“City of the East,” Paraguay´s second largest and most important (pop. 326,000), is located a four-hour drive from Asunción, on the southeastern border´s “Triple Frontier” with Argentina and Brazil. It was also planned and built by the Stroessner régime just 69 years ago, and has become the country´s most energetic and intense city, with a good deal of manufacturing and a big free trade zone, including a shopping mecca that draws thousands of bargain-hunting Brazilians and Argentines year round (though there´s also a big problem with counterfeit goods). There´s plenty of dining and entertainment options, but no “sights” in CDE per se; instead, it serves as a base to visit several nearby attractions. The hydroelectric Itaipú Dam is one of the world´s largest and operated jointly with Brazil (you can check out the viewing platform and visitor center with informative exhibits, as well as take a technical tour). Then around 20 minutes away, the Saltos del Monday waterfalls, surrounded by dramatic red-rock cliffs, plunge 148 feet (45 meters) in a series of parallel cascades. But by far the biggest draw is a sight that dwarfs Monday: the majestic Iguazú/Iguaçu falls shared by Brazil and Argentina, a short drive across the Friendship Bridge between CDE and the city of Foz do Iguaçu.
Read more in my post Why Paraguay? 7 Spots to Show Why You Might Be Surprised.
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