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Ciudad del Este is the most eastern and second largest city of Paraguay at the border with Brazil. Its main attraction for visitors is shopping. This place is one of the access points to a great natural wonder of the world, the Iguaçu Falls, a few kilometers away in the neighboring cities of Foz do Iguaçu and Puerto Iguazu.
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The Itaipú dam operator also provides a number of tourist attractions and tours, including the Tati Yupi Biological Reserve, some of which require registration. And you will mostly always need some form of identification, so bring your passport. And for registrations require ahead of the tour, they will need names, ages and number of people.
The most convenient option is the simple Panoramic tour of the dam. However, it is worth booking a scheduled tour ahead, for a more interesting and different experience. You can still always do the regular tour.
This is the most convenient option. A free, short and underwhelming 30-minute tour, often in Spanish only, that involves driving around the dam on a bus preceded by a fifteen-minute video on the history and importance of the dam. A short lookout over the spillway provides the only photo opportunity.
A tour with more information and different sites in a smaller group. Enquiry required at least one week ahead.
An in-depth technical tour, which allow visitors to see the inside of the dam, power generation facilities, and turbines. Enquiry required at least one week ahead.
An audio-visual show illuminating the dam. Prior registration necessary until the Thursday before.
Modelo Reducido de la Represa de Itaipú
A model of 1:100 of the dam.
Museo Tierra Guaraní (Itaipú) / Museo de la Tierra Guaraní and Zoológico Regional
A small museum mainly on the Guarani culture and the local wildlife. Descriptions in English and Spanish.
Cataratas del Monday
With a height of 45 m, 2 drops and 120 m width, the most impressive and beautiful waterfall in Paraguay. There are actually two (private) operators that grant access to the waterfall—compare prices! With the one further down the road you have a great view from above walking directly past the drop-off, but the elevator to the bottom costs a steep extra. Maybe not worth it, as you're too close to the falls directly in the mist.
On the other hand, the other operator (the one that comes first along the road from Ciudad del Este) has a platform at the bottom of the water, which can be reached by staircase (maybe a better overview from the bottom here). However, its top view is further apart from the waterfall and maybe not that spectacular.
Take a collectivo to the corner of Avenida Guarani/Avenida Monday and then walk to the entrances along Calle Aguaray.
Argentina–Brazil–Paraguay triple point
Paraguayan mark is quite far from the city, accessible by buses from the centre (Av. General Bernardino Caballero), take a bus labelled Tres Fronteras (destination, not the company name) by the bus company VICENTE A. MATIAUDA (red buses) and ask for La Balsa (the ferry), ask to get out in front of the huge gate. The viewpoint isn't as high up as the Brazilian and Argentine ones, but you'll have a head-on view of the Iguazú River gorge where it empties into the Paraná, just a few kilometers downstream from where it crashes down through the famous falls.
Tati Yupi Biological Reserve
One of several areas of Atlantic Forest not flooded by the Itaipu reservoir, now preserved by the Itaipu Binacional organization. Refugio Tati Yupi is the most accessible and has facilities for camping, picnicking, outdoor grills, horseback riding, and a small hospedaje with male and female dorms and a kitchen. The reserve has many small trails available for walking and wildlife includes birds, capuchin monkeys, armadillos, capibara and more.
To obtain authorization for a visit (self-guided), submit passport information and passengers online or at the Itaipu Visitor Center. Permission must be requested at least 1 day in advance of arrival and you will need to collect the set of papers to present to the guards for admittance. If visiting the dam before going to the reserve, permits can be requested in person in the office to the left of the zoo entrance. By stopping by in advance of touring the dam, zoo, and Guaraní museum permits can likely be collected before returning to Ciudad del Este at the end of the day.
Vegetarian
A friendly and central place very close to the border bridge.
A friendly and cheap but slightly grubby place very close to the main Bus Terminal.
Clean, comfortable rooms. The building is new, with air-conditioning, hot water, and cable TV.
Air-conditioning, hot water, television and clean rooms in a building being refurbished.
Also, a very basic room is available in a side area from the parking garage for US$25.
Good hotel in downtown. Room with tv-cable, air-conditioning, private bath and telephone with direct calls.
Pleasant hotel in downtown. Like many of the mid-range hotels, offers a good breakfast buffet.
Shopping is the main business of the visitors. The main shopping streets are San Blas and Camilo Recalde, where you can buy almost anything. Many people come for electronics. If you want to buy electronics such as cellphones or cameras, always ask to test the device to make sure that it works. Never give it back to the shopkeeper/assistant as that person might exchange the device with faulty versions or hand the box back filled with paper but not with what you just bought.
When walking close to the Paraguay border or around shopping malls, ignore people holding printed images of electronic brands inviting you to buy from them. If they insist, politely say "No, gracias" and carry on.
One of the larger shopping centers and very popular with people that come here for the shopping.
By bus
The Terminal de Omnibus (bus terminal) is 1,5 km south of the city centre near Avenida Bernardino Caballero and next to the 3 de Febrero football stadium.
By plane
140,000 or the Minga Guazú bus, which leaves from the airport toward Ciudad del Este once a day at 13:00.3,000.
By bus
There are many local city buses available, typically charging GS. 4,000-5,000.
By taxi
Taxis are available, but are unmetered. Always agree on a price before getting inside.20000-30000 from the bus station to Hotel Austria or Hotel Munich for example).
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Foz do Iguaçu · International · IGU
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