Posadas

Posadas is the gateway to Misiones, a hot, humid, energetic river city facing Encarnación in Paraguay across a wide stretch of the Paraná. Its most striking feature is the costanera, a long riverside promenade rebuilt after the Yacyretá dam raised water levels and flooded the old low-lying quarter, now lined with parks, beaches, sports areas and restaurants that fill every evening when the heat drops. The centre has a handful of museums, including an anthropological collection covering the Guaraní peoples and the missions, and a covered market selling yerba mate, herbs and Paraguayan goods. Most travellers use the city as a base for the Jesuit missions and as the start of the road north to Iguazú.

History

Father Roque González de Santa Cruz founded Anunciación de Itapúa here on 25 March 1615, but ten years later the settlement moved across the Paraná to the site of today's Encarnación in Paraguay; the first site was not wholly abandoned, and a new reduction, San José, was set up there in 1628. In 1867, during the Paraguayan War, Brazilian forces built the military base of Trinchera de San José, and after the war Paraguay gave up its claims, and in 1879 the town was renamed after Gervasio Antonio de Posadas, Supreme Director in 1814. On 30 July 1884 Congress made it the capital of Misiones, the National University of Misiones opened here in 1973, and in 1990 the San Roque González de Santa Cruz Bridge linked it with Encarnación (Wikipedia, Posadas, Misiones).

What you'll find

• The costanera - the long riverfront of parks, beaches and evening crowds.
• The Paraná and Paraguay - the wide river with Encarnación on the far bank.
• The market - yerba mate, medicinal herbs and cross-border goods.
• The museums - Guaraní anthropology and provincial history collections.

When to go

April to October, when the humidity is bearable; summer temperatures and moisture here are heavy. Evenings on the costanera are the best of the city year-round. Carnival across the river in Encarnación draws visitors in January and February.

Practical notes

Posadas has few conventional sights and is more a base than a destination. Summer heat is severe, and the city can feel worn away from the riverfront. Border crossings to Paraguay involve queues at busy times.

Nearby

San Ignacio and the missions lie northeast; Iguazú is a long drive north on the RN12.

Key facts