How to take a day trip to Paraguay

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Saltos Del Monday, also known as Monday Falls, is a spectacular waterfall in Paraguay, not far from the famous Iguazu Falls in Argentina and Brazil.

Saltos Del Monday is one of the best natural attractions in Paraguay, but it is still relatively unknown to international tourists, and most people visiting nearby Iguazu are completely unaware of this beautiful waterfall.

It is quite easy, safe and cheap to visit Monday Falls on a day trip from Puerto Iguazu in Argentina (or Foz do Iguacu in Brazil) and besides enjoying the great falls, there is also the novelty of seeing another country and renewing your life.

This travel guide will explain how to visit Saltos del Mon on a day trip from Argentina, Brazil, or Paraguay, and then I’ll share some information about the falls.

How to get to Saltos Del Monday in Paraguay?

Saltos Del Monday Falls is located on the outskirts of Ciudad Del Este in southeastern Paraguay, very close to the Paraguayan border with Argentina and Brazil, so it’s a good half-day trip from anywhere.

In my case, I hired a private driver to take me on a half-day ferry trip from Argentina to Paraguay to see the falls on Monday, and then back the same day.All in all, it cost about $100 for the trip.

My local driver’s name was Roxana and she was very helpful with ferry tickets and everything else needed for the trip to Monday Falls.You can WhatsApp her at ☎ +54 937-6486-2512.

Your hotel in Puerto Iguazú can also help arrange a driver, which is the easiest and most convenient way to do it, but if you’re on a budget, you can save money by doing it yourself (more on that below).

• From Puerto Iguazú (Argentina)

If you’re in Argentina, you can visit Saltos Del Monday Falls on a day trip from Puerto Iguazu, known as the Argentine side of the famous Iguazu Falls.

There are two options from Puerto Iguazú: you can cross the river by ferry, or you can drive overland to Brazil (to the city of Foz do Iguaçu) and then cross the bridge to Paraguay. There is no direct bridge from Puerto Iguazú to Paraguay, so if you prefer to drive, you will need to cross Brazil first.

You can cross by ferry by car or on foot.Go to the ferry terminal in Puerto Iguazú (map here) where you will be processed through immigration and then take a short and leisurely ride down the Paraná River.

You can see pictures of the La Balsa ferry and their contact information here.The ferry tickets are cheap (just a few USD) and usually there is no need to book anything in advance as tickets are not sold.

Payment is cash only and they accept many currencies.Argentine pesos and Paraguayan guarani are of course accepted and they should also take US dollars or Brazilian reals.

The La Balsa ferry runs Monday through Saturday, but not Sunday. It leaves about every 30-60 minutes, but it’s not punctual at all, so just turn up when you can and they’ll put you on the next departure when it’s full.

The river crossing is scenic and relaxing. This is a very slow section of the river, so the water is calm and safe. No rushes, waves or anything like that to worry about.

After a 15-minute ferry ride, you’ll land in Paraguay at a neat river crossing where you can see three countries at the same time (called “Tres Fronteras”).

At this point you go through Paraguayan immigration (don’t forget to do this) and then you’ll arrive at a small town called Presidente Franco, just south of Ciudad Del Este.

If you brought a car, you can now drive 7 kilometers from here to Saltos Del Monsabti waterfall, which takes about 15 minutes.

If you crossed the ferry on foot, you’ll need to find a taxi on the other side, which can be difficult.In my case, I didn’t see any taxis at the Paraguay ferry terminal, so I was glad I came with a driver.

Another option in Argentina is to drive or bus over the bridge from Puerto Iguazu to Brazil (to the city of Foz do Iguaçu) and then cross the bridge from Foz to Paraguay.

This involves two border crossings in each direction, however, so it’s more complicated and I wouldn’t really recommend it if the ferry is down for some reason.

There is a cheap bus route from Puerto Iguazú bus station to Ciudad del Este with hourly departures.The journey takes about 45-60 minutes, plus time spent at immigration.

• From Foz Do Iguacu (Brazil)

If you’re in Brazil, you can visit Saltos del Monde Falls on a day trip from Foz do Iguacu, known as the Brazilian side of the famous Iguazu Falls.

Getting to Paraguay from Brazil is very easy. Unlike Argentina, the countries are connected by a vehicular and pedestrian bridge, so you can go by bus, taxi or on foot (or a combination).

For example, you can take a taxi to the bridge, cross it on foot if there is heavy traffic, and then take another taxi on the other side of the bridge when you go through immigration and enter Paraguay.

You can walk across the bridge in 5-10 minutes, although that doesn’t include the time you might spend at immigration and customs in Brazil and Paraguay. Don’t forget to go through immigration on both sides of the border.

There is Uber in both Foz Do Iguacu and Ciudad Del Este, so you can use it to get to the border and the falls easily, or vice versa, otherwise there are plenty of normal taxis in both cities.

It is a 20 minute drive from the bridge to the falls. You can arrange a price with the driver to wait for you at the falls and then take you back to the bridge as taxis are not that easy to find near the falls.

Last but not least, another option for this day trip is to take a bus from Foz do Iguaçu to Ciudad del Este.The bus station is located near the city center and is very cheap and easy to use.

• From Ciudad del Este (Paraguay)

If you’re in Paraguay, you can visit the Saltos del Monday Falls by flying from the capital, Asuncion, to Guaraní International Airport (AGT), located near the city of Ciudad del Este.

There are several departures per week and the flight takes about 40 minutes. You can shop for flights to Paraguay with Skyscanner.

Once you arrive at the airport, you should hire a taxi to go to the city, otherwise, if you are already in Ciudad Del Este, Uber is available and you can easily use it to visit the falls.

Saltos Del Monday. What to expect?

Monday Falls Nature Park is small and easy to navigate.After paying for the tickets and walking a short paved path, you will reach the upper platform near the edge of the falls.

There are two lookouts at Monday Falls (one above the falls and one below) and both are worth seeing.

Although the falls are no match for the mighty Iguazu Falls, they are still quite impressive and have a strong flow, especially if you visit during the rainy season.The falls are approximately 45 meters (150 feet) high and 120 meters (400 feet) wide.

The best thing is that there are no crowds blocking the view of the falls. This place is really quiet compared to Iguazu. The facilities are quite basic, but they have bathrooms, souvenir shops and a restaurant.

Parque Aventura Monday. An alternative view

After seeing the falls on Monday, there is another adventure park where you can see more views of the falls without much effort.

Parque Aventura Monday is just 500 meters along the road from Saltos Del Monday, so you can easily reach it by car in 2 minutes.However, it is a separate park, so it has a separate entrance fee pay to visit.

This park has activities like ziplines, archery and paintball, but I just wanted to come here for the alternative views of Saltos Del. It has many views of the falls, including a beautiful frontal view of the entire falls and river. from afar.

In some ways, I like this view better than the “official” view of Monday Falls.

If you are already visiting Monday Falls and don’t mind paying for another entrance ticket, I think this park is also worth a visit for the different views of the falls.

Opening hours and entrance fees

You can find the current entrance fees and opening hours for the Saltos Del Monday waterfall on this website or on the official Instagram page.

For Parque Aventura Monday you can find the current entrance fees and opening times on their website here.

They accept credit cards at both locations, although if the card machine doesn’t work you can pay in cash.They will take any local currency or USD.

What is the border crossing like?

If you’re visiting Paraguay on a day trip from Argentina or Brazil, immigration is fairly easy on both sides of the border.

As a US citizen, I didn’t need any visas for Argentina, Brazil or Paraguay, so it was very easy to do as a day trip, but remember to check the current visa requirements for your nationality in these countries and don’t forget to bring your passport.

In my experience, the border crossings were very fast and the queues were short. Everything went smoothly and it took no more than 10 minutes to clear immigration on both sides of the border.

Is Paraguay safe?

Although the country of Paraguay may not have a perfect safety record, the waterfall is a paid area and in my experience it seemed quite safe.I took my camera to the waterfall and saw other international travelers doing the same.

Lots of tourists come to see this waterfall and I’m not aware of any bad incidents that have happened here, although that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Just take the usual precautions and you shouldn’t have any problems.

In Ciudad del Este, it’s probably not a good idea to show your valuables openly, although I haven’t heard of tourists having any problems there either.

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More South America travel tips

Thanks for looking I hope you enjoyed this guide to visiting Saltos Del Monday Falls in Paraguay on a day trip from Argentina or Brazil.

I have lots of other travel guides for South America, including a blog post for Iguazu Falls, so don’t forget to check that out before you go.

Happy travels!