In the afternoon, the costanera comes alive with joggers, cyclists, dog walkers, mate sippers, hot-dog vendors and young couples staring at Paraguay across the water. Pride of place goes to 'Andresito,' a huge stainless-steel sculpture of Guaraní provincial strongman Andrés Guazurary.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
23.23 MILES
These mission ruins are the most complete in Argentina: atmospheric and impressive for the quantity of carved ornamentation still visible and for the…
22.51 MILES
The restored church at Jesús was never finished. It boasts spectacular trefoil arches (a nod to Spain’s Moorish past) and carved motifs of crossed swords…
19.48 MILES
Spectacular ruins, with the red-brown stone of the church contrasting strongly with the flower-studded green grass and surrounding hillscapes. Unlike at…
22.77 MILES
Loreto, founded in 1632, has few visible remains but is atmospheric. There are plans for further excavation and restoration, but for now the jungle is…
19.07 MILES
At Santa Ana, which was founded in 1633 but moved here in 1660, dense forest has been partially removed to reveal a settlement that had over 7000 Guaraní…
21.7 MILES
Uruguayan writer Horacio Quiroga was a get-back-to-nature type who found his muse in the rough-and-ready Misiones backwoods lifestyle. He built his simple…
27.34 MILES
The only Jesuit church that still functions for services, San Cosme y Damián is more impressive for its wooden statues than for the church itself, which…
19.55 MILES
A visually striking red-sandstone structure with an ornate style incorporating Roman arches, and strongly featuring the passion-flower motif, signature of…
Nearby attractions
0.1 MILES
Pride of place on the Posadas costanera goes to this huge stainless-steel sculpture of Guaraní provincial strongman Andrés Guacarurí (Guazurary), looking…
0.58 MILES
While it sounds like it should be interesting, unfortunately the Mate Palace is a fail with just a couple of display cases housing decorative gourds and…
2.02 MILES
The former house of dictator Alfredo Stroessner is now a private university just behind the bus terminal.
2.27 MILES
The Sambadromo (Carnival parade ground) is along Av Costanera, which is Encarnación's main strip for nightlife. Outside of Carnival season it is used for…
3.38 MILES
A Gaudí-esque ornamental stairway in a residential neighbourhood at the far end of Av Costanera.
19.07 MILES
At Santa Ana, which was founded in 1633 but moved here in 1660, dense forest has been partially removed to reveal a settlement that had over 7000 Guaraní…
19.14 MILES
The former Jesuit quarry has now been turned into a pleasant park. The Jesuits removed the stone by hammering along fault lines until the rock broke,…
19.48 MILES
Spectacular ruins, with the red-brown stone of the church contrasting strongly with the flower-studded green grass and surrounding hillscapes. Unlike at…