Iguazu Falls: the world’s largest waterfalls 

The Iguazú Falls (or Iguaçu in Portuguese) on the border between Argentina and Brazil are the world’s largest waterfall system and one of those places some people dream of seeing before they die. We were lucky enough to spend time visiting both sides of the waterfalls, and take thousands of photos while there.

We started on the Argentinian side which is accessed from the town of Puerto Iguazú where we stayed two nights – a night before and after visiting the falls. Puerto Iguazú is a fairly small town that has enough to serve the many tourists who come to visit but little else.

The Argentina side of the falls is huge and has several walking trails – each taking an hour or so to complete. The main two are the Paseo Inferior which is the lower track and takes you closer to the river and has great views of the various parts of the falls system and Paseo Superior which passes higher up with more great views. Don’t be confused by the terms in English – one is not neccessarily better than the other, just higher up! To our surprise, most of the time we found ourselves walking alone along these trails, surrounded by the tranquil forest, which was stunning! Usually you can also take a free boat to Isla San Martin and walk around there but this was closed during our visit. 

The big highlight of the Argentinian side is Garganta del Diablo (the devil’s throat) which has a platform overlooking the incredibly powerful main cascade of water. A lot busier than the trails this is the star of the show which everyone comes to see – but if you block out the other people, put away the camera and selfie stick for a moment and just soak it in, it really is a once in a lifetime experience. Oh, and it’s wet!

There is a train that brings you from the entrance to the starting point of the trails and takes between the trails but after using it once we decided it was more fun to avoid the crowds and walk between the trails ourselves. This included walking on the small Green trail but this is really just a path instead of getting the train back rather than an extra trail to the falls.

All in, a half day minimum is needed for the Argy side! Entrance fees have doubled or tripled in the last few years but are still quite reasonable. In August 2017 we paid $AR500 each (about $US30) for a single day entry – it’s cash only! There is absolutely no point in taking a tour for either side of the falls – we got a bus (company Rio Uruguay, buses leave every 20 minutes) from the main bus station – very very easy.

The next day we crossed the border and visited the Brazilian side which is accessed from the city of Foz do Iguçu – a much larger and more developed city than Puerto Iguazú. 

Unlike the nice long walks on the Argentinian side, in Brazil most people (including us) are dropped right at the start of the Iguçu falls (although there are options of kayaking and walks but for extra cost and which in summer may have been enjoyable). Once off the mandatory shuttle bus, there is a path with nice views of the falls along the way which taked about 20 minutes to walk.  You then arrive at a lower platform next to the devil’s throat (this is the same devil’s throat you see from higher up on the Argy side). What the Brazil side lacks in walking trails it makes up for by putting you right in the guts of the falls. You get some water spray from the falls in Argentina – you need a good poncho in Brazil as you will get soaked! 

There is also a lift up to a higher lookout with more great views. 

The Brazil side took less time (a few hours including the shuttle buses) and cost us slightly less, about $20 each. Getting a local bus to the falls was a little harder – we flagged down the route 120 bus but they were busy and very infrequent!

It’s hard to choose a favourite but we’d have to say that the Argentinian side offered a more complete experience but really it is worth doing both!

You can take boat rides in and around the falls from both sides – these were very expensive and seemed a bit gimmicky so we skipped them and kept to the land. We did hear the boat rides are better on the Argentinian side as they can get closer to the falls.

Apart from the waterfalls, both sides also have plenty of wildlife for nature lovers. We saw plenty of beautiful birds (but failed on the photography) but the main animal sightinh was the raccoon like Coatis which flock to anywhere there may be food on both sides. They do look cute but can be a bit ferocious.

In Puerto Iguazú, Argentina we stayed at a really nice guesthouse Casa 24 located directly opposite the bus station. We expected it to be noisy but we had a room at the back and it was very quiet and extremely easy for us to get a bus to the waterfalls. In Foz do Iguçu we stayed at Tetris Container Hostel made of old shipping containers. It was raining the night we were there but otherwise the outside area where they serve a free cocktail each night would have been quite cool.

We didn’t discover anywhere amazing to eat or drink in either town and took advantage of a good supermarket in Foz and a kitchen in the hostel to cook up a meal.

Crossing the border from Puerto Iguazu, Argentina to Foz do Iguçu, Brazil

This was without doubt the fastest border crossing we’ve done. We paid $20 for a taxi that drove us across the border. The exit on the Argentinian side was a drive through (like McDonald’s) and even for the Brazil side where we had to get out and fill in a form it took only a few minutes. From our accommodation in Argentina to our hostel in Brazil it took 25 minutes max!

Next: We stay in Brazil and fly to Rio de Janeiro.