Discover Misiones Department

Notable highlights in Misiones Department include tours offered by the Yacyretá visitor program, river activities and cultural heritage. Its technical, scenic and cultural-history attractions offer different starting points for planning your trip.

Rivers and regional orientation

Misiones Department is located in the south of Paraguay’s Región Oriental. It borders Paraguarí and Caazapá to the north, Itapúa to the east and Ñeembucú to the west. To the south, the Río Paraná forms the border, separating the department from Argentina’s Corrientes Province. The Paraná offers beaches in the department, while the Río Tebicuary has bathing areas in the north. River activities therefore vary by location: beaches along the Paraná contrast with bathing areas in the north.

Tours at Yacyretá

The Yacyretá visitor program offers tours of the hydroelectric plant and the mechanization works at Brazo Aña Cuá. Tour operations and schedules may change; check the details with the operator before your trip. Another highlight is the Sendero Akuti Po’i trail in Reserva Natural Isla Yacyretá. A guided tour is offered there at 8:30 a.m. and must be requested 24 hours in advance and coordinated with the Centro de Recepción de Visitas. Availability and coordination may also change; confirm the tour with the operator ahead of time. The different areas of focus can help you choose: the plant and mechanization works on one hand, and a guided trail through the nature reserve on the other. For the Sendero, requesting and coordinating the tour in advance are essential parts of planning.

Culture and festival traditions

San Juan Bautista is the department’s capital and is considered the birthplace of Misionera culture. Among the department’s most important festivals are Ovechá Ragüé, the Fiesta de la Tradición Misionera and Batiburrillo. Together with the museums and Jesuit heritage, these cultural highlights give travelers different ways to get to know the region beyond its landscapes.

Museums and Jesuit heritage

The Museo Histórico Ambiental of the Entidad Binacional Yacyretá (EBY), in Villa Permanente de Ayolas, preserves and displays cultural and natural heritage recovered from the area affected by construction work on the Yacyretá hydroelectric plant. Exhibits include local wildlife and rocks, as well as pre-Columbian objects from Indigenous peoples, antique furniture and everyday items used by local residents. The museum brings together nature, archaeological objects and insights into daily life in the past.

The Museo Diocesano de Arte Jesuítico in Santa María displays sacred art in six themed rooms. These include images of saints and scenes of the Nativity and the Passion of Christ. In the Capilla de Loreto of the Capilla Nuestra Señora de Loreto, Indigenous-created frescoes decorate the walls and sculptures; one depicts the Annunciation. Another example of Jesuit art can be found in Santiago: the present-day Iglesia Parroquial houses Paraguay’s only complete Jesuit altarpiece. The museum collections, frescoes and altarpiece offer different perspectives on sacred art and the department’s broader natural and cultural heritage.

Discover more destinations: Villa Florida, San Ignacio, Santa Maria.

See the overview of destinations: Paraguay.