During our visit to the Brazilian side of Iguazu Falls, we decided to take a spontaneous trip to Ciudad Del Este in Paraguay. We heard you could simply walk across the bridge from Brazil with a quick stop at customs, so we took a taxi from our hotel and started our adventure.
Walking over the bridge was quite a spectacle. There were crowds of people going in both directions, each staying on their designated side. Surprisingly, when we reached customs and immigration, there was no one there, and everyone continued walking without any checks. We were a bit nervous about not getting a passport stamp, but we proceeded anyway.
Ciudad Del Este is famous for its duty-free shopping, boasting hundreds, if not thousands, of stores. While the prices seemed appealing to Brazilians, they didn’t strike us as exceptional deals. We saw many people lugging newly purchased large televisions in boxes across the bridge.
We explored the city, shopped around, and stumbled upon a bustling local cafe for lunch. I can’t recall its name, but it was packed with locals, offered delicious food, and was incredibly affordable. We enjoyed a full meal with a beer for just $6 USD.
Overall, our day trip to Ciudad Del Este was a fascinating and memorable experience, filled with unique sights and unexpected discoveries.
The yellow motorcycles are taxi’s and taking a ride on one of those was something we would not try.
There are other places in Paraguay that are supposed to be nice. I certainly would not plan a trip here unless you are on the Brazilian side of Iguazu falls and have 4-5 hours to try something different.