Parks and easy walks

Parque de la Salud: an hour under the trees

Checked 13 October 2026

Some Asunción outings call for a long lunch. This one calls for comfortable shoes, a bottle of water and an hour under the trees. Parque de la Salud is an easy place to slow down: walk a circuit, find a quiet spot and give the city's traffic a little distance.

Entrance and map · Hours and ID · A first walk · Facilities and access

Get to the park, rather than the hospital

Look for Parque de la Salud del IPS in Asunción. The park is near Hospital Central del IPS, but the hospital is a different destination. The useful arrival reference is Augusto Roa Bastos and Federación Rusa; older addresses use Feliciano Marecos. Tell your driver you want the park entrance and check the gate before ending the ride.

Follow the signs to the staffed entrance when you arrive.

For a first visit, a direct ride is simpler than guessing the final walking stretch. If you are walking from nearby, inspect the route in your map app and allow extra time for crossings and uneven pavements. Our getting-around guide explains the wider transport options.

Free entry, with an identity check

You do not need to be an IPS member to visit. The institute's dedicated park page says access is free for pedestrians and vehicles, with identity documents checked to record entries and exits. Vehicles are registered too. Have your document ready at the gate; a charged phone is sensible if you rely on the digital version. For visitors from abroad, IPS also explicitly mentions passports in its park information.

The currently published IPS schedule is 06:00–20:30 for entry, with departure by 21:00, including ordinary public holidays. We checked the dedicated page on 13 October 2026. Older IPS news articles give different hours, so use the dedicated page as the starting point and check again before an especially early or late trip.

New Year's Day and Good Friday are listed closures. In wet or windy weather, do not make a special journey without checking the situation: IPS warns about rain with strong gusts and storms, and falling branches are a real reason to keep people out. An open park earlier in the day does not guarantee it will remain open through a storm.

A simple first walk under the trees

Start at the entrance, get your bearings and choose one of the signed walking circuits. IPS lists paved circuits of 1,500 metres and 1,400 metres. A relaxed first visit can be one circuit followed by a pause, rather than trying to cover the entire park. Keep to the marked paths and leave space for people jogging.

If you want a shorter outing, ask staff about the compacted-earth Paseo Bicentenario, listed at 170 metres, or the Oro and Plata paths, listed at roughly 280 metres. These are different surfaces from the paved circuits; the shortest path is not automatically the easiest for every visitor.

Our suggestion is to come in the morning when a gentle walk is the main event, or leave generous daylight for an afternoon visit. The trees make this an appealing shaded outing, but they do not remove the heat. Bring drinking water, sun protection and insect repellent, and turn back whenever the weather or your energy suggests it.

Toilets, children and accessibility

IPS lists toilets, a children's play area, outdoor exercise equipment and a biblioparque with reading spaces. Think of these as useful additions to a park visit. We have not independently checked their condition, individual opening times or availability on your chosen day. Bring what you need for the walk rather than relying on a shop or café inside.

For wheelchair users and anyone who needs step-free access: the paved circuits are a useful starting point, but the official description does not establish a fully accessible route from the gate, the condition of each section or accessible toilet provision. Check those specific needs with park staff before committing to a route. Compacted-earth paths can feel different after rain.

Keep children close around the walking circuits and choose a visit length that suits your group. The park's health post is listed near the main entrance, but this guide does not promise a particular clinician, class or appointment will be available. Ask on site if you are interested in an activity.

Before you leave home

• Check the weather and the official IPS park page.
• Pack ID, drinking water and comfortable walking shoes.
• Save the park pin, rather than the hospital pin.
• Leave time to exit well before 21:00 and arrange your return from the entrance.

Sources: IPS: Parque de la Salud; IPS: passport requirement; IPS: location and weather closures. Practical suggestions are Open Asu's; published access information was checked on 13 October 2026.