The Friendship Bridge: How To Walk To Paraguay From Brazil

During the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, I, like the rest of the world, was bored at home, googling what I could be doing other than sitting in isolation. I started to plan a trip to South America, in my head, of course, since travel was not quite possible at that time. I wanted to do all of the obvious places: Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Colombia, and I wasn’t as interested in lesser-visited places such as Guyana, Uruguay, & Paraguay.

I always start learning about a potential destination by going on YouTube. As I was YouTubing what to do near Iguazu Falls, I came across a video of a man who “walked” to Paraguay. Intrigued, I clicked on the link, and discovered that you can *literally* walk from Brazil to Paraguay in around 15 minutes. The bridge connecting the two nations is called “The Friendship Bridge,” and it connects Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, and Ciudad del Este, Paraguay. I immediately added “Walk to Paraguay from Brazil” to my bucket-list.

So, when I finally made it to South America in January 2023, I knew, despite it being a whopping three years later, that bucket-list item of walking to Paraguay could finally be ticked. Here’s what my experience was like.

Getting To Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil

Getting to Foz do Iguaçu isn’t super difficult from any major Brazilian city. There’s an airport called Foz do Iguaçu International Airport (IGU), and I was able to get a direct flight from Rio de Janeiro on LATAM Airlines. Note that there is an airport in Argentina, as well, called Cataratas of Iguazu International Airport (IGR), but if you’re coming from Brazil, it makes much more sense to fly into the Brazilian side. Otherwise, you’ll have a layover, most likely, in Buenos Aires. I later ended up at the Argentinian airport (IGR) and it was easily one of the lacking airports I’ve ever been to in my life: the WiFi was down, most places couldn’t take credit cards because their system was not working, there’s no lounge, and you cannot go through security until about an hour before your flight because the airport is too small to hold everybody. There was one little place to eat, and it was overpriced and not great. So, definitely try to avoid that airport if you can!

Once you arrive to Foz do Iguaçu airport (IGU), you’ll need to take a taxi or a bus to get to the city center, if that’s where you are staying. I stayed at Iguassu Central Flats, which ran me about $32/night.

It was hosted by a man named Milton. When I arrived, he told me going to Paraguay is a waste of time. He seemed very resentful about it, almost like he had a personal experience that left him with a bad taste in his mouth. It didn’t concern me too much, because I was hellbent on seeing it. Iguassu Central Flats was only about a ten-minute ride to the Friendship Bridge, so I used Uber to get there, which cost me around $2.

What Is The Friendship Bridge?

The Friendship Bridge, sometimes referred to as The International Friendship Bridge, creates a connection between Brazil and Paraguay. It opened up for pedestrian and car traffic in 1965, is open 24 hours a day, and is 290 meters, or 303 yards, in total. Its primary significance is to stimulate both Brazilian and Paraguayan economies by making it easy to hop from one country to the other, which many South Americans do in a short day, similarly to how I did.

For travelers who don’t want to navigate walking the bridge on their own, book a tour with a trusted guide.

Arriving At The Friendship Bridge & Immigration

As mentioned, I took an Uber right to the Friendship Bridge on the Brazilian side. The area surrounding the entry of the bridge is a little desolate. There are a few shops and stalls to buy fresh fruit and some snacks. I entered the bridge, and found immigration (which was all the way to the left). I had to wait in a line of about 20 people, and when it was my turn, I went into the office, explained I was simply walking to Paraguay for a few hours, and would be back later that day. I had to fill out a form, and next thing I knew, I was stamped out of Brazil.

Walking The Friendship Bridge

When I was stamped out of Brazil, I was able to finally begin the journey I had been dreaming of for three years: walking to Paraguay on The Friendship Bridge! The pedestrian walkway is completely guarded off from the cars. Though some people choose to drive across, I think it’s a unique experience to simply walk. It also only takes about 10-15 minutes. Along the bridge, you will see the Paraná River, which is a bright blue: kind of similar to waters in Thailand and Vietnam. The bridge has guardrails all along the walkway, so it is a little difficult to photograph, but it’s a sight to behold either way.

As you walk across the bridge, you’ll eventually start to see glimpses of Ciudad del Este in the distance. The first thing I personally noticed was large skyscrapers and neon signs. Ciudad del Este is known as the “Shopping Capital of South America,” and the primary reason people go there is to buy anything you can think of (more on that later) at a heavily discounted rate.

As mentioned, the walk took a total of about 12 minutes for me, and next thing I knew, I was at immigration to enter Paraguay!

Arriving At Immigration In Paraguay

Similarly to exiting Brazil, I had to go through immigration in Paraguay. There’s a little office with bright orange walls right at the foot of the bridge. I waited in the short line (only about two people ahead of me), and then, approached the immigration counter. The man working only spoke Spanish, which is not my strong suit. I tried to explain I would only be there for “tres horas,” figuring I’d likely not even be there for that long since I wanted to get back before sunset. He said because it was so short, he did not need to stamp me in. This had me quite confused, and I was afraid it would cause an issue later. I also love a good passport stamp. but because my Spanish is so limited, I did not know how to request the situation be changed, so I just let it be, and walked into Paraguay!

Exploring Ciudad del Este

I didn’t really do any research on what to do in Ciudad del Este, but once there, I was SHOCKED by how different the vibe was from Foz do Iguaçu right on the other side. It was chaotic, quite dirty, and a little overwhelming for the senses. I suddenly felt my guard go way up, and I felt like all eyes were on me from the hounds of gawking men. I, sadly, sometimes gage a place on how safe it is for women by evaluating how often I was catcalled. In Brazil, I had been fortunate enough to not be catcalled a single time. In my short time in Paraguay, I was catcalled nearly the entire duration of my visit.

I walked to nearby “Shopping Paris,” the infamous mall of Ciudad del Este. The mall was about a five-minute walk from the exit of the Friendship Bridge. As I walked inside, it appeared to be your average mall, but as I explored further, I realized the rumors were true; anything you can possibly think of can be purchased inside this mall.

There were liquor stores, electronic stores selling computers and phones, there were shoe stores, stores to buy purses, tons of clothing stores, baby and toddler stores, and even places to buy eccentric lamps. I really wanted this one lamp in particular that looked like a woman holding several lightbulbs, but had no way to get it back home, or even back to Brazil, for that matter.

Wanting to purchase something, but not sure of what, I decided to give to the Paraguayan economy by buying food. I found an açai bowl stand, and wanting to compare Brazilian açai with Paraguayan açai, it seemed like a good way to spend my money. The açai bowl was about $1.50, and the stand accepted Brazilian reals as currency.

Other Things To Note About Ciudad del Este

As mentioned above, Ciudad del Este accepted Brazilian currency, and many places had signs that they would also accept USD and Euro. There were also signs all over the street for “cambio,” or change, to exchange currency at a favorable rate. In Brazil, the rates fluctuated, and not all ATMs worked, so for those who need a way to get cash, walking over to Paraguay is a great way to do it.

Also as mentioned above, I was very shocked by the stark differences a border can create. Ciudad del Este was, sadly, extremely dirty. I saw several children walking around carrying large bags with no shoes on. The men were thirsty both in catcalling me and in trying to get me to take a taxi with them. I didn’t feel unsafe, but I definitely kept my guard up.

I highly recommend keeping a low profile, and using a compact camera such as a GoPro to capture images and video. I also recommend wearing a fanny pack or a secure backpack with a lot of storage and zippers.

Pro-Tip: If you want to spend the night in Ciudad del Este, which many travelers choose to do, these are the best hotels in the city:

• Hotel Casino Acaray
• Las Ventanas Hotel Boutique
• Bisinii Boutique Hotel
• Rio Hotel by Bourbon Ciudad del Este

Walking Back To Brazil

While I would have liked to stay and explore longer than I did, I wanted to ensure I got back to Brazil before the sun set, as I did not want to walk back in the dark. My time had come to an end, and I had to walk back to immigration, this time, on the opposite side, to get stamped out of Paraguay. I allowed myself some extra time in case there were questions about why I was never stamped in. It turned out to be fine, and I got my exit stamp with minimal questions asked, so I did indeed still get my Paraguay stamp on my passport.

I walked back to Brazil, this time on the opposite side of the bridge, and received the same stunning views of the Paraná River. I took plenty of shameless selfies, giving the cars as they drove by a good laugh and a good show. Once I arrived back to Brazil, there was a turnstile type of door, but no immigration. Once again concerned that I did not properly get “stamped” into Brazil, I asked the nearby police officers (there’s a stand for police right at the foot of each side of the bridge) if this was going to pose an issue. They said, no, not at all, don’t worry.

As I went to cross the road once I was back in Brazil, I tripped pretty hard and fell into oncoming traffic. Luckily, the several motorbikes coming (this area is flooded with motorbikes) saw me and stopped, but it was a close call! So, be careful crossing. I was then covered in black smut from the dirt on the road.

I grabbed a freshly cracked coconut when back in Brazil at one of the nearby stalls, paid around $3, and then went back to further explore Foz do Iguaçu.

Overall

Overall, was it worth taking the time out of my day to walk to Paraguay, or should I have listened to Milton, the owner of Iguassu Central Flats? In my humble opinion, it was absolutely worth it! I am all for having unique and fun experiences and adventures when abroad. Though I was only in Paraguay for about two hours, and all I did was walk around a mall and eat an açai bowl, I still felt I got something out of it. Everyone has different ideas as to what constitutes “visiting a place,” but to me, eating, spending money, walking there, getting stamped, and communicating with a few people certainly counts.

What do you think? Did I “see” Paraguay, or do I have to go back and spend more time there for it to count toward my country count? Comment and let me know your thoughts!

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