Salto del Monday

Hidden Gem in Ciudad del Este – Saltos del Monday Saltos del Monday is a waterfall located near Ciudad del Este. The “Monday” here doesn’t refer to the day of the week—it comes from the Guaraní language and means “stolen river.” During my three and a half days in Ciudad del Este, I honestly didn’t leave with the best impression. On my last day, I decided to give the city one more chance and went to check out Saltos del Monday. After entering the park, it’s about a 10-minute walk to the main viewing platform. From here, you can see the waterfall, but the angle isn’t ideal and the view feels a bit limited. Luckily, I also bought the ticket for the lower viewpoint. After taking the elevator down, you can get much closer to the falls. There were very few visitors down there—I ended up sitting for quite a while, just watching the water crashing down, the spray rising, and listening to the deep roar of the falls. It was genuinely calming and almost meditative. At the upper viewpoint, there are small stalls selling drinks and snacks. A bit further up, there’s also a resting area with tables and chairs where you can sit in the forest and look out toward the river. That’s pretty much it. The park is small, but I actually enjoyed the experience more than I expected. Saltos del Monday isn’t very tall or wide, but the water volume is strong, making it still feel quite powerful and impressive to watch and hear. That said, the ticket price is about 123,000 Paraguayan guaraní (~15 USD) for both levels, which feels a bit steep considering the size of the park and facilities—almost comparable to Iguazú Falls. But if you’re not into shopping, this waterfall is definitely more worth visiting than Ciudad del Este’s commercial streets. If Saltos del Monday were located anywhere else, it would probably be a popular attraction. Unfortunately, it sits right next to Iguazú Falls, and with Iguazú so close, it naturally gets overshadowed. In a way, that’s exactly why it remains a “hidden gem.” -Transport The waterfall is about 8–9 km from the city centre, roughly a 20-minute drive. There is no public transport, so Uber is the most convenient option. Tip: Traffic in Ciudad del Este can be extremely congested and often barely moves. Uber Moto or walking (if nearby) can sometimes be faster. Tickets Main entry: ~12 USD (94,000 PYG) Lower viewpoint: additional 29,000 PYG Time needed It’s a small site—you can easily explore everything in about 30 minutes.