Weekend in Santa Rita, Paraguay: a two-day plan, heat and errands

A weekend in Santa Rita works best with Saturday in town (the Túnel Verde, the parish church, craft beer and gaúcho culture) and Sunday out in nature, for example at Ñacunday Falls. Do anything outdoors early or late: summer highs run around 31 to 33 °C (Wikipedia PT⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠), and errands are best done on Friday.

Friday: arrive and get errands out of the way

Santa Rita sits on Route PY06, about 70 km from Ciudad del Este and 340 km from Asunción (Wikipedia⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠). Banks, cooperatives and farm-supply stores line the PY06 through the centre. If you need the Municipalidad (Avenida De Los Pioneros), go on a weekday and call ahead to check opening hours (santarita.gov.py⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠).

Paying: QR is now the most used electronic payment on the Bancard network (ABC Color⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠), and Bancard merchants can accept Pix from Brazilian accounts (Infonegocios⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠). Still carry small guaraní notes for snack bars, parking and Sunday's park entry.

Saturday morning: Túnel Verde and the church

• Túnel Verde. Almost a kilometre of trees arching over the PY06, about 2 km from the centre towards Naranjal, in barrio 14 de Mayo (Última Hora⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠). Go before 10:00 for good light and shade. It's a truck route, so park well off the road.
• Parroquia Santa Rita. The patron saint's church was a stop on the municipality's tourist circuit (La Nación, 2022⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠). Around 22 May you'll catch the patron saint's festival, with a procession and community lunches (Wikipedia PT⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠).

Have an early lunch and rest through the hottest hours, roughly noon to 16:00.

Saturday afternoon: craft beer and gaúcho culture

• Cervecería Trentina 1875. A Santa Rita craft brewery on Paraguay's Craft Beer Route (La Nación⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠; Infonegocios⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠). Message them on social media first to check they take visitors that Saturday, and pick a designated driver.
• Centro de Tradiciones Gaúchas (CTG). The town's southern-Brazilian heritage lives on in its CTGs, with chimarrão and folk shows (Wikipedia PT⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠). CTG Indio José is also the Expo showground (Última Hora⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠); ask the municipality whether anything is open to visitors that weekend.

Sunday: Ñacunday Falls

This is the nearest nature trip that doesn't repeat the usual Itaipú and Monday Falls circuit. Ñacunday National Park, run by the environment ministry (MADES), has a main fall of about 40 to 43 metres, three marked trails and smaller falls such as Kañy and Imperial (Última Hora⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠).

• Hours: daily 7:00 to 17:00, according to Última Hora.
• Entry: free up to age 10, G. 5,000 for ages 11 to 17 and G. 20,000 for adults, per ABC Color (December 2023)⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠. Bring cash.
• Getting there: Ñacunday district is in southern Alto Paraná, some 65 to 70 km south of Ciudad del Este. The last 16 km are dirt (ABC Color), so pin the park on your phone map and, if it has rained, ask about the road before setting off.
• Tip: leave early, take water, insect repellent and food, and be back in Santa Rita before dark. The falls are most impressive after heavy rain, when the river is high.

If you'd rather have more facilities, the alternative is the Saltos del Monday in Presidente Franco, with viewpoints, trails and a zip line (Última Hora⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠).

When to go

• Late April to early May: the Expo Santa Rita, with shows, rodeo and a funfair; in 2026 it ran from 25 April to 3 May (Infonegocios⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠). Book accommodation well ahead.
• 22 May: the patron saint's festival.
• Winter: pleasant days for walking, but nights can drop to around 0 °C (Wikipedia⁠⁠ (opens in a new tab)⁠); pack a warm layer.
• Year-round: it rains in every month, so keep an indoor plan B and an umbrella in the car.