Iguazu Falls, Thunderous Beauty of Nature

Iguazu Falls is one of the most important destinations in Argentina, Brazil and South America! Every year, millions of people come to visit this beautiful natural attraction that Argentina and Brazil have to offer. “They’re truly a magnificent display of nature. Their size and scale are unlike any other waterfall on Earth.” – said Martin Ruffo.

Both parks, Iguazu National Park (Argentina) and Iguacu National Park (Brazil) became UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1984 and 1987, respectively. It was also chosen as one of the seven wonders of the world in 2011. Iguazu National Park is home to many species of animals and flora that create an important natural ecosystem connected to all Latin America. There are plenty of activities to be done in the company with your family and friends or just by yourself.

Etymology of the name

The name of the falls originates from the Tupi or Guarani language, and means “big water”. Legend has it that a deity planned to marry a beautiful woman named Naipí, who fled with her mortal lover Tarobá in a canoe. In a rage, the deity sliced the river, creating the waterfalls and condemning the lovers to an eternal fall.

It has been said that if you want a good view of the falls, visit the Brazilian side. If you want to experience the falls, visit the Argentinian side. Although it doesn’t matter where you decide to start from, we can recommend starting from the north side and to end in “Devil’s Throat” which is a U-shaped cliff right in between the border of the two countries.

Location:

Iguazu Falls is located on the Argentinian and Brazilian borders, dividing the Iguazu River into upper and lower levels. They are waterfalls of the Iguazu River on the border of the Argentine province of Misiones and the Brazilian state of Paraná. Together, they make up the largest waterfall in the world. The falls divide the river into the upper and lower Iguazu. Iguazu River rises near the heart of the city of Curitiba. For most of its course, the river flows through Brazil; however, most of the falls are on the Argentine side.

Iguazu Falls stretch in width for 2.7 kilometres (or 1.7 miles). Their height varies between 60 metres (200 feet) and 82 metres (or 269 feet). This makes the Iguazu Falls taller than Niagara Falls and twice as wide.

How to get to Iguazu Falls?

Most people traveling to Iguazu Falls stop off in Rio de Janeiro or Buenos Aires before heading to the falls, either by bus or air. If you don’t want to deal with the airport twice you could also fly straight into Iguazu, although you will still touch down in Buenos Aires or Rio on your way.

There are two airports within five miles of the falls:  Foz do Iguaçu Airport (IGU) on the Brazilian side, and Cataratas del Iguazú (IGR) on the Argentine side. Keep in mind that even if you want to start your trip at Iguazu you will still mostly likely make a stop in Buenos Aires or Rio anyway.

Once there, you can easily wander the trails and pathways of the Iguazu National Park by yourself, using local buses to get to the entrances on both the Brazil and Argentina sides from Puerto Iguazu.

Best time to visit

Being close to the tropics, it’s possible to visit Iguazu Falls almost any time of the year, but probably the best time is during the months of either March and May. It’s not as rainy then and temperatures are not too hot.

Alternatively, the months of September to November have less visitors too and temperatures are again reasonable.

Rain can start to increase as you head into November, but this does give the chance to see the falls at their highest and on a sunny day.

November, December and January is peak season; sometimes the paths of the park could be a little bit crowded and you’ll have to do queue for everything.”

Accommodations

As far as accommodation is concerned, you have a few choices. As the falls are a national park on both sides of the border, there are only a couple of hotels that are close enough to offer a view, the Sheraton on the Argentina side, and the hotel Las Cataratas on the Brazil. Outside of the park, the main grouping of hotels is in Puerto Iguazu where the range is much wider. You can find hotels, B&Bs, hostels, cottage, etc.

Tips on what to pack:

You can bring your own or by at the bus station or by the park’s entrance one.

• Comfortable Shoes. The sidewalks might be slippery at the Iguazu Falls.
• Take a backpack to fit there snack, water, extra layers of clothes and umbrella.
• Rain Poncho
• Sunscreen
• Do not forget to pack a camera
• Bug spray is optional we did not find mosquito situation that terrible.

Activities and tourist attraction sites:

In addition to the falls itself, the area has many attractions to offer visitors. Below is a list of the top attractions we recommend to visit while in Iguazu Falls.

1.- Devil’s Throat (Garganta del Diablo):

Among the falls known as Iguazu Falls, Devil’s Throat is the largest. It drops more than 262 feet into a creamy white pool. The curtain contains 14 falls total and is shaped like a horseshoe.

You’ll start your journey via the Jungle Train to the Devil’s Throat Station. From there, on foot, you’ll take a footbridge of 3,600 feet that leads to the immense waterfalls.

You can also view the falls by speedboat. You’ll need to dress warmly and bring along a poncho.

2.- Speedboat tours:

You have the chance to explore magnificent Iguazu Falls by land & boat. Enjoy the breathtaking views from the Brazilian side of the river. Stunning looks at 295-foot (90-m) Devil’s Throat waterfall will amaze you.

Speedboat ride gets you up-close to the cascading rapids. Just have fun in this refreshing adventure.

3.- Hummingbird Garden:

Visitors will be led on a tour through the garden where they will see many types of hummingbirds, which come to feed and lay their eggs, and will learn about the different species they see. 

4- San Martin Island:

Located in Argentina’s Iguazu River, within the Iguazu Falls in Misiones Province. The island spans the 3 levels that form the falls, but only the lower and middle levels are open to visitors. It can only be reached in small boats, unless the river is below the minimum level. Once on the island, one must climb 190 steps through three different pathways that lead to a balcony with panoramic views.

5.- San Ignacio Miní Ruins:

These ruins were declared a UNESCO world heritage site back in 1984. Original village of San Ignacio Mini was established in the 1600s by traveling Jesuit Missionaries. The ruins as they stand are considered to be the best-preserved mission ruins in Argentina. San Ignacio ruins are located near the north-west end of the city. They are strictly controlled by timed entrance and tours.

San Ignacio is home to incredible indigenous cultures. Residents are mostly focused on agriculture and tourism.

6.- Foz de Iguazú:

It is a good place to make a base. From here you can visit the falls. You can also go to the world’s biggest hydroelectric dam, Itaipu.

More things to do:

There are many things you can do in Iguazu Park. For example, you can go on a helicopter ride and enjoy the beautiful air view with all the vegetation around it. You can also do a Safari excursion. The subtropical jungle is home to toucans, parrots, monkeys and other frequently sighted exotic creatures (tapir, ocelot, etc)

Inkayni Important tip! We recommend starting the tour as early as possible. This way you will have plenty of time to visit different tourist hidden attractions and enjoy the surrounding nature. You won’t want to miss the nightlife as well. Take some time to walk around the city  with the full moon light.

Finally…

We leave you with a nice legend of the amazing Iguazu Falls:

One of the most impressive sites of the planet to visit.

“According to the Guarani Tribe, a young girl would be chosen to be sacrificed every year to please the serpent god of the Iguazu River. Supposedly, as the time of the sacrifice approached, the Serpent god saw a young girl playing by the river and fell madly in love with her. The groom to-be pled to the Guarani tribe elders to spare her, but the elders were more interested in not offending the serpent god and promptly denied his request.

In a desperate attempt to save his bride the boy hatched an idea. In the deep of the night he freed his bride and in the darkness the two lovers boarded a small canoe and escaped down the river, heading out into the unknown.

Of course, this poorly planned escape attempt did not go unnoticed by the Serpent god. The river twisted through the landscape and became a furious torrent but still the canoe with the two lovers stayed afloat and just out of reach from the Serpent god.

In a final act to catch the lovers the furious Serpent god split the earth from beneath them. Huge chunks of earth and mud came crashing down around them and the boy was thrown from the canoe to the muddy bank on the north side of the river (the Brazilian side). He stood to see the canoe and his bride fall into the Devil’s Throat. As this happened the Serpent god turned the girl into a rock on the Argentine side, to save her from certain death. To punish the boy, the serpent god transformed him into a palm tree so he would be unable to reach his bride.

For eternity the two lovers are separate, the boy as a palm tree on the Brazilian side of the falls and the girl as the great rock that lies above the Devil’s Throat on the Argentine side.

Inkayni Peru Tours offers the best tourist attractions in Peru. Don’t hesitate to contact us. We would love to help you planning your dream vacation.

“The man who seeks to educate himself must first read and then travel in order to correct what he has learned.” ― Casanova