Itaipú Dam
Paraguay · Alto Paraná · 220 m
Description
Itaipú is a hydroelectric dam on the Paraná shared between Paraguay and Brazil and for decades the largest power station on earth by output, still the second after Three Gorges. It supplies most of Paraguay's electricity and a substantial share of Brazil's. The wall is nearly eight kilometres long and two hundred metres high, and guided tours run inside to the turbine hall. On Friday and Saturday nights the whole face is floodlit. A biological reserve and a small zoo on the Paraguayan bank take animals rescued when the reservoir filled. Tours are free but have to be booked in advance with a passport.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 day
Travel season
Best time to visit: April – September
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Guided tour into the turbine hall
- The dam wall from the viewing platform
- Friday and Saturday night illumination (every Friday and Saturday)
- Spillway when the gates are open (November - March)
- Biological reserve and rescued animals
- Itaipú museum and the Guaira falls story
- Astronomical observatory on the site
- Reservoir shoreline and its beaches
Getting there
- Border town:
- Paraguay