Travel Guide Villa Florida

Villa Florida is the gateway to the department of Misiones, on Ruta 1, halfway between Asunción and Encarnación. It was founded by the Jesuits in 1632 and for a long time it was called Paso Santa María (St. Mary's Passage), because a boat used to cross the Tebicuarý River to reach the Santa María mission further south. A bridge was inaugurated in 1968 to unite the departments of Paraguarí and Misiones. The main attraction of the city is its long white sandy beaches on the river, where tourists flock in the summer, especially during Holy Week. In addition to lazing around, Villa Florida is a renowned destination for sport fishing, and national competitions are held there regularly. The dorado is the most prestigious (and endangered) species, but it is the surubí most often found on the menu of restaurants, in soup (pirá caldo), grilled, or Milanese style.