"Ciudad del Este - City of the crazy shopping" Paraguay by csordila

Paraguay Travel Guide: 391 reviews and 667 photos

Once you are at the Three Frontiers Meeting Point, consider stretching just a little farther and visiting Salto Monday, in Paraguay, the next largest waterfall in the area. Salto Monday consists of three waterfalls on the Monday River, the tallest of which drops from about 40 metres. Located in the city of Puerto Presidente Franco, just 20 kilometres away from the Friendship Bridge. It is quite a sight, but so close to Iguazú it does not attract much visitors.

Ciudad del Este

Views from the Friendship Bridge

To claim that I visited Paraguay, would not be true; I got only the shopping fever, called Ciudad del Este, just across the border. The city - formerly Puerto Presidente Stroessner - is known for its shopping bargains that tempt tourists and many South American merchants. Some 30,000 people cross the Puente de la Amistad from Brazil to buy tax-free and sell for a profit at home - mainly in highly-taxed Brazil and Argentina. There is a huge traffic jam during the morning and evening rush hours crossing over to (or back from) Ciudad del Este. It looks like people are running from something, but they are actually running to Paraguay as if they are planning to loot the city.

Itaipu Hydroelectric Power Dam

Itaipu dam

North of Ciudad del Este, the Itaipu Dam is the largest hydroelectric power project in the world, with a total length of 8 kilometres and a height of 225 meters. It has 14 gigantic spill ways which form artificial waterfalls and generate an unbelievable 12,600 million kilowatts of clean electric energy.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Tax- free shopping - no border control
Cons:all sorts of illegaly imported fake goods.
In a nutshell:To claim that I visited Paraguay, would not be true

Last visit to Paraguay: Dec 1998
Intro Updated Oct 8, 2008
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Reviews (2)

Do not carry small children Warnings and Dangers (1)

Wasting a journey in Ciudad del Este is not for any person because it is stressing and tiring, from this reason it is... more travel advice

A Free-Market Spectacle Things to Do (1)

The fifty years "young" city of Ciudad del Este grew much during the construction of the huge nearby hydroelectric... more travel advice

Travelogues (1)

Written Feb 2, 2012

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Comments (3)

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cachaseiro Feb 4, 2012 at 8:56 AM

I have been to Ciudad del Este too and it´s sure one of the more odd places in this world.
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MalenaN Nov 7, 2011 at 9:54 AM

Salto Monday sounds nice to visit!
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SLLiew Jul 23, 2009 at 11:36 AM

Wow... you have crossed the border to Paraguay. An interesting tri-country point. Cheers, SL :)