Sited 20km north of the city on the hyperbolically-named Hernandarias Supercarretera (taxi 40,000G one way or 60,000G return, or take bus marked “Hernandarias” from the terminal), Itaipú was once referred to as one of the seven wonders of the modern world. With a maximum height of 195m and generating up to 75,000GWh of energy per year, it’s still something to behold. Visits are by guided tour only (Mon–Sat 8am, 9.30am, 1.30pm, 2pm and 3pm, Sun mornings 8am and 9.30am only; free, although a passport is required) and last about an hour and a half. The highlight of the trip is undoubtedly the opportunity to see the inside of the dam and the colossal onekilometre long machine room.
It’s not all good news though; the building of the dam (with the first of four phases of construction beginning in 1975, it was finally completed in 1991) was dogged with corruption scandals, missing money and considerable ecological damage. Much of the unexplored Atlantic Forest in the surrounding area was flooded, and the Sete Quedas, a set of waterfalls comparable to those at Iguazú, were also lost.
As a result, the project’s backers were forced to invest heavily in ecological damage limitation projects including relocation of wildlife, replanting of forests and habitat enrichment schemes (see Itaipú reserves below). This entailed the setting-up of the Flora and Fauna Itaipú Binacional (T061/599-8652; 9am–5pm; free) a few kilometres south of the dam’s entrance. An excellent zoo by South American standards, it was set up to house animals rescued from the flooding including a rare black jaguar and a breeding colony of Bush dogs. It also contains well-maintained natural history and archaeological museums.
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