Places to go out in Encarnación: Costanera, beaches and bars

A night out in Encarnación starts on the Costanera: sunset at Playa San José, dinner at the Paseo Gastronómico or a resto-bar facing the Paraná, then a pub or a club downtown. Below are the actual venues, with addresses and the hours published by the Encarnación municipality⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠.

Sunset and a walk: the Costanera and beaches

• Costanera República del Paraguay. 8.7 km facing Posadas, with food stalls, play and exercise areas, toilets and ATMs. The classic walk or bike ride before dinner (municipality⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠).
• Playa San José. A 700 m beach on that riverfront, with beach-volleyball and football courts and plenty of food stalls. Lifeguards work 8:00–20:00 in season; high season usually runs from the second half of October until after Holy Week.
• Playa Mbói Ka'e. 200 m, calmer and away from the centre, with thatched shelters, food outlets and a view of Posadas. About 12 minutes from the international bridge along the riverfront.
• Playa San Isidro. West of the bridge in Pacu Cuá; the municipality calls it the best view of Posadas, and it is quiet.
• Escalinata de San Pedro. On Costanera San Pedro, opposite Costanera Padre Bolik; the mosaic stairway restored by Rubén Sykora is a good sunset photo stop.

Dinner or drinks by the river

• Paseo Gastronómico. A few metres from Avenida Francia, facing the Paraná, with food stalls open every night (ABC Color⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠). Works when some of the group want dinner and others just a snack.
• Buffalo Resto Bar (Av. Costanera and Monseñor Wiessen): Tuesday–Thursday and Sunday 18:00–00:30; Friday and Saturday until 02:00.
• Galway Irish Pub (Av. Costanera and Padre Bolik): Wednesday–Monday 18:00–01:00; Friday and Saturday until 04:00.
• Rincón de la Costa (Av. Dr. Francia at Cerro Corá): daily 11:00–14:00 and 18:00–00:00. Good for an earlier dinner.

Bars and clubs downtown

• La Casona Bar (Av. Dr. Francia and Av. Caballero): Wednesday–Saturday 19:00–01:00.
• Kiagus Paraguay Brewing (Gral. Bruguez and Av. Japón): a brewery, Wednesday–Saturday 17:00–23:00. Good for early drinks.
• Honorio Bar: Tuesday–Sunday 18:00–23:00.
• Iqela Bar (Tomás R. Pereira near Juan León Mallorquín): Thursday–Saturday 23:30–05:00.
• Jungle Bar and Amazonas (Monseñor Wiessen and Av. Dr. Francia): Saturdays 00:00–06:00.
• Casino Carnaval (Av. Irrazábal at Gral. Cabañas): Lado B runs on the second floor on Fridays 00:00–06:00, and Bleu Bar Club on Saturdays from 23:45.

These hours come from the municipal directory and can shift on long weekends, so message ahead if you are a group.

Plans that aren't a bar

• Cinema: Cinema Pop at Shopping Costanera (Av. Costanera), and Cine Granados on Juan León Mallorquín between Constitución Nacional and 25 de Mayo.
• Summer nights: the municipality runs a programme that starts at the Pérgola on Playa San José, with open-air cinema by the river in January, February and March (Última Hora⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠).
• Encarnación Carnival: the parades are held at the Sambódromo in the Centro Cívico on Costanera República del Paraguay, which holds about 11,000 people (municipality⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠). Buy tickets early.

Getting around and getting back

• Uber operates in Encarnación with UberX, Uber Flash and Uber Moto (Última Hora⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠), the easiest way home after midnight.
• Don't drink and drive: highway police checks are zero-tolerance.
• Coming from Posadas: the San Roque González bridge clogs on holidays; at Easter 2024 drivers waited more than two hours (ABC Color⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠). Bring ID and avoid the peak return.
• Bring a layer: the river wind on the Costanera picks up at night even after a hot day.