Playa San José is the main beach on the Paraná River in Encarnación, a broad sandy strand that has been developed into a popular recreational area for local families. The Paraná here is wide and calm, and the water quality is generally good. The beach fills up on summer weekends with Paraguayan and Argentine visitors, and kiosks and food vendors set up along the waterfront.
The development of the beach was a side effect of the Yacyretá Dam project: when the reservoir was raised, the former riverside slum areas were flooded and the city gained a new waterfront. The result is one of the more pleasant urban riverbanks in Paraguay.