Located between Brazil and Argentina, the Iguazu Falls obtained the World Heritage title by UNESCO in 1984 and are considered one of the New Marvels of the World. With 275 drops of different sizes, these are considered the largest waterfalls of the world and are situated in the subtropical Parana Jungle. Two cities serve as gateway to this spectacle: Puerto Iguazu in Argentina and Foz do Iguaçu in Brasil. There is a large number of tours and taxis offering services to both sides of the falls from both cities, and crossing the border is a fairly easy, though time-consuming, affair.
Both the Argentinian National Park and the Brazilian National Park are home to a biodiverse wildlife. Easily seen mammals in both parks are monkeys and coatis, omnivorous diurnal animals that stalk visitors in the habilitated food courts in search of food. There are also pumas in the tropical rain-forest, though they are rarely seen as they are nocturnal. Toucans, five subspecies of this type of bird, inhabit the canopy trees together with smaller birds and aquatic species such as herons. As for insects, there many different spiders, butterflies, crickets, ants and flies (including biting insects, so use insect repellent). In a square meter can be found more than 100 different plant species, from trees to epyphites of all kinds.
The city of Puerto Iguazu is built northwest of the falls, about 20 km away from the entry of the National Park, Argentine side and about 35 km away from the Brazilian National Park, in the shore of the Iguazu River and its confluence with the Parana River. Tourism is its main economic activity and the three borders landmark, where the borders of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay join, is its second touristic highlight. There are several restaurants and cafeterias in the city center and a number of small supermarkets with a limited choice of products available.
- Iguazu Falls: Argentinian side
The National Park of Iguazu Falls was created in 1934 and has over 67000 hectares of jungle and falls. This park boats of a larger number of drops, 80% of the falls are in Argentina, and several walks that get close to the falls themselves. Other activities available are guided tours and boat tours to suit everyone, from relaxed rides in the Iguazu River to adventure tours that get under some of the smaller drops. There are also a number of eating spaces spread around the park and a train that goes to the Devil’s Throat walk. Some of the walks are 100% accessible whereas others have stairs. The entry ticket is 3000 Argentinian Pesos per person for non Mercosur foreigners with a 50% discount on prices for the next day presenting the tickets. The entrance can be paid with Argentinian Pesos or card.
Following the recommendation of our Airbnb host, we went early to the park to avoid the crowds and the heat. On entry, we went directly to the train station to take the first train going to the Devil’s Throat trail. The trail, 2200 meters return, consists of a series of platforms crossing the Iguazu River to a viewing platform close to the Devil’s Throat drop. My recommendation, bring your cameras in a plastic bag and put on a poncho if you don’t want to get wet.
The walk to the drop is amazing and you get really close to the drop itself from the viewing platform. There are no words to describe the immensity and magnificence of this particular drop. I was astounded at the sheer amount of water, fascinated by this imposing landscape and marvelled at the lushious greenery seen everywhere.
Back to the train station, we took the first train back to Cataratas train station where there are two trails: the superior trail and the inferior trail, plus a food court with various restaurants and shops. It was still early in the morning, so we decided to walk the superior trail. These two trails have viewing platforms of several smaller drops just beside the Devil’s Throat, among them: Bossetti Fall, Adam Fall, Eve Fall, Two Sisters Falls, Mbigua Fall and San Martin Fall. On the superior trail, these falls are seen from the top and, like the Devil’s Throat trail, is 100% accessible.
Part of this trail crosses the Parana Jungle with opportunities to see wildlife and many tree species. There are also some platforms crossing the river but to a lesser extent. Less impressive than the Devil’s Throat, these falls are gorgeous nonetheless. The volcanic rocks that form this national park provide a fertile land, sheer drops and breathtaking views.
Lunch was a calm affair despite the many coatis trying to steal food from us as one of the workers kept chasing them away. There were also two nearby monkey families that provided entertainment while we rested taking a cold drink to beat the heat.
After lunch, we went to the inferior trail, to see the falls from another perspective. There is an accessible ramps to some of the viewing platforms but access to the major drops is done through stairs. Like the superior trail, it also crosses the jungle and visitors have the opportunity to get really close to the smaller falls. During our walk we saw coatis, butterflies and a lizard sunbathing near the Two Sisters Falls.
This trail provides the opportunity of seeing the same falls as the superior trail but from bellow and provides a different perspective. The boat to the San Martin Island trail, an island in the river near the divide between the Devil’s Throat and the other falls, can be accessed from this trail but it was closed for maintenance. When open, this is considered a strenuous walk without services (toilets or restaurants) in the island. There are two more trails in the park: the green trail, a 100% trail that connects the Cataratas train station with the main entrance of the park through the jungle, and the Macuco trail, a seven kilometers return trail, highly recommended for its beauty.
We had booked the adventure boat for 3:15 p.m. (3000 Argertinian Pesos per person), so we didn’t have time for the Macuco trail. Instead, we took the green trail and rested in the food court at the entrance until it was time for the tour to get started.
A truck picked us up and drove us down towards the harbour in the Iguazu River. During the 20 minute drive, we had the opportunity to see more wildlife and some of the native plants of the park. Unfortunately, we didn’t see any toucans. The boat trip upriver had two parts: the viewing trip to enjoy the views and take photos of the falls from the river, and the adventure part, when we got under three different waterfalls, including the San Martin Fall. To avoid our stuff getting wet, the tour operator had provided us with impermeable plastic bags.
We came back to the entrance of the park just in time, before a rain deluge fell down and about 20 minutes before the closure of the park for the day.
- Iguazu Falls: Brazilian side and Three borders landmark
While smaller than its Argertine counterpart, the Iguaçu National Park boats of unrivaled views of the falls. With only one walk, this park can easily become very crowded so it is highly recommended to start early for a better enjoyment in the viewing platforms.
The park entrance costs 72 Reales to non Mercosur foreigners and it includes a bus to the hotel inside the park and the major viewing platforms. The Brazilian part of the falls is more exploited than the Argertine, inside the park there are also restaurants and cafeterias. Other activities include boat trips and a helicopter flight over the falls. They also offer a Three Wonder with free Panoramic view at Itaipu Ecomuseum and entrance to the Three Borders Landmark.
The trail to the viewing platforms has some stairs, but the best viewing platforms have accessible ramps, including the highlight viewpoint near Devil’s Throat. There is also a high viewing platform that can be accessed with an elevator.
This is where the immensity of this imposing falls can really be appreciated. The panoramic views of the Brazilian sight are unrivalled and simply gorgeous. We went early to this National Park and were lucky to avoid most of the crowds. It was great to be able to stroll on the trail and quietly enjoy the magnificent views of the various viewing platforms.
More people started to mill around the trail and viewpoints just as we got to the elevator to see the falls from further up. In fact, we stayed in the Devil’s Throat for some minutes, contemplating this huge fall.
Once finished, we took the bus back to the entrance of the park to cross the border and get back to Puerto Iguazu in Argentina. It took us one hour to cross the Argertinian border, almost as long as the visit to the falls, but we finally reached our Airbnb place.
We rested in the Airbnb until later in the evening, when sun was setting down and it wasn’t so hot anymore. Then we walked to the Three Borders Landmark in Puerto Iguazu, where the Parana and Iguazu Rivers join. From there we could see Foz do Iguaçu in front and on the right side and Paraguay’s Ciudad del Este, farther away in the left shore of the Parana River.
We walked along the Iguazu River until we went back to Puerto Iguazu’s city center where we had some empanadas before heading off to our Airbnb for dinner. The next day we were flying south towards El Calafate, one gateway to the Glaciares National Park and Perito Moreno Glacier.
*Information obtained from the National Park of Iguazu and Iguaçu National Park official websites.
