Bars in Caacupé: how to pick a night out and get back safely

A night out in Caacupé usually means dinner and drinks rather than a bar crawl: outside the December pilgrimage, the town is quiet, and the action is in resto-bars and restaurants on Ruta PY02 and around the centre near the Basilica. For a long club night, Asunción is 54 km away on the PY02 (Wikipedia⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠), so sort out your ride home before you choose where to go.

What kind of night out does Caacupé have?

• Dinner and cocktails on the highway: several large restaurants sit on the PY02, serve cocktails, have parking and take cards. Easiest if you are driving or in a group.
• The centre, near the Basilica: bars and restaurants cluster around the Municipal Theatre and the old market. During the 2017 festival, Calle Boquerón, between Presbítero Ayala Solís and Dr. Venancio Pino, worked as an open-air food court with grills and food trucks (ABC Color, 2017⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠).
• A quiet weeknight drink: outside religious dates you will rarely struggle for a table.

Two places for dinner with drinks

• De las Sierras Resto: the restaurant of the Alta Gracia Hotel, with Paraguayan and international dishes, cocktails, parking and card payment (Visit Paraguay⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠; Trip.com⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠). A good pick for a date or a celebration.
• Churrasquería Brasil: an all-you-can-eat Brazilian grill on Ruta 2, open daily 10:30 to 22:30 according to Visit Paraguay⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠, with cocktails and parking. Its two dining rooms seat more than 300 (Infonegocios, 2023⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠), so it handles big groups, but it closes too early for a late night.

How to choose a bar or resto-bar

• Decide the plan: long dinner, snacks and beer, or live music. If food matters, ask when the kitchen closes; it often shuts before the bar.
• Message ahead for groups: ask for a table on WhatsApp or Instagram, especially Friday and Saturday.
• Check parking: it is tight in the centre near the Basilica; the highway places usually have their own lots.
• Look for live music or a cover charge: check the venue's social media that day.
• Payment: 7 in 10 electronic payments in Paraguay are now made by QR code (ABC Color, 2026⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠), but carry some cash for street stalls in the centre.

What changes during the pilgrimage?

The novena runs from 28 November to 8 December. In 2025, vehicles were kept off the PY02 stretch from the Ypacaraí entrance to protect walking pilgrims, and buses had fixed stops, including the Caacupé bus terminal (La Nación, 2025⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠).

The night of 7 December the town stays up: in 2022 there was a 19:00 Mass, a midnight serenade with drums and cymbals, and Masses at 1:00, 3:00 and 6:00 (La Nación, 2022⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠). Expect full venues, closed streets and parking far away.

How do you get back at night?

• Bus: according to the La Caacupeña company, the last bus leaves Caacupé terminal at 20:00, and another operator reported a last departure from Asunción at 21:00 (ABC Color, 2023⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠). For an evening out, the bus will not get you home.
• Taxi: there are taxi ranks on many corners in the centre; ask the venue to call one.
• Driving: Paraguay has zero tolerance for drink-driving, and from 0.400 mg/l of alcohol in breath it is a criminal offence referred to prosecutors (ABC Color⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠). If you come from Asunción, pick a driver who stays sober.