Paraguay: Encarnacion - the pearl of the south

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The city was founded by the Jesuits in the 17th century. There are many Jesuit missions in this part of Paraguay. There are some well-preserved ruins that we plan to explore. Now we set aside two days to explore Encarnacion.

We hitchhike from Coronel Bogado, far from a remarkable town, to Encarnacion. The town is known for chipa pastry which is made of manioc flour made, eggs and cheese.It looks like a white bread roll but shapes may differ.  Our driver is a Brasilian guy and once we reach Encarnacion we find accommodation at the terminal. In Paraguay, cheap hotels are usually around bus stations.

There is also Alfreo Stroessner's childhood house behind the terminal. Today, it houses a private university. There are villas in this part of the city so you can enjoy some noblese architecture of wealthier Paraguayans. Going down a street down towards downtown, there is small square of Plaza Francisco Solano Lopez, a small square where a municipal office is located as well as Nuestra Seňora de la Encarnacion cathedral.

Encarnacion is tidy and orderly at the first glance. People friendly and more multicultural than it other cities we have visited in Paraguay. No wonder about that. Spanish descendants and Guaraní tribe (native inhabitants but also the name for local denomination and language which is the second official language in the country obyvatelé, ale také označení místní měny a jazyku, který je druhým úředním jazykem v Paraguayi) live here next to other nationalities such as Braislians, Germans, Ukrainians, Poles, Japanese, or Chinese. And we even met a guy who said that had met several Czechs.

Hlavní náměstí v Encarnacionu, Plaza de Armas is the main square in Encarnacion. It is vast and split into several parts. In the lower part, there is a Japanese-style garden. There you can see Japanese lamps, stone bridge, small wooden plants and a lake. In the middle of the square, there is a large memorial and several poles with Paraguayan flags on it. In the upper part, there is a children playground with monkeybars and there is a church with a green facade – San George. The square is covered with greenery, mostly palms or Lapacho trees (it has pink blossoms) which grow all over Paraguay. One haradly wonders why it is the national tree. You can go down to the River Parana from this square. There is the main street where the all fun is – Costanera.

When crossing Costanera street we pass an old train station which nicely decorates the area. We move towards the beach. There is a new leisury walk. It is greatly made. It had to be because Paraguayans spend all their free time on the street. They are either with friends or family but drikning tereré for the most part.

The beach is about a kilometer long and there are lots of children playground, refreshment stalls, restaurants and bars, or a silo which is at the beach entrance. The beach overcrowded during the summer months. However, in this time of the year it is quiet. Nobody swims in the sea, everybody just sit, observe the sundown and talk. We adjust and sit on the sand. In Posadas, a city on the other side of the river which is in Argentina, it is one hour late. It means that the sundown is at 5:30 in Encarnacion and 6:30 in Posadas.  

Encarnacion is famous for its carnival which takes place every weekend from late-January through February. It is a small version of the one you can see in Rio de Janeiro. Th proslavený svým karnevalem, který probíhá každý víkend od konce ledna a v únoru a je menší obdobou toho v Rio de Janeiru. Sambodromo Carneval takes place in Costanera a Gaspar Rodriguez de Francia street where are large number of restaurants and bars popular among locals. We visit Encarnacion half-a-year after the carneval. Unfortunately, we cannot spend this amazing event with the locals. At least, we can walk through the most beautiful city in Paraguay and enjoy its architecture, local sundown on the Parana River and listen to the harmony between nature and the city.

GPS: 27°16'35.6"S 55°55'50.8"W

Text and photos: Tomáš Novák