Asuncion has a number of modern shopping centres. Here they are called Malls, so that is the term I shall use. Rather than the British Centres.
Shopping malls are not things that are to be found out in the countryside in Paraguay. As such whenever I visit Asuncion I spend some time in one or more of them.
Sometimes to buy somethings, but more often just for a bit of air conditioned window shopping, and a meal.
The most modern of the malls are to be found in the upmarket Villa Morra district. All within a short distance of each other.
My last trip into Asuncion was a fairly typical one. A whole day spent visiting each of the malls in and around Villa Morra. Seeing as much as possible as I know it will be a few months before I will be back in the city.
It helps that I enjoy wandering around shops and am happy to spend a whole day doing so. I even normally find a few things to buy and take home with me.
That being so I began my tour at Shopping Villa Morra.
This sits on Av. Mariscal Lopez and was the first modern mall to be built in Asuncion. It opened in 1978 and being much older is smaller and less modern than the others. However still an nice place to stoll around.
Shopping Villa Morra is essentially box shaped with stores located on two levels. Neither of these takes too long to walk around. The majority of the larger stores are to be found on the ground floor.
However on the upper floor these is the only music store in any of the malls. Somewhere I always visit to pick up some new music to take home with me.
Above the retail floors there is to be found a small food hall and then above that a cinema. Every shopping mall has a cinema.
It is a good if slightly old fashioned mall. Very much worth a quick visit.
Immediatly behind it is to be found the much larger and more modern Shopping Mariscal.
This mall was opened in 1996 and provides several floors of retail opportunities. Following an extension a few years ago the mall has almost doubled in size. A second building added and linked to the original mall with a bridge.
Of all the malls Shopping Mariscal probably has the widest range of stores. From the medium priced up to more expensive stores. Also the upper level has been given over in it’s entirety to a large department store.
In view or the wide range of strores to be found within it Shopping Marical is where I tend to make most of my purchases. Or a least is my first port of call when looking for something.
There are ample stores to explore and with the mall being laid out in a ring following it from base to summit takes a logical path. Apart from the extension, but even there the levels flow smoothly.
The food hall occupies the upper level of the extension and has a wide range of eating options and ample seating.
Additionally the parking space a the base of the mall is often used for retail. Events ranging from a fruit and vegetable market to end of season sales.
It is a very good place to start any shopping trip in Asuncion.
From these to neighbouring malls it is about a 15 minute walk down Av. San Martin to the next one. A shorter trip if done by bus or taxi.
Before that is reached however there is a large department store which is also worth a visit.
This a Feria Asuncion and is a large purpose built store which is about 10-15 years old.
A modern department store it is laid out over three floors. First clothing, then homewheres and finally childern and parties.
I find it is a good place for picking up small homewhere items. A wide range is on show and all is well laid out.
After that slight detour it is back to the shoppings malls. Futher down Av. San Martin and then crossing a busy intersection onto Av. Avadores del Chaco.
Then a short distance down Av. Avadores del Chaco DelSol Shopping is to be found.
This is a long two story mall and is probably the most pleasant for a stoll. Like Shopping Mariscal this also recently had an extension works. Here that took the shape of elongating it’s length, creating a long, thin mall. A very easy place to walk around.
DelSol Shopping is slightly older than Shopping Mariscal having opened in 1995. It is also a little more upmarket containing more of the expensive type of store than Shopping Marical.
As well as with locals DelSol Shopping is also popular with tourists and is advertised by most hotels.
Here is to be found the only souvenir store. A good place to pick up Paraguayan gifts.
The food hall is also a little different in that is has a small upper level which is much quieter than the main food hall.
It is a popular mall and an enjoyable place in which to spend a little time.
Then finally after DelSol Shopping there is just one more mall to visit. Paseo la Galeria.
This is located on the other side of the road but only a few hundred yards from DelSol Shopping.
Paseo la Galeria is the newest of the malls and by far the most up market. The mall is less then ten years old.
Most of what is to be found inside is either top end stores or boutiques. That is by Paraguayan standards. Expensive as it may be Paseo la Galeria is not Bond Street, London.
Almost all the stores found within it are international rather than national.
The enterance to the mall takes you through a water garden and past two level of restaurants. Then up a couple of flights of escalators and into the mall itself.
It is designed with a large open cenral area and sweeping walkways all of which wind their way around the mall never settling on a straight line.
The open design of the mall makes Paseo la Galeria the only one offering fine views from it’s raised walkways. The image at the top of this artical was taken from one of those walkways.
In this mall is to be found a large sports store which caters to all manner of sports. Something that is not to be found elsewhere.
The food hall is again spacious and well laid out. A feature of all these malls is that the food halls all have pretty much the same outlets at the same prices.
This mall is somewhere that is good to walk around. A place to see and be seen, but unless price is not an issue not somewhere to make a huge amount of purchases.
That said I have over the years purchased many things there.
So then that is a brief tour of the shopping malls of Asuncion.
For anyone who is in Asuncion it is worth taking the time to visit at least one of them to see this modern side of Paraguay.
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