Iguazu Falls has been on my bucket list ever since I saw it in Soarin’ Around the World at Shanghai Disneyland. I couldn’t believe such a place existed and when I found out it was at the border of Argentina and Brazil, I knew I had to add it to my itinerary when I went to Argentina if possible (spoiler alert: it’s definitely possible!).
Why Go?
Igauzu Falls is a spectacular waterfall system that is nearly three times as wide and almost twice as tall as Niagara Falls. I’ve never been, but for my fellow Americans, I think that’s a helpful reference for those who have. Whereas Niagara Falls has three distinct waterfalls, Iguazu Falls has about 275 waterfalls. When we did our trail on the Brazil side, we walked for almost a mile and there was a continuous wall of waterfalls on the other side to gaze at. If that doesn’t sound cool, I don’t know how else to convince you!
Where to Stay?
You can stay on either the Argentina or the Brazil side. For the Argentina side, it’s Puerto Iguazu while for the Brazil side, it’s Foz do Iguaçu. I can’t speak for the Brazil side although I heard that you can use Uber there and that the town is slightly bigger. We stayed on the Argentina side at an Airbnb and our hostess helped connect us with a private driver company that was fairly priced. I will say that the town is pretty small, but there’s a few restaurants and a couple small markets for the short time you’ll be there.
How to Get Around?
Taxi/Personal driver was the main source of transportation for us since we lived a few miles outside of town at an Airbnb. However, if you stay in town, there’s a main bus terminal that has frequent buses that will take you to the parks. This would be my recommendation especially if you are a solo traveler or in a smaller party. We had 4 people in our party so luckily, the rates worked out about the same for us either way. If you prefer a taxi/driver, if you take a taxi in town, you’ll often get their business card if you want to call them for another drive. TIP: Negotiation is ok, but make sure you do it upfront. Rates can vary so if a price seems off, it’s ok to push back.
Day 1
Today will be focused on the Argentina side although if you want to switch the days, that is perfectly okay too. I will note that the Argentina side is more of a full day whereas the Brazil side can be done in a half day if you only want to focus on the falls.
The Argentina park has about 5 trails and if you arrive at opening and leave at closing, you can likely do all the trails. For us, we were advised to go in a bit later for less traffic so we only spent about 5-6 hours at the park. We got to do all the trails except for one, Sendero Macuco, which is a jungle walk rather than a trail leading to a grand view point.
The first thing to do when you get in is decide if you want to do an extra adventure such as a boating adventure. We opted out of a paid adventure since we weren’t prepared to get soaked. TIP: The Brazil side offers a path where you can experience the waterfalls without having to pay for a boat experience!
Then, the next thing to do is get a train ticket to see Devil’s Throat. Devil’s Throat is one of the main waterfalls at Iguazu Falls and is well known for having a U-shaped chasm and presenting a powerful experience for viewers. Side note: You don’t have to take the train to Devil’s Throat, but the path follows the train route and the view is not particularly exciting so I would just take the train to save time and energy.
You can’t choose your time so planning your time around the ticket can be a little tricky. For us, we had about an hour and a half so we did the Sendero Verde walk which was a short 15-20 min walk into the park and had some food. You can take the train for this portion, but I don’t think it’s necessary unless someone in your party has mobility concerns and/or wants to conserve energy.
After taking the train, the walk to the main viewpoint of Devil’s Throat (Paseo Garganta del Diablo) is probably about 0.75 miles one way. It does take longer than expected, even though it’s a flat, metal walkway, due to the path being used as a 2-way pathway and the speed of the other guests around so be prepared to be patient. At the main viewpoint, it’s directed to be a one-way path where you can get different angles of Devil’s Throat. Definitely prep for more patience as everyone wants to be at the rails for their pictures and videos. The strength of the waterfall is incredibly strong so you’ll likely get a light mist on your face and you’ll also likely not see to the bottom of the fall. Definitely a must do! TIP: I would venture more down the path to decrease the wait time for your time at the rails as everyone normally stops for the first possible position even though there are multiple great viewpoints.
The other 2 main trails are Circuito Inferior (Lower Circuit) and Paseo Superior (Upper Circuit). We heard good things about both so we wanted to do both and I definitely recommend doing both! We started with the Upper Circuit which provided views from the top of the waterfalls. Think Devil’s Throat but for the other falls. Overall, it was just really neat to say that you’ve stood on top of waterfalls and marvel at how these walkways were built. For the Lower Circuit, you get to be more in the waterfalls. You get to walk by them and see a more pulled back view of the falls from a closer angle. If you’re worried about time, the time estimates listed on the signs are not indicative of the path lengths but also taking into account taking pictures and slowing down for other guests so don’t be discouraged by them. There’s also side detours that you can cut out if you want to make time to do both trails.
At the end of the day, I recommend getting some local river fish (pacu or surubi) in town to refuel before winding down for day 2!
Day 2
For the Brazil side, if you’re staying on the Argentina side, you will have to go through immigration. For us, our driver dropped us off and told us where to go to get processed. I believe it was the same concept for the buses although the buses seemed to get there faster as they had their own dedicated route. TIP: For Americans, a visa is required so you’ll need to apply for that at least two months before your trip.
The park is situated across from a bird park that is also pretty popular. I believe it’s a rescue sanctuary for birds, but unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to go as we were expecting rain so we wanted to go to the park first. Our initial plan was to visit it after the park if there was time available.
In the park, you’ll have to take a bus to the main trail. There are 2 other stops beforehand for other trails if you want to add additional walking to your day. We didn’t have a chance to do this as rain started pouring halfway during our day and we got soaked. We got off at the stop where most people get off which I believe is stop number 3.
Once you get off, there’s only one trail to venture on! It’s less than a mile one way where you’re walking the entire stretch of Iguazu Falls from the opposite side and you truly get to experience how vast the falls actually are. Every step is like another perfect panoramic picture even though it’s hard to capture on film just how vast the falls are.
At the end of the trail, you’ll get a chance to venture out on a metal walkway towards the center of a fall. I highly recommend this as you get to experience firsthand the power (both water dumping and the winds) of the fall while getting fun pictures. You’ll also feel like a kid running through a water park too! TIP: I would recommend bringing extra clothes in a plastic bag that you can change into afterwards. It got pretty cold for us after and being cold and wet is never a fun feeling. Waterproof shoes would also be great if you’ve got those! I brought extra socks but they just got soaked the minute I put my feet back into my shoes.
Afterwards, you can line up to take a bus back towards the front of the park and head out OR you can get a bite to eat! There’s a buffet option if you want to try multiple things, but we opted for the quick service location which was honestly fantastic. We got fish and chips, a burger, fried chicken, fresh fruit juices, and acai bowls, and they were all generous portions, decently priced, and surprisingly well executed for a park.
TIP: If you’re on a tight schedule, I think you can mix your travel day in with the Brazil side and then do the Argentina side the next day before flying out at night the next day. You’ll be tired, but it’s doable.
Final Thoughts
Iguazu Falls was truly one of the most amazing natural wonders I have seen up close. I don’t think I need to go back, but I’m so, so glad I got to see it. If I were to go back, I would be excited to see blue water. Apparently, we went right after a flooding so there was extra dirt/sediment in the water than usual. I’m also a fan of waterfalls so I know I’m biased. But really, if you have the choice, I recommend making a trip here at least once in your lifetime!
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