Ayolas

Yacyretá Hydroelectric Power Plant (guided tour)

The monumental binational hydroelectric dam on the Paraná River, with a free guided tour of the powerhouse.

The Yacyretá dam is the great star of Ayolas' landscape and one of the most imposing engineering works in South America. Built jointly by Paraguay and Argentina on the Paraná River, this enormous binational hydroelectric plant harnesses the great river's flow to generate electricity, and its construction completely transformed the geography and economy of the whole southern Paraguayan region. The Yacyretá Binational Entity (EBY) offers a free tourist circuit that includes a guided tour of the Hydroelectric Power Plant, the Navigation Lock, the Aña Cuá arm works and panoramic viewpoints toward the vegetated dunes and lagoons of Yasyretá island. Seeing the turbines up close, the scale of the structures and the power of the water impresses anyone. The circuit is coordinated at the Visitor Reception Center (CRV), in the Villa Permanente district of Ayolas, is free every day from 7:00 to 15:00 and has guided departures at 08:00, 10:00 and 13:00 (confirmed in effect for 2026 by the EBY). Getting there: the access to the plant and the CRV are next to Ayolas. Best time: any time of year; it's best to avoid the hottest hours in summer. Tips: book the visit in advance by calling the Visitor Reception Center (0987 210001 / 072 222276); bring ID to enter the plant area.

ℹ️ Distance: Villa Permanente district, next to the city of Ayolas · Best time: Year-round (avoid the hottest hours in summer) · Admission: Free (EBY tourist circuit, 7:00 to 15:00; departures 08:00, 10:00 and 13:00; verified July 2026) · Duration: Half a day

Yacyretá Historical-Environmental Museum

The EBY museum with pre-Columbian pieces, historical objects and taxidermied wildlife collected during the dam's construction.

The Yacyretá Historical-Environmental Museum is located in the Villa Permanente district, next to the Binational Entity's Visitor Reception Center. It brings together the cultural and natural heritage gathered during the decades of the dam's construction: pre-Columbian archaeological pieces from the native peoples of the Paraná basin, rocks and minerals of the region, period furniture and objects, and taxidermied wildlife representative of the environments surrounding the reservoir. It's a brief but very illustrative stop for understanding both the pre-Hispanic and colonial history of the area and the process of transformation brought by the largest hydroelectric work in southern Paraguay. The museum is part of the same free circuit as the visit to the power plant and the wildlife refuge, so it's worth combining them in the same day. Getting there: next to the EBY Visitor Reception Center, in Villa Permanente. Best time: year-round, during the circuit hours (7:00 to 15:00). Tips: coordinate the visit together with the plant tour and the Atinguy refuge to make the most of the transfer; it's an activity suitable for the whole family.

ℹ️ Distance: Villa Permanente district, next to the Visitor Reception Center · Best time: Year-round, from 7:00 to 15:00 · Admission: Free · Duration: 45 minutes to 1 hour

Atinguy Wildlife Refuge

EBY wildlife reserve 13 km from the center, home to the jaguar Chiqui and dozens of rescued species.

The Atinguy Wildlife Refuge, about 13 km from Ayolas' urban access, is one of the conservation areas created by the Yacyretá Binational Entity as a measure to mitigate the reservoir's environmental impact. It houses a notable diversity of mammals, birds and reptiles of the region, many of them rescued during the dam's construction or from wildlife-trafficking seizures. Its best-known draw is Chiqui, a jaguar (yaguareté) that lives in the refuge and became a symbol of the species' conservation in Paraguay. Besides the great cat, the grounds gather capybaras, monkeys, aquatic and woodland birds, and other species typical of the riverside and forest environments of the Paraná, in a well-kept setting with walking trails. The refuge is part of the same free EBY tourist circuit, along with the visit to the power plant and the museum. Getting there: 13 km from central Ayolas, with access coordinated by the Visitor Reception Center. Best time: autumn and winter for the cooler weather, though it's open year-round. Tips: bring repellent and comfortable shoes; book in advance, since access is coordinated with the EBY.

ℹ️ Distance: 13 km from central Ayolas · Best time: Year-round; autumn and winter cooler · Admission: Free (EBY circuit, advance booking) · Duration: 1 to 2 hours

Dorado sport fishing on the Paraná

Ayolas' great attraction: fishing for the dorado, the 'river tiger', in the waters of the Paraná beside Yacyretá.

Ayolas is one of the most celebrated destinations in Paraguay —and the whole region— for dorado sport fishing, known as the 'river tiger' for its strength, its aggressiveness and the spectacular leaps with which it fights when hooked. The waters of the Paraná around the Yacyretá area, and particularly the Corateí zone (12 km east of the center), offer excellent conditions for this fishing, which each year draws enthusiasts and competitors from various countries. The city is a regular host of fishing tournaments and competitions, many of them under catch-and-release rules, designed to preserve fish populations. Besides the dorado, the waters hold other species of the great South American rivers, such as surubí, pacú, boga, manguruyú and patí. A typical outing with a guide and boat costs between US$ 80 and 180 per day for 2-3 people (indicative July 2026, depending on equipment and season; check when booking). Heading out at dawn by boat with a local guide, working the river's deep pools and eddies and feeling the pull of the dorado is an experience that defines a trip to Ayolas. Getting there: outings leave from the waterfront and docks of Ayolas, with local guides and boatmen, or from specialized fishing lodges. Best time: according to the fishing calendar and current closed seasons; it's worth checking the official regulations (there is usually a closed period in the breeding months, November-December, check each year). Tips: hire licensed guides, respect the closed seasons and the catch-and-release rules, and bring sun protection, a hat and water.

ℹ️ Distance: Paraná River beside Ayolas; Corateí zone 12 km to the east · Best time: According to the fishing calendar and closed seasons (check current regulations) · Admission: US$ 80–180 per day for the outing with guide and boat (indicative July 2026, for 2-3 people) · Duration: Half day to full day

Waterfront and Paraná River

Ayolas' riverside promenade on the Paraná, meeting and departure point for fishing and boating.

The Ayolas waterfront is the public space that connects the city with its reason for being: the great Paraná River. It's where the city's social life beats, where boats and docks gather, and from where fishing outings and boat rides depart. At sunset, with the light falling over the wide waters of the Paraná, the promenade becomes especially pleasant. The surroundings of the Yacyretá dam shaped the area's river landscape, creating a large body of water and altering the banks. The waterfront lets you appreciate that immensity of the river and enjoy the breeze, the anglers and the movement of the boats. It's the city's open-air heart and a good spot to start getting to know it. Getting there: in Ayolas itself, steps from the center. Best time: sunset for the promenade; early morning to go out fishing or boating. Tips: combine the waterfront stroll with booking a fishing or boating outing; bring repellent at dusk.

ℹ️ Distance: In the city of Ayolas (on foot from the center) · Best time: Sunset for the promenade; morning for fishing and boating · Admission: Free (public promenade) · Duration: 1 to 2 hours

Yasyretá Island Reserve (Acutí Po'i trail) and Aguapey Reserve

EBY protected natural areas with trails, vegetated dunes and lagoons within the reservoir.

As part of the dam's environmental mitigation measures, the Yacyretá Binational Entity created and protects several natural areas around the reservoir, among them the Yasyretá Island Reserve —with its interpretive trail 'Acutí Po'i'— and the Aguapey nature reserve. These spaces preserve samples of the vegetated-dune, lagoon and woodland ecosystems that characterized the region before the reservoir was formed. Walking these trails lets you observe wildlife and flora typical of southern Paraguay in a protected setting, and better understand the landscape left by the construction of Yacyretá: islands, lagoons and dunes that today coexist with the reservoir's great body of water. It's a quiet nature experience, ideal to complement the visit to the power plant and the Atinguy refuge. Getting there: within the EBY tourist circuit, with access coordinated from the Ayolas Visitor Reception Center. Best time: autumn and winter for the cooler weather and better wildlife viewing. Tips: check availability and trail hours when booking the circuit; bring binoculars, repellent and suitable footwear for walking.

ℹ️ Distance: Within the Yacyretá reservoir area, near Ayolas · Best time: Autumn and winter (cool weather, better viewing) · Admission: Free (EBY circuit, advance booking) · Duration: 1 to 2 hours

Nearby Jesuit and mission towns

Ayolas' proximity to the historic towns of the department of Misiones, such as San Ignacio Guazú and Santiago.

Ayolas belongs to the department of Misiones, a region that owes its name to the old Jesuit missions or reductions that flourished here in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. That's why one of the great advantages of visiting Ayolas is its relative proximity to several of the most interesting historic towns of southern Paraguay, which let you combine fishing and nature tourism with cultural heritage. Within reasonable distance are San Ignacio Guazú —considered the first Jesuit reduction founded in the territory of present-day Paraguay—, Santiago, Santa María de Fe and Santa Rosa de Lima, all mission towns with churches, museums of Guaraní carvings, historic squares and vestiges of that remarkable social and religious experiment. Their serene atmosphere and artistic heritage contrast with the river energy of Ayolas. Getting there: by road from Ayolas to the various towns of Misiones (day trips, between 60 and 100 km depending on the town). Best time: year-round; the cool weather of autumn and winter makes the tours more comfortable. Tips: it's ideal to devote a day to a circuit through the Jesuit towns; the carving museums usually charge a symbolic entry of Gs. 10,000–20,000. It combines very well with a trip focused on fishing or the dam.

ℹ️ Distance: Towns of the department of Misiones, between 60 and 100 km by road from Ayolas · Best time: Year-round (autumn and winter more comfortable) · Admission: Churches: free. Carving museums: Gs. 10,000–20,000 (verified July 2026) · Duration: Half a day to a day