Ciudad del Este: Itaipu, waterfalls and the triple frontier

Why go

Most visitors come to Ciudad del Este for what surrounds it. The **Itaipu dam**, shared with Brazil, is one of the largest power plants on the planet and a striking piece of engineering. The **Saltos del Monday** are a wide, roaring waterfall on the edge of the city. The **Iguazú Falls** are a short crossing away. The city itself, with its packed shopping streets and border buzz, is an experience in its own right.

The Itaipu dam

Itaipu sits on the Paraná River in Hernandarias, just north of the city. The visitor centre on the Paraguayan side runs free guided tours that show the dam wall, the spillway and the scale of the project, with a fuller technical tour that goes inside the plant for those who book ahead. Bring your passport, wear closed shoes for the technical tour and check the official Itaipu site for current times and booking rules. Near the dam, the **Itaipu ecological reserves** and the **Tati Yupi biological refuge** protect forest and wildlife, and the dam is lit up on some evenings.

Saltos del Monday

The Monday River drops over a wide horseshoe of rock in a powerful series of falls, especially after rain. A park at **Presidente Franco** has viewpoints, walkways, a panoramic lift and adventure activities such as zip lines. It is a short taxi ride from the centre.

The shopping district

The streets near the Friendship Bridge are lined with shopping centres and stalls. Big established stores such as **Monalisa** and **Shopping China** are calmer and better organised than the street stalls. If you shop, buy from established stores, ask for a receipt and warranty, and check your home country's customs limits before you buy. Counterfeits are common in the informal market.

Moisés Bertoni monument

South of the city, the **Monumento Científico Moisés Bertoni** preserves the forest home of the Swiss scientist who studied Paraguay's plants and the Guaraní language, including stevia. It is a peaceful contrast to the city.

Crossing to the Iguazú Falls

The **Friendship Bridge** links Ciudad del Este with **Foz do Iguaçu** in Brazil, from where you can visit the Brazilian side of the falls. The Argentine side is reached from Puerto Iguazú. The bridge is often congested, so start early, carry your passport and make sure you get the right entry and exit stamps if you are travelling on. Check entry rules for Brazil and Argentina before you go.

Safety

The shopping area is crowded and pickpocketing, phone snatching and money-changing scams happen. Keep valuables out of sight, change money only in banks or official exchange houses, and avoid the area after the shops close. Check your government's travel advice before visiting.

Getting there and where to stay

Buses from Asunción take around five to six hours, and there are flights from Asunción and some international routes into Guaraní International Airport. Many visitors stay in the quieter residential areas and hotels near the lakes rather than in the busy centre, and some prefer to base themselves in Foz do Iguaçu and visit Paraguay on a day trip.