La Chacarita is one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city of Asunción. It is located near the Plaza del Cabildo, the site of the city’s first fort. This districs occupies the centuries-old domain of the river, making it prone to flooding.
Perhaps because of its age, it is characterized by its winding streets, which reminds me of the Jewish quarters of Spain before the Catholic Monarchs. Just as the banks of the Nile in ancient Egypt, its proximity to the riverbank has caused it no small amount of trouble, as, with each flood, the residents of Chacarita are forced to move elsewhere until the river allows them to return.
Of the many neighborhoods in Asunción, it is one of the few that stands proudly facing Asunción Bay. They have never faced back the river. From its heights, La Chacarita observes the passage of time in its bubble of isolation. From there, they watch as the people of Asunción modernize, grow in love with the city, and, with the construction of the waterfront, begin to embrace what the people of Chacarita were born embracing.
Time and again, its inhabitants, humble and stubborn, have had to leave their neighborhood. So, the next time their homes flood, once the river gives them permission to return, they will lick their wounds and return to where they understand the world.
Today, La Chacarita is considered a dangerous neighborhood and a place of informal settlements, what is known as a favela in Brazil or a slum in Argentina. However, poverty can manifest itself in many ways, not exclusively economically.
When I walked through this small neighborhood in Asunción, I saw that the people who populated its streets were well-mannered and hard-working. However, the inhabitants of Chacarita themselves mentioned that the line of fire that shouldn’t be crossed was the bridge. I don’t know which one; we’ll have to find out. Just in case, I joined a group on an official expedition organized by the city council, and we stayed in the upper part of the neighborhood.
What I liked most was the neighborhood’s resilience. Despite not having a single rubbish bin or a reputation for attracting tourists, they’ve come up with two ways to finally take us there:
The first, without a doubt, is the attraction of seeing (from the outside) the house of its most illustrious resident, José Asunción Flores, the creator of guarania. This musical genre was added to UNESCO’s list of Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2024. At the small Karapá point (Punta Karapá in Spanish), there’s a small, village-like plaza with privileged views of the bay. From there, one understands why the first Spanish settlement was established near that spot.
The second is that, with the little they have in Chacarita, they’ve decided to revitalize it with the project of 500 murals for the neighborhood. These murals have been painted by urban artists from various countries, which provide another reason to visit Chacarita today. These are the murals you see in the photos in this article, ordered from 10 to 1, although there are many more. Here is just a selection of the ones I liked the most.
So, when you take the guided tour of this neighborhood, you can hear not only about the history of this area of the city, but also about the people behind each mural, who is represented in it, the significance of the scene and the artist’s origins, among other things.
Recommended spots: Ña Tati, this small, cozy tavern is a great place to stop and rest, with a very vintage bar where you can sit and have a drink with your group.
And the pantry in the photo, where there’s not a single space left, but it oozes authenticity.
Don’t forget to buy locally, and if you generate rubbish, take it with you. La Chacarita needs everyone’s help to become even more beautiful.
If you liked this article, share it with your friends. If you have something to contribute or want to tell me about your favorite mural, comment below. And don’t forget to check out the cultural agenda, the most complete in Asunción.
1 in the ranking
Bravo. Gracias mostrar Este barrio y gracias por las descripciones… Es facinante que la chacarita siempre estuvo tan cerca, pero nunca entré a visitarla.
Hola Itón, muchas gracias a ti por leer. Ya sabes, en la próxima, tienes una cita pendiente!