It’s rumored that when Eleanor Roosevelt caught her first glimpse of Iguazu Falls, she exclaimed: “Poor Niagara.”
Her sympathy had its merits. Iguazu Falls is both taller than Niagra Falls and wider than Victoria Falls, with scenery unlike anywhere else on earth.
We decided to visit Iguazu Falls out of convenience and curiosity more than anything else. It was the tail end of our trip to the Southern Amazon and the Pantanal where we had been immersed in nature for over a week straight. We had already seen monkeys, tapirs, hundreds of cayman and come face-to-face with a jaguar (full story coming next week!). And having already seen countless waterfalls on our travels, we were wary to how spectacular Iguazu would actually be in person. But with the falls just a short flight away, we knew we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see what all the hype was about.
Of course, it was an absolutely breathtaking experience.
The falls create the geographical border between Brazil and Argentina. Unfortunately we had to stick to the Brazilian Side as US citizens must pay a reciprocal tax of US$160 per person just to hike on the other side of the border for a couple of hours. Should you jump over to the Argentinean side you’ll find an extensive boardwalk that takes you over the top of the falls, which sounds pretty amazing. You can learn more about visiting the Argentinean side here.
How to Arrive
We decided to base ourselves in Foz do Iguazu, the closest city to the falls on the Brazilian side. There are numerous resorts along the way to the falls, but we decided to stay in the center of town at a charming boutique B&B called Gardenia Boshor (full review coming soon).
An easy 40-minute bus ride which goes for 3.50 Reals is a simple way to get dropped off from the center of town to the park entrance.
A ticket into the park costs 41 Reals. You’ll then board a bus that will take you to the start of the 1200 meter trail which runs adjacent to the falls, offering amazing views. At the end of the trail is a platform that looks out over the raging Devil’s Throat, a long u-shaped chasm where nearly half of the rivers water falls over 80 meters. Once you’ve been properly drenched, take the panoramic elevator up to the top of the falls and get a birds eye view before grabbing the bus back to the park entrance.
Extras
There is a small snack stand after you arrive at the top of the elevator where you can grab a quick bite to eat. There is a larger restaurant at the bus stop at end of the trail which has a patio that looks over the Iguazu River before it takes its mighty plunge.
There are numerous adventure activities inside the park, including jeep rides, kayaking and nature walks. Because of our previous encounters we didn’t feel the need to participate, although the speedboat ride has tremendous reviews.
Iguazu Falls was the perfect way to round out our Brazilian Eco-adventure. The thunderous roar of the 275 waterfalls stretching 2.7 kilometers that make up Iguazu is an experience we won’t soon forget.
Have you visited Iguazu Falls? Do you have any other waterfalls to recommend?
beauty! great collection guys
Cam recently posted…Cliffwalk at Capilano Suspension Bridge Park
WOW, so gorgeous!! Must have been very loud :)
Rika | Cubicle Throwdown recently posted…Time to Go Again: Canada Highlights
For some reason I giggled when I read “convenience and curiosity” as Iguazu falls have been on my bucket list for a long time. Being that we haven’t made it to South America yet, we struggle with the convenience factor. Great shots. I know I am glad you were curious. Thanks for sharing these.
Rhonda Albom recently posted…Living the Dream at the Auckland on the Water Boat Show
how brilliant are these falls? one day…
Wow! You guys had some incredible weather while visiting. Even though I am not really a big fan of waterfalls, I am really amazed by the power and the size of the Iguazu Falls. Surely it was one of the most beautiful places I have visited in South America. I loved coaties that were hanging around in cafe areas too. I found them really cute, even though they annoyed loads of people.
Marta Kulesza recently posted…20 PHOTOS OF AUTUMN IN PATAGONIA
Iguazu Falls is such an incredible place, isn’t it? You didn’t miss much on the Argentinian side as right now the best path, the one you’re describing, is closed… The other trails were fine too and gave a different perspective than the Brazilian side but I was really excited to walk to the Argentinian Devil’s Throat and then really disappointed I couldn’t do that
kami recently posted…Exploring Berlin on bike
I visited Iguazu and Niagara on the same trip and have to agree with Eleanor!
Roshan recently posted…Aiming High
I almost didn’t go to these because after seeing so many waterfalls in Iceland last year, I kept thinking I wasn’t too fussed about waterfalls but I’m so glad my husband persuaded me because it would have been an enormous regret to have missed it – they were just absolutely breathtaking and these photos are beautiful!
Shikha (whywasteannualleave) recently posted…The Greenwich and Docklands International Festival, London
Iguazu Falls are one of my dream destinations! Your photos are breathtaking :)
Elena@Elena’s Travelgram recently posted…Weekend Wanderlust Roundup #2
How lucky you are to see such wonderfully beautiful places. I envy you greatly. Breath taking!
I’m going to Argentina in a couple of months and had been wondering if I should also see the Brazilian side of Iguazu. Now that I have seen your photos, I think I’ll even make sure to spend more time on te Brazilian side. Thanks so much !
kim recently posted…Learning to Batik in Yogyakarta
Spectacular photos! Having just visited Niagara Falls for the the first time a few months ago, I can still hear the deafening roar of the water. I can only imagine how much greater the sound must have been here. Thanks for adding something else to my bucket list!
Heather recently posted…Sigulda, Latvia: Medieval Castles Amid Autumn Leaves