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Voykit pocket guide · Paraguay
Encarnación
Give Encarnación 2 nights: one full day for the Jesuit missions at Trinidad and Jesús, one for the Costanera and the beaches. Skip it if you are not going to the ruins.
Encarnación sits on the Río Paraná, across the bridge from Posadas in Argentina, and is the base for the UNESCO Jesuit missions of Trinidad and Jesús de Tavarangue. The city itself is compact and walkable: a plaza, a riverfront Costanera with small beaches, and cheap shopping for Argentines crossing over. Two nights covers the missions and the riverfront without rushing; three if you want a beach day or a Posadas side trip.
- Country
- Paraguay
- Best months
- Mar–May, Sep–Nov
- Avoid
- Jan–Feb (hot and humid, 33 °C (91 °F)+), and the wettest stretch Oct–DecJan–Feb (hot and humid, 91 °F (33 °C)+), and the wettest stretch Oct–Dec
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- PYG
- Money
- Currency is the Paraguayan guaraní (PYG, ₲). About ₲7,000–8,000 per US dollar in 2026 — check. Cash dominates outside hotels, malls and larger restaurants in Asunción.
- Daily spend
- Budget GS.150,000–250,000 excl. bed · Mid GS.250,000–450,000 excl. bed · High GS.450,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Tigo, Personal and Claro; prepaid SIMs with a passport at shops and malls, or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police 911 · Fire and ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 220 V · 50 Hz · European two-pin plugs fit most sockets.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: About 10% if not included.; Taxi / app: Round up.; Guide: US$5–10 a day.
- Water
- Tap water is treated in Asunción but many drink bottled; bottled outside the city.
- Toilets
- Use malls, restaurants and bus terminals; carry tissues.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | GS.8,000–15,000 |
| Lunch menu of the day | GS.25,000–45,000 |
| Beer: draught / can at a shop | GS.15,000–25,000 / GS.8,000–12,000 |
| 5 km (3.1 mi) taxi ride3.1 mi (5 km) taxi ride | GS.25,000–40,000 |
| City bus ride | GS.5,000 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | GS.50,000–100,000 |
| Museum or mission entry | GS.25,000–60,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- ASU · Silvio Pettirossi International (Asunción)
- No airport at Encarnación; fly into Asunción, then 5–6 h by bus
- AGT · Guaraní International (Ciudad del Este)
- Alternative arrival; bus toward Encarnación takes about 6 h (check)
Typical fares
- Bus Encarnación → Trinidad
- about GS.15,000, about 1 h (check)
- Bus Encarnación → Posadas
- about GS.9,000, about 1 h (check)
- Train shuttle Encarnación → Posadas
- about 10 min, runs every 30 min in the day (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The centre is walkable; buses cover the rest of the city at GS.5,000 a ride, with no passes. Taxis wait near the plaza and the bus terminal. The international train shuttle to Posadas runs about every 30 minutes during the day and takes just over 10 minutes.
See and do
Known for
- Jesuit missions of Trinidad and Jesús de Tavarangue (UNESCO)
- Costanera and Playa San José
- Río Paraná border crossing to Posadas
- Lower-tax shopping for Argentines
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Jesuit missions of Trinidad and Jesús de Tavarangue | Bus from the Encarnación terminal toward Trinidad, then a local connection to Jesús | About 1 h to Trinidad (check); add 30–40 min to Jesús (check) |
| Posadas, Argentina | International bus across the bridge, or the train shuttle | About 1 h by bus, just over 10 min by train |
| San Juan del Paraná | Local bus on Ruta 1 (check the route and time) | About 30 min (check) |
Sleep
- Centro / Plaza de Armas
- Walkable core: cathedral, Casa de la Cultura, ATMs, restaurants. Best for a short stay without a car.
- Costanera / Playa San José
- Riverfront hotels and the beach; 10–15 min walk from the plaza. Best for the river and sunsets.
- Bus terminal area (Mariscal Estigarribia)
- Practical for early departures and the Posadas shuttle; a few blocks from the centre.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Mba'éichapam-bah-ey-CHA-pah |
| Thank you | Aguyjeah-gwee-JEH |
| How much is it? | Mba'épa hepy?m-bah-EH-pah heh-PÜ |
| Where is the bus terminal? | Moõpa oĩ terminal?mo-OHN-pah oh-EEN ter-mee-NAL |
| I don't understand | Ndaikumbáin-die-koom-BAH-ee |
| Help | Pytyvõpü-tü-VOHN |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake, or a cheek kiss among women and friends; avoid: Skipping 'buenos días'
- Tereré circle: Say thank you when you want to stop; avoid: Wiping the straw
- Language: Try a Guaraní word (aguyje = thanks); avoid: Calling Guaraní a dialect
- Time: Expect relaxed punctuality (hora paraguaya); avoid: Getting visibly impatient
Scams and watch-outs
- Buy long-distance tickets at the company offices, not from touts outside the terminal.
- The Posadas bus leaves you at each passport office and may not wait: keep your ticket stub and take the next one.
- Summer heat and mosquitoes near the river; carry water and repellent.
- Siesta closes many shops about 12:00–15:00 outside malls.
Encarnación is a relaxed, low-crime city by regional standards. The real risks are summer heat, river currents, and border-day logistics: keep your passport and bus ticket stub with you.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Encarnación yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Jesuit missions of Trinidad and Jesús de Tavarangue (UNESCO)
- Costanera and Playa San José
- Río Paraná border crossing to Posadas
- Lower-tax shopping for Argentines
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Municipalidad de Encarnación — tourism: www.encarnacion.gov.py/
- UNESCO — Jesuit Missions of La Santísima Trinidad de Paraná and Jesús de Tavarangue: whc.unesco.org/en/list/648/
- Wikivoyage: Encarnación, revision 5270258 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5270258
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Encarnación
Ko dirección-pe, ikatúramo
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Encarnación; most countries keep embassies in Asunción. Argentina has a consulate in Encarnación (check the address and hours).
Guaraní is widely spoken alongside Spanish; a few words go a long way.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/encarnacion). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.