Horacio Cambeiro · CC BY-SA 4.0WRC Rally del Paraguay
The World Rally Championship races on the red-dirt roads of Itapúa, based in Encarnación.
What it is
Since 2025 Paraguay has hosted a round of the World Rally Championship (WRC). For the 2026 edition the organizers announced some 356 timed kilometers over 22 special stages, running through Cambyretá, Nueva Alborada, Yerbatera, Bella Vista, Hohenau, Trinidad and Artigas. The world championship teams arrive along with crowds of fans, who combine the race with the Jesuit missions and the Encarnación waterfront.
What to see and do
- World championship cars on red-dirt roads
- Service park in Encarnación
- Stages among yerba mate fields and farming colonies
Tips
Book accommodation months ahead, including in Posadas (Argentina) or the Colonias Unidas. Watch the race only from designated spectator areas and follow the marshals’ instructions.
Dates may shift to the nearest weekend.
What to see
Encarnación · Itapúa
Encarnación
The Pearl of the South: riverfront promenade, river beaches, carnival and the perfect base for the Jesuit missions.
Encarnación · Itapúa
Costanera y playas de Encarnación (San José, Mbói Ka'ẽ y Pacu Cuá)
Miles of promenade and sandy beaches on the Paraná: this is the capital of the Paraguayan summer.
Encarnación · Itapúa
Carnaval Encarnaceno (Sambódromo de Encarnación)
Paraguay's biggest carnival: comparsas (parade troupes), feathers and drumming every Saturday in January and February.
Encarnación · Itapúa
Puente Internacional San Roque González de Santa Cruz
Two and a half kilometers of bridge, train included, to cross the Paraná to Posadas.
Festivals and events here
Encarnación Carnival
Feathers, drum troupes and dance groups in the Sambadrome: Paraguay’s “summer capital” throws the country’s biggest carnival.
CarnivalEncarnación, ItapúaFeaturedFeb→ MarNatsumatsuri, Encarnación Japanese Summer Festival
Taiko, dances and Japanese food on a summer night hosted by Encarnación’s Nikkei (Japanese-descendant) community.
Heritage communitiesEncarnación, ItapúaDecFeast of Our Lady of Itacuá
The shrine on the banks of the Paraná welcomes thousands of the faithful from southern Paraguay on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
ReligiousEncarnación, Itapúa25MarNuestra Señora de la Encarnación · Encarnación
Mass at the cathedral and a procession of the Virgin through the city center, merging with the celebrations of the city's founding.
Patron saintEncarnación, ItapúaFeaturedResearched and reviewed in September 2026 with 3 sources. A second reviewer checked dates, coordinates and lodging. Hours and prices may change.