Paraguay is not on the major tourists trail of South America. This might be ascribed to various factors. The fact remains: it is a very interesting country with a lot of things to see and do. If you plan to visit Argentina, Brazil or Uruguay a visit to Paraguay will not cost much extra and be be surprisingly enjoyable.
Many people’s first and last encounter with Paraguay is a visit to Ciudad de Este - the second largest city in the country and also the trading capital. If you are looking for atmospheric old buildings and quiet side streets with cute little shops, rather go to Asuncion.
If you are a professional shopper, you will like Ciudad de Este. This loud and exuberant city is for all practical purposes one large shopping center. There are hundreds of shops, both wholesale and retail. Should you be a trader from one of the surrounding countries who is trying to find a fine jewelry wholesale distributor, you will find several in one of the large malls near the border.
You can also buy musical instruments of all colors and credentials. If you are looking for a cheap electronic keyboard from China, you will certainly find it. And if you want to buy a state of the art epiphone electric guitar there’s more than one shop offering this as well. Check prices for these items in your home country and on the Internet before going to Ciudad de Este, so that you will know when you are seeing a bargain.
For the family man, there’s a little bit of everything. You can buy lovely semi-precious jewelry for the wife at reasonable prices. For the children you will no doubt find something in one of the numerous stores selling toys and sports good. And for the baby, what about a brand new baby bath, maybe one of the new spa types where you can bathe your baby in the upright position?
Ciudad del Este lies only a few short km from a major tourist attraction: the world’s largest hydroelectric scheme. This massive dam, with it’s 20 turbines developing enough electricity to supply 40 million people, belongs to both Brazil and Paraguay. At the main entrance there are regular screenings of a film showing how the dam was constructed.
Afterward you can take a guided tour that actually goes into the dam wall and see the 20 massive turbines, each generating enough electricity to supply a city of 2 million people. If you are lucky, the sluices will be open, which is an amazing sight to see.