Encarnación is a Paraguayan river city directly opposite Posadas, the capital of Argentina’s Misiones province. Its shops serve mainly Argentine day shoppers, on a smaller and calmer scale than Ciudad del Este. For a foreign visitor it is rarely a destination in itself. It fits a trip that already passes through Posadas or takes in the Jesuit missions nearby.
Where the shops are
The San Roque González de Santa Cruz international bridge joins the two cities across the Paraná. Most trade is in an area called the Circuito Comercial, near the Paraguayan end of the bridge. It was laid out when the Yacyretá reservoir covered the old lower town. Street shops, galleries and stalls sit close together, so you can cover the area on foot.
What is sold
- Clothing and footwear.
- Phones and electronics, with a narrower range than in Ciudad del Este.
- Household goods.
- Toys and perfume.
The usual cautions apply. Ask for a receipt, test electronics in the shop, and check voltage, plug type and whether any warranty is valid at home. Our page on what to buy in Ciudad del Este lists these checks in more detail.
Does it pay
That depends on the exchange rate between the Argentine peso and the Paraguayan guaraní, which moves a great deal. In some periods the bargains are on the Paraguayan side. In others, shoppers have gone the opposite way. If you earn and spend in another currency, compare a few prices with those at home before giving the trip half a day.
Crossing the bridge
Both ends of the bridge have border controls. Queues are longer at weekends, on public holidays and in summer, when people also cross for the river beaches. Nobody can tell you in advance how long it will take.
You can cross in your own or a rented car (ask the rental company whether the car may leave Argentina), on the international bus between the two cities, by taxi or by private transfer with waiting time. A short train has also run across the bridge; check whether it is operating.
Every traveller needs a valid travel document. What Paraguay and Argentina require depends on your nationality, including for coming back into Argentina. Check with the migration authority of each country. With us, whether the route is available and on what conditions is confirmed when you book.
Customs
Goods bought in Encarnación come into Argentina under the allowance set by Argentine customs, and later into your own country under its rules. See the guide to customs allowances.
Beyond shopping
The city has a riverside promenade and river beaches, and a carnival in summer. The Jesuit missions of Trinidad and Jesús are in the same department, Itapúa. A driver by the hour lets you combine them with a stop at the shops.