The Iguassu Falls
One of the seven natural wonders of the world...
Located in the state of Paraná, on Brazil’s southern border where it intersects with Argentina and Paraguay, the Iguassu Falls are a must-do for anyone looking to see and hear first-hand nature at its most powerful. A favourite on the tourist route to Brazil and for good reason, the Iguassu Falls cannot fail to amaze those who visit. Despite attracting large numbers throughout the year, the Falls are well worth a visit and there are ways to find a bit of tranquility and escape the crowds.
Composed of over 250 separate cascades, the Falls stretch for over 2km through subtropical forest. Most who visit the waterfalls will either fly into Puerto Iguazú on the Argentinian side or Foz de Iguaçu on the Brazilian side. The majority of the Falls themselves lie in Argentina with the Brazilian side overlooking the waterfalls. We would therefore recommend visiting both sides of the Falls to get the complete experience. A visit to the Argentinian Parque Nacional Iguazú will allow you to weave your way around the Falls (and probably get very wet!) while a visit to the Brazilian Parque Nacional do iguaçu will allow you to admire the full panoramic extent of the Falls and provides plenty of photo opportunities.
The Brazilian National Park contains one of the best, if not the best, accommodation options around the Falls, the Hotel das Cataratas. Outside of the park, the main grouping of hotels is in the town of Foz de Iguaçu where there is a much wider range of properties.
While the town doesn’t have a great deal to offer and we usually recommend spending two or three days in Iguaçu, there are other attractions to visit in the area. For example, you may decide to visit the gigantic Itaipú Dam to see how the governments of Brazil and Paraguay are harnessing the great power of the Iguassu River river to generate large proportions of their electricity or spend an afternoon exploring the tropical Parque das Aves admiring colourful parrots and toucans. After a couple of busy days of exploring you’ll have earned a trip to one of the churrascaria’s in town, where waiter’s circle carving delicious freshly barbecued meat directly onto your plate, followed by sweet charred pineapple.
Click here to view some video footage of the area.
