Our favourite places around the Castillo. Where to eat well, what you will find at the Saturday market and which trips are worth it. Picked by Ina and our team on the ground.
San Bernardino lies on the shore of Lake Ypacaraí, about 50 kilometres from Asunción. The town was founded in 1881 by German and Swiss immigrants, and you can still see it today in some of the houses, in names and in the bread.
In summer, from December to February, many families from Asunción come to the lake and the promenade gets busy. On weekdays and in the cooler months it is quiet.
Three places where we like to eat ourselves and which we are happy to recommend to our guests.
Ceviche, grilled skewers and pisco sour, all made with real care. On the pricier side, but very good. La Carossa also has a restaurant in Asunción.
Instagram and reservations →A Brazilian style grill where the waiters keep bringing meat to your table as long as you like. In Asunción since 2000 and now also in San Bernardino.
View on the map →Chef Gege cooks in the middle of nature, among chickens, peacocks and tortoises. The house is remote and not easy to find. Dining is by reservation only and tables go fast, so book early.
View on the map →Opening hours change often. Ask before you go, we are happy to help you book.
On Saturdays there is a market on the plaza in the town centre, usually from the morning until early afternoon. Paraguayan families and a few Germans sell things that are otherwise hard to find in Paraguay.
German bread, rolls and pretzels, home made cheese, sausage, good coffee beans and kombucha. Plus plenty of fruit and vegetables, goat cheese, eggs and clothes. You can sit down for a drink and a bite. The market is known across the area and always busy.
The beautiful old church in the town centre is worth a short visit, ideally on your way to the market.
Along the promenade you will find restaurants with a view of the water and the Playa Rotonda beach. The lake is not always suitable for swimming, as the water quality varies. That is what the private pool at the Castillo is for.
The historic house of the Swiss naturalist Emil Hassler. Today it hosts exhibitions and events, and in summer a crafts market.
On the other side of the lake, known for ceramics, crafts and strawberries. Close by is Cerro Kõi with its unusual sandstone formations.
View on the map →Its large basilica is the most important pilgrimage site in Paraguay. On 8 December hundreds of thousands of pilgrims come here. About half an hour by car.
View on the map →The capital is about an hour away. Good for official appointments, shopping and an evening in the city.
View on the map →A detached house with a private pool and three bedrooms in the Country Club of San Bernardino. With our welcome offer from 59 $ per night.
More about life in San Bernardino and moving to Paraguay (in German) at Abenteuer Auswandern.
Our personal recommendations, nobody pays us for them. No guarantee, as of October 2026.
Photo credits: Sunset over Lake Ypacaraí: photo Level4, CC BY-SA 3.0. Lakeside park in San Bernardino: photo Thalmaniano, CC BY 3.0. Both via Wikimedia Commons, resized for this website.