ITAIPU DAM AND HYDROELECTRIC PLANT

You can visit the Itaipu complex by bus, to be coupled with the falls on the Brazilian side. The Conjunto C or Itaipu Dam buses go there from the bus terminal in the center (R$ 3.20, 30 min). Installed on the Rio Paraná which separates Brazil from Paraguay, the Itaipu Dam is gigantic. It is 7.7 km long and stands 196 m high. It has 20 turbines. The last two turbines went into operation in 2007.

A bi-national project, the plant produces 91% of the electrical energy consumed in Paraguay and meets 25% of the demand of the entire Brazilian market.

In May 1974, the Itaipu Treaty led to the creation of the binational Itaipu entity, whose purpose is to build and manage the plant. The first Itaipu generating unit began producing electricity in May 1984. Thus, 10 turbines were assigned to Brazil and 10 others to Paraguay.

Today, Itaipu is the largest hydroelectric power plant in the world (even if it is no longer the largest dam since the Three Gorges Dam in China), which is why it was included in the ranking of the seven wonders of the technological world by the American magazine Popular Mechanics. The classic tour (2 hours) consists of the viewing of a documentary film in Portuguese or English. The special tour (over 14 years old, in small groups) includes a visit of the turbines with a technician, in the heart of the dam, but also the panoramic visit.

The eco-museum traces the history of the dam, from the first populations who lived there in prehistoric times to the arrival of the Guarani Indians in the region. We learn a lot about the natural ecosystems that live here and the different animal species.

The biological sanctuary shelters some animals saved before the flooding of the region when the dam was created. You can see the famous jaguar, if you are lucky! Count 2 hours for 2 km of walking in a beautiful nature, in company of the animals displaced following the construction of the dam which are in semi-liberty. It is not always easy to see them, and when it rains or is too windy the sanctuary is closed, as the animals are protecting themselves.

Tip : if you only plan to visit the panoramic tour and the eco-museum, you should know that on the Paraguay side the visit is free! It's a bit of an adventure to get there, but the experience is nice. On the other hand, if you want to visit the biological sanctuary, you will have to go to the visitors center of Foz de Iguaçu, on the Brazilian side.