Two carnival cities face the Paraná river in this corner of South America, one in Argentina and one in Paraguay. Corrientes calls itself Argentina’s National Capital of Carnival. Encarnación, across the river from the Argentine city of Posadas, adds river beaches to its parade nights. Both are summer events that finish in the early hours, and they are several hours apart by road.
Corrientes
Corrientes is the capital of the province of the same name. Its troupes, called comparsas, parade at the Corsódromo Nolo Alías, outside the city centre, on weekend nights. The city has an airport, and Resistencia, across the General Belgrano bridge, has another.
- The venue is too far from the centre to walk. Afterwards, before dawn, there are not enough taxis for everyone.
- Tickets are sold separately, by section.
- The summer heat is strong, even at night.
If you fly in, see our page on Corrientes airport.
Encarnación
Encarnación is the capital of Itapúa department in southern Paraguay. It is reached from Posadas, in Misiones province, over the San Roque González de Santa Cruz international bridge. The carnival is held at the city’s sambadrome, near the riverside, on weekend nights.
Because it is another country, there is a border crossing each way:
- Every passenger carries their own valid travel document. Which one is accepted depends on nationality, so confirm it with each country’s migration authority.
- The bridge has long queues in summer, and nobody can promise a crossing time.
- If children travel without both parents, find out beforehand which authorisation applies.
Whether a private transfer can make the crossing, and on what conditions, is confirmed when you book. Read Posadas to Encarnación and our guide to the Posadas–Encarnación crossing.
Putting a trip together
Seeing both in one weekend is demanding: two long nights with a long drive in between. Choosing one, or leaving a day between them, works better.
On parade night the choices are a taxi, your own car or a return transfer, where you agree the meeting point and time with the driver. Dates change every year, so confirm them on the official sites.
Closer to Buenos Aires, the alternative is the Gualeguaychú Carnival.