August 18, 2024

Encarnación, Paraguay – Is It the Pearl of Paraguay?

By In City Reviews

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I subscribe to Tyler Cowen’s Marginal Revolution blog, in which he writes that you should always visit a country’s second city to understand a country better. After spending two months in Asunción, Paraguay’s capital and largest city by far, we wanted to visit another city in Paraguay.

Paraguay’s second city is Ciudad del Este, a town bordering Brazil and Argentina. However, not only is it in the wrong direction from Buenos Aires – where we are traveling next – but reviews from locals in Asunción weren’t great at all. Thus, instead, we traveled to Encarnación, Paraguay’s third city, and spent a week before heading to Buenos Aires.

In this blog post, I will discuss our experience in Encarnación, Paraguay, and whether you should visit the “Pearl of Paraguay,” as Encarnación calls itself.

Photo of the boardwalk in Encarnación, Paraguay.
The Boardwalk in Encarnación, Paraguay. While it is super quiet in this photo in the middle of Winter, the opposite is true during the summer.

Overview of Encarnación, Paraguay

Encarnación is at Paraguay’s southern border and is across the Río Paraná from Posadas, Argentina (we could see Argentina from our balcony, similar to how Sarah Palin sees Russia from her porch). With around 226,000 people in the metropolitan area, Encarnación is a smaller city—it would be the 209th largest city in the U.S., around the same size as Yuma, Arizona. Its main draw is as a summer vacation spot for Paraguayans as it has some lovely (river) beaches.

As such, you are most likely coming for the beaches, which is ironic for a landlocked country like Paraguay. Encarnación has a very clean riverfront on the Río Paraná and a wide, expansive beach called Playa San José. We visited in August, which is the equivalent of February in the southern hemisphere. Thus, the beach was very quiet, and most of the beachfront shops were closed since it was out of season. But in the summer months – November through February—this area is packed with vacationers.

Kevin and I at Playa San José.
Kevin and I at Playa San José.

Note that there are no waves because this is a river beach – not an ocean beach. The water is also freshwater instead of salt water. It is more like a giant lake, although you can easily see the water moving because it is a flowing river. The sand seemed pretty soft and clean, although this could be a lot different in the summer months.

Encarnación doesn’t have a formal downtown. The city is centered around Plaza de Armas, a park commemorating where the town first settled over 400 years ago. I would call this area more like a Main Street small-town shopping district rather than a Downtown per se. It is relatively lively during the day, and you can spend some time relaxing in Plaza de Armas or window shopping on the adjacent streets. However, once you have walked through this area, there is no need to come back unless you want to eat.

Photo of Plaza de Armas.
Plaza de Armas serves as the town square for Encarnación. The park also contains several monuments dedicated to different countries, including Japan, Ukraine, Germany, and Lebanon/Syria.
The Monument to Ukraine, with the Ukrainian flag flying next to the Paraguayan flag.

Outside of the Plaza de Armas district and the riverfront, the rest of the city is a small town that looks like any other small town in Latin America. And right outside the city, it quickly transitions into rural farmland.

Walking along Villarrica in downtown Encarnación. The sidewalk art reminds me somewhat of Copabacana in Rio de Janeiro.

The Culture of the Pearl of Paraguay

Encarnación is a beach town, no doubt about it. Yet, it is hard to put my finger on the actual pulse of the city. On one hand, it isn’t pretentious or ritzy like Uruguay’s beach town, Punta del Este. Nor is it a quaint fishing village in the way that Viña del Mar is in Chile. Nor does it have a rich culture like Salvador in Brazil. Nor does it have the modernity or urban feel like Miami or Florianópolis. And it doesn’t have the crime and violence like beach cities in northern South America, at least not in the central Downtown area.

Instead, Encarnación feels like a small Latin American city by the beach. If you removed the river, you would know it is a Latin American city, yet you would not be able to tell which city or country it is. There is also a small-town feel. We felt safe the entire time in Encarnación. If we chose to live in Encarnación, we feel like we’d know our neighbors pretty quickly.

Street scene from Encarnación near Plaza de Armas.
Street scene from Encarnación near Plaza de Armas.

We met a German family here in Encarnación who moved from Germany three years ago. The entire family said they loved being in Encarnación more than they loved being in Germany. They specifically pointed out the lack of crime and that it is a laid-back city.

Kevin and I love enormous cities and the fast pace of urban life. We are not small-town folk. After spending two months in Asunción —perhaps South America’s most boring capital—I didn’t understand the appeal of Paraguay. But after coming to Encarnación and talking to this German family, I get it now. Paraguay’s liberal immigration policies mean you can easily come here, start a new life, live peacefully, enjoy a low cost of living, and take each day as it comes.

This isn’t for Kevin and me, at least not for now. But I understand the appeal and the vision.

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Where to Stay in Encarnación, Paraguay

Ideally, you would stay between Plaza de Armas and Playa San José. This area features the most restaurants and shops, plus you’ll enjoy the riverfront and the beach. It is also very close to Encarnación’s bus station. There are many Airbnbs in this area, including the lovely Airbnb we stayed at (contact us for recommendations). As we came during the off-season, this area was extremely pleasant and charming. However, this area will also be the busiest and most touristy during the summer.

Some of the Airbnbs in this area are in modern condo buildings, which is what Kevin and I prefer. For example, our Airbnb was on the 13th floor of a newer building with a lovely balcony overlooking the city. The building had a rooftop pool but no gym. We made sure it had air conditioning, as Encarnación can get very hot. However, there are also a lot of cheap hotels in this area. You’ll want to read reviews, as the quality can vary greatly.

The view of Encarnación, Paraguay looking north.
The view of Encarnación, Paraguay looking north.
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Secondary Areas

Encarnación has two other secondary beaches that you could consider. Playa Mboi Ka’ê is just north of the central part of Encarnación, while Playa San Isidro is at the city’s southern end. We did not visit these two areas, so we can’t comment on them. However, if you are interested in a quieter beach experience, you may want to research these two areas.

If you want a slower pace of life, you may want to check out Playa San Juan del Paraná, a small town northeast of Encarnación. It is very easy to get to by car from Encarnación, less than 30 minutes by car from Plaza de Armas. This could be a good option if you want to be near a big city, yet want to have a more laid back atmosphere.

But if you want to really go rural, then you could check out Carmen del Paraná or San Cosme y Damián, both less than 90 minutes by car from Encarnación. Both of these towns are out on their own and only if you truly want a rural Latin American experience. San Cosme y Damián is also historically interesting as it has a long Jesuit history attached to it, along with several other southern Paraguayan towns. But again, you could spend a couple of hours taking in the entire town and sights as a day trip from Encarnación. Thus, this would only really if you want to detach yourself from society, especially San Cosme y Damián.

A sign welcomes you to Santa Rosa de Lima, about two hours north of Encarnación. There is a heavy historical Jesuit presence in southern Paraguay. Note that the sign says the town was founded on April 2, 1698.

What to Eat in Encarnación, Paraguay

Much like the city, food in Encarnación is a laid-back affair. There are plenty of mom-and-pop and hole-in-the-wall restaurants that serve generic food, either a meat-and-potatoes dish or empanadas. You’ll also find many lower-tier bars, several of which have pool tables. You aren’t coming to Encarnación to partake in fine dining. And if you are gluten-free, you can find many places to eat, just like in Asunción.

Shopping Costanera

Exterior de Shopping Costanera en Encarnación, Paraguay.
The mall looks more impressive than it really is.

Address: Gral Aquino 1848, Encarnación

Price: The food in the mall food court is as cheap as US$5-7 per person, but the fancier places can be US$10-15 per person.

There is one American-style mall in Encarnación called Shopping Costanera, located at the northern end of the riverfront. Shopping Costanera has a couple of higher-end dining places, several mid-tier places, and a couple of mall-food-type places. We ate at Shopping Costanera five times during the week we stayed in Encarnación. On the fourth floor, we enjoyed the cheddar bacon mandioca at Mordisco. We also tried the chicken grillé and the entraña steak, but both were only okay. The mandioca was the star of the show.

Photo of cheddar bacon mandioca and chicken and rice plate at Mordisco in Encarnación, Paraguay.
The cheddar bacon mandioca is in front and the star of the show. The chicken and rice in the back were fine but a bit plain.

On the ground level, we ate at both Café Martinez and PuraPinta. If you have been to Buenos Aires or are from Buenos Aires, you’ll recognize Café Martinez – it is the same chain. They served some gluten-free dishes, including the chicken torta and ham and cheese pizza. The waiters also talked us into the keto plates, but they weren’t filling at all. If you can, stick with the torta and pizza, but its availability depends on the day. For people who eat gluten, the entire menu looked pretty good.

Gluten-free pepperoni pizza and a strawberry smoothie at Café Martinez.
Gluten-free pepperoni pizza and a strawberry smoothie at Café Martinez.

On the other hand, PuraPinta may have been one of our best meals in Paraguay. The waitress was very accommodating when we asked her about our gluten-free options. The chef even came out of the kitchen and reviewed our options. He was so nice and gracious. He cooked two Peruvian chicken dishes for us. They were so good! The only problem was that we both wanted more after finishing the meal.

Arroz Chaufa con pollo en PuraPinta en Encarnación, Paraguay.
The Arroz Chaufa con Pollo is a Peruvian chicken dish, similar to Chinese chicken fried rice.
Here is the Arroz Chaufa con Pollo Limeño, another chicken fried rice dish but with a different sauce.

Hexenkessel

Address: Monseñor Wiessen 452, Encarnación

Price: Less than US$10 per entrée

Hexenkessel means “witch’s cauldron” in German.

Finally, we want to give a shout-out to the family at the German restaurant Hexenkessel, two blocks south of Plaza de Armas. We went here because they got five stars on Google Maps with over 100+ reviews, which seems exceptionally hard to achieve. Also, since it was a German restaurant, we wanted to try it out. You must go!

First, the portion sizes are way bigger than anything else you’ll find in Paraguay. Instead of leaving hungry, we felt stuffed afterwards. Second, the food had actual taste to it. I got the Gyros bowl, which was a scrumptious bowl of white rice, lovely marinated chicken kabob, and grilled onions mixed with a white sauce. Kevin got the ham plate (Kassler) which included tasty and large helpings of sauerkraut and mashed potatoes. We also ordered the pulled pork french fries as an appetizer, and they were yummy.

Photo of a Gyros Bowl and Pulled Pork French Fries at Hexenkessel in Encarnación, Paraguay.
My Gyros bowl is in front, while in the back is our plate of pulled pork french fries.
We also ordered the pollo grillé – grilled chicken – on a subsequent visit.

The family who owns the restaurant was super nice, and since it was slow at the time, we chatted with them after our meal was done. Make sure to note the hours as they are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, as well as dinner Sunday night. The rest of the week, they are open for lunch and dinner, but close between 2:30pm-6pm. During our week stay in Encarnación, we visited Hexenkessel twice – it was that good!

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How to Get to Encarnación, Paraguay

Being a small city in a small country, Encarnación isn’t easy to get to, especially if you are coming from North America or Europe. You will need to make two or three stops by air, or potentially make a double connection by air and then take a bus.

By Air

Encarnación does not have a commercial airport, only a general aviation airport. If you want to fly to Encarnación, you’ll need to fly into Posadas, Argentina, and then cross by land to Paraguay. Posadas’ airport is quite small, with only a handful of domestic flights within Argentina, mainly just to/from Buenos Aires and Córdoba. Thus, for most non-local tourists, you’d need to fly to Buenos Aires first, then connect to a domestic flight from Buenos Aires’ Aeroparque airport.

Note that I said Aeroparque airport; most international flights to Buenos Aires land at Ezeiza International Airport. In the best of conditions, you’ll need to budget at least 3-4 hours to transfer from Ezeiza to Aeroparque, 5-6 hours if you want to be safer. The other way is to fly into Asunción and then take a bus or car to Encarnación, as I show in the next section.

Posadas, Argentina is right across the Río Paraná, but it has a much different feel than Encarnación.

How to Cross the Border between Encarnación and Posadas

To cross from Posadas into Encarnación, take an international bus or cross using the Posadas-Encarnación train. The international bus is line 70 and costs around US$2.50 – you can see the map and schedule here. It goes from the Posadas Bus Terminal through Posadas, across the bridge, and up through Encarnación before ending a few blocks away from Shopping Costanera. The total route is 57 minutes per the bus company. Note that the bus does *not* run on weekends. This is a good option if you are staying in the hotel area I recommended above, as you’ll have a bus stop nearby.

When we crossed from Encarnación to Posadas, we took the international train, as you can read about our journey here. The train is specifically designed only to cross the bridge and international border—there are no other stops besides one stop in Encarnación and one stop in Posadas. The train ride takes less than 10 minutes, but there is no air conditioning on board, and the stations are outdoors. We paid around US$2.50 per person one-way, and the train only takes cash (but you can pay in Argentina Pesos or Paraguayan Guaraníes).

Photo of the Posadas Train Station and Border Crossing.
Photo of the Posadas Train Station and Border Crossing.

As of August 2024, the train leaves the Encarnación train station every 30 minutes on the hour and half hour. It takes 8 minutes to cross to Posadas. It then leaves Posadas on the 15 and 45-minute marks. It takes 8 minutes to cross back to Encarnación. In other words, it takes 23 minutes for the train to perform a full round trip. Like the buses, the train only runs Monday-Saturday.

Since this is an international crossing, you’ll have to pass through immigration on both sides of the border. Leaving Paraguay was easy. The officer looked at our passports, stamped them, and we boarded the train. On the Argentina side, it was much more intense, while our officer was sipping her maté the entire time. But compared to other border crossings, the entire process was quite chill except for standing outside for 30-45 minutes in 90-degree heat to pass into Argentina.

To visualize the setup, we took an Uber from our Airbnb to the Encarnación train station. Then we took the train to the Posadas border crossing. We crossed the border on foot (it is at the train station) and then took an Uber from the train station to the Posadas Bus Terminal to catch our bus to Buenos Aires. You can do the same thing if you are arriving at Posadas Airport.

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By Bus/Car

If you don’t fly into Posadas, you’ll visit Encarnación by bus or by car. Traveling by car or by bus takes around 6-7 hours from Asunción —Paraguay’s capital—and 4-5 hours from Ciudad del Este. The routes from both cities are straightforward and travel along major highways in Paraguay. They are also quite boring; almost the entire route goes through rural plains and farmland. Roads are decent during good weather and as long as you stay on the main highways.

We traveled by bus from Asunción to Encarnación, which took around seven hours. Each bus ticket was less than US$20 for a semi-cama class bus. Semi-cama class is the equivalent of flying economy but more akin to riding an Amtrak train. Your seat reclines around 120 degrees, and the bus is relatively clean. But don’t expect any frills. You should also bring your food and drinks, although towards the halfway point, a couple of street vendors will come on board to sell snacks. These snacks are mostly pastries and empanadas.

A semi-cama class bus from the bus company Río Paraguay.

You can also choose a cama-class bus, which is similar to flying Premium Economy. For us, we don’t believe you need to upgrade to cama-class unless you really want an excellent experience. The exception is if you plan on taking an overnight bus from Asunción to Encarnación. If you want to sleep, you should choose cama-class. Cama-class seats recline more than semi-cama, although they aren’t lie-flat.

Conclusion

I am so glad we came to Encarnación, Paraguay. It isn’t because I love Encarnación —it is okay—but because I had a revelation about what makes Paraguay attractive to immigrants. If you want to live in a small-to-medium-sized city that is quite safe, has a low cost of living, and where the government leaves you alone, then why not move to Paraguay?

But for the rest of you, I would come to Encarnación only if you want to see an average Latin American small town with a beach. There isn’t anything unique to see here, nor are the beaches anything special. But I guess that is part of the charm – it can be a break from the rest of the world.

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1 Comment
  1. DA August 18, 2024

    Fascinating article and information! I can understand the interest in going there, just to experience it and compare it to other towns and cities. Judging by my own taste, I think several days would be enough since I want a huge city, lots-of-noise feeling, so this would be an interesting break from urban life. It’s really nice that the people are so friendly, as you said when you were at the restaurants and they take time to visit with you and chit-chat. It sounds very safe, small town, everybody knows each other. When you were there, was it so small that you stuck out to the locals? Did they all know you were “the new guys in town”? The food looks delicious, and the “Arroz Chaufa con Pollo” is definitely what I’d order, since I love Chinese Chicken Fried Rice. Is there any nightlife at all there? Say you were out at 9pm, what would you most likely be doing? Thank you for all the pictures. It’s wonderful seeing what I’m reading about, and it gives me a completely picture in my mind of what it’s like there, how it is there, what the life is like there. Excellent article……👍💯

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