CLAITON LUIS MORAES · CC BY-SA 4.0Salto del Guairá
Capital of Canindeyú and of northern border shopping, with the memory of the waterfalls lost in 1982.
What it is
Right next to Mundo Novo and Guaíra in Brazil, the capital of Canindeyú department lives on commerce: SENATUR describes it as the city with the most shopping malls in the country. But its name holds a deeper story: the Guairá Falls, or Sete Quedas, a series of cascades on the Paraná that vanished beneath the Itaipú reservoir in 1982. Today nature is making a comeback at Itaipú's Mbaracayú Biological Refuge, on the lakeshore, with trails, a birdwatching pier, a statue walk and a space dedicated to native stingless bees.
What to see and do
- Shopping in the city's malls
- The Mbaracayú Biological Refuge: La Esperanza trail, the Statue Walk and the birdwatching pier
- The Melipona Walk (Paseo de las Meliponas), dedicated to native stingless bees
- Sunset over the Itaipú reservoir
- The patron-saint festival of Saint Michael the Archangel, on September 29
Did you know…?
Above the falls, the Paraná narrowed from about 381 meters to just 61 meters wide, which gave them an extraordinary volume of water.
In October 2025, wild blue-and-yellow macaws (gua'a kanindé) were seen again in the Mbaracayú Refuge; they hadn't been recorded in Canindeyú since the 1980s.
The 1,356-hectare refuge has recorded more than 300 bird species and is the only Itaipú protected area under joint binational management.
History
The city was founded on March 3, 1959, as a colony of a private company, Colonizadora Salto del Guairá S.A., and has been the capital of Canindeyú since the 1970s; since 2023 its official name has been Saltos del Guairá (Law 7045). The Guairá Falls, which gave the city its name and marked the border, were submerged in October 1982 when the Itaipú reservoir filled. Brazilian poet Carlos Drummond de Andrade bid them farewell with his poem "Adeus a Sete Quedas" (Farewell to Sete Quedas).
Tips
- The Mbaracayú Biological Refuge is free; reference hours are 8:00–11:00 and 13:00–15:00 (check before you go), and it's a good idea to carry ID.
- Compare prices and ask for an official invoice (factura legal): the city is part of the Shopping Tourism Regime (Régimen de Turismo de Compras).
- If you cross into Brazil with purchases, respect the duty-free allowances and customs checks.
Mbaracayú Biological Refuge: free admission; reference hours 8:00–11:00 and 13:00–15:00 (check before you go).
Best time: Year-round for shopping; spring (September to November) and winter mornings for birds at the Refuge. In summer, expect fierce midday heat.
Activities
Where to stay
Festivals and events here
Researched and reviewed in September 2026 with 15 sources. A second reviewer checked dates, coordinates and lodging. Hours and prices may change.