000 vehicles entering the market area every day and is working on a traffic plan to end double and triple parking on Rodríguez de Francia. A ride app or bus is simpler.

Tips for a visit

• Go with a plan. The market is big, busy and loud. Pick two or three things you want (the herb stalls, lunch, a thermos) and work outward from there.
• Choose your time. Weekday mid-afternoons tend to be calmer and Saturday mornings busier.
• Keep your things close. As in any crowded market, carry your phone and wallet in a front pocket or a closed bag. Stallholders have asked the city for more security, and the city now has a permanent police (Grupo Lince) base in the market.
• Carry some cash. Transfers and QR codes are accepted at some stalls, but not all. Smaller notes make paying quicker, and it is worth a glance at the notes you get back; if one looks doubtful, your bank can help you check it.
• Ask before photographing people. The aisles make great photos; vendors and shoppers are people at work, so ask first.
• Mind the rain and heat. In the city's 2025 survey, covered walkways against rain and strong sun were among stallholders' most repeated requests. Bring water and a hat on hot days.

FAQ

Is Mercado 4 open today? What are its hours?

It trades every day. The city publishes no official hours; one listing gives full days Monday to Friday and mornings only on Saturday and Sunday. See the box at the top of this page.

Does Mercado 4 open on Sundays?

Yes, on Sunday mornings, according to that listing.

Where is Mercado 4 and how do I get there?

In barrio Pettirossi, between Avenida Pettirossi, Avenida Rodríguez de Francia and Avenida Perú. It is about 10 to 20 minutes by ride app from the Ycuá Satí / Villa Morra side, and line 203 runs there from Areguá via Luque.

What is the Paseo de los Yuyos?

The stalls at Mercado 4 that sell fresh medicinal herbs (pohã ñana) for tereré and mate, on República Francesa at Avenida Pettirossi. A possible move of some stalls was under discussion in August 2026, so check before visiting.

Is it free to enter?

Yes. Mercado 4 is a public municipal market with no entry fee.

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