Ciudad del Este, Paraguay’s second-largest city and a major commercial hub on the border with Brazil, has opened a public tender to reinvent its public spaces with the renovation of three parks. The municipal government wants to turn the sites into recreation areas. The goal is to draw local families and tourists who currently pass through without stopping. This is the story of Ciudad Del Este’s US$10 million makeover.
Three Ciudad del Este parks, one budget
The works will affect Alejo García Park, built on the site of the city’s former airport; Agustín Van Aaken Park; and Chinese Park, named for the Taiwanese-funded gardens within it. Together, the project is expected to cost more than ₲64.8 billion (approximately US$10.6 million), funded entirely from the Ciudad del Este municipality’s own resources, with no national or foreign financing involved.
Alejo García Park will receive the largest share of the investment, at ₲51.77 billion (approx. US$8.5 million). Van Aaken Park is budgeted at ₲7.66 billion (approx. US$1.26 million), and Chinese Park at ₲5.39 billion (approx. US$880,000). The call for bids has been published on the website of Paraguay’s National Directorate of Public Procurement (DNCP), formally opening the administrative process that precedes construction.
“Only 5% of tourists” currently visit the city
Daniel Pereira Mujica, then serving as mayor, unveiled the project on 1 June 2026 at Alejo García Park. The architects and technical staff who designed the renovations joined him at the event. Pereira framed the plan to reinvent its public spaces as part of a wider push to capture more tourist traffic. The Iguazú Falls, located nearby, is one of South America’s best-known natural attractions.
“At the moment, only 5% of the tourists who go to the Iguazú Falls and other tourist attractions visit Ciudad del Este. If we manage to raise that figure to 15% with first-rate spaces, we will be generating significant economic activity for the city, benefiting the tourism, food service and retail sectors,” Pereira said, according to a statement published by the municipality.
Visitors know Ciudad del Este chiefly as a shopping destination. Visitors cross the border from Brazil to buy duty-free and discounted goods. The municipality aims to broaden that reputation. It wants to give visitors a reason to stay longer and spend on leisure and dining as well as retail.
US$10 million makeover: European-style gardens at former airport
The project reserves the most extensive changes for Alejo García Park. The designs remodel the park in a style inspired by classical European gardens, combining landscaped areas, monuments and recreational spaces.
At its centre will be a wide pedestrian plaza with symmetrical paths, bordered by ornamental gardens, sculptures and fountains. Classical-style columns, porticoes and pergolas are planned along the main entrance. A multi-tiered ornamental fountain topped with a female sculpture will serve as a centrepiece. The designs place further sculptures throughout the gardens and walkways.
The renovation will restore and expand existing green areas with flowerbeds, ornamental shrubs, trees and shaded spots for walking and recreation. The park will also include a monument featuring an aircraft on a sculptural structure, a tribute to the site’s history as the city’s former airport.
New skate park built to competition standard
Among the most notable elements of the US$10 million makeover is a full rebuild of the skate park within Alejo García Park, built to standards suitable for competitive events. This will allow the Alto Paraná Skateboarding Association to run tournaments there. Alto Paraná is the department of which Ciudad del Este is the capital.
Municipal officials describe the initiative to reinvent its public spaces as one of the largest urban transformation schemes planned for the city in recent years. Whether the works proceed on schedule will depend on the outcome of the tender process managed through the national procurement portal.
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