Puerto IguazĂș
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The roaring, gigantic waterfall system - IguazĂș National Park 303; Iguaçu National Park 355
What and Why
Upon seeing the spectacular IguazĂș, the former American First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt reportedly exclaimed, 'Poor Niagara!'. When we were touring and told some of our friends we would be visiting IguazĂș, they echoed and claimed, 'You won't need to visit another waterfall after that.'. You can imagine the sheer majesty and greatness of this incredible fall based on these two statements. The falls are confirmed as one of the New7Wonders of Nature in 2012 CE.
Toponymy
The name IguazĂș comes from the Guarani 'y', meaning water, and 'Ă»asĂș' meaning 'big'. The big water provides enough energy to power the region, however the huge Itaipu Dam (Guarani: Yjoko Itaipu) was not complete until the 1990s CE.
See
The fall system cuts across the ArgentinaâBrazil border, and there are tours or ferries that cross the borders and go from one country to another. The Argentinian side is the IguazĂș National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional IguazĂș) while the Brazilian counterpart is Iguaçu National Park (Portuguese: Parque Nacional do Iguaçu), both are inscribed as WHS individually and respectively.
Legend has it the falls were created when a deity was enraged by a woman escaping with her lover, so he split the IguazĂș river into waterfalls to separate them, making it as large as he could.
This magnificent waterfall system consists of 275 individual falls spread over nearly 2.7 km, making it the largest waterfall system in the world. The Iguazu Falls are arranged in a way that resembles a hook. The ArgentinaâBrazil (Portuguese: Brasil) border runs through the spectacular Devil's Throat (Garganta del Diablo), which is the main site. On the right bank is the Brazilian territory, which is home to more than 95% of the Iguazu River basin and contains the bulk of biodiversity but has just over 20% of the jumps of these falls. The left side jumps are Argentinian, which makes up almost 80% of the falls. Take your pick.
The Iguazu falls are a series of cascade-waterfalls that are more concentrated along the Argentinian border. The 275 cascades are distributed all over the two parks, but if you are walking from the Argentinian side, you will be able see most of them, at least from a reasonably close distance.
Upon entry from the Argentinian side of the park, you will be whisked to the main fall areas through the Tren de la Selva.
Devil's Throat (Garganta del Diablo)
The Devil's Throat is the largest and most powerful of all the falls and is so big that it looks like a massive abyss with no end to it. The roaring sound of the water is absolutely intimidating and unforgettable, and literally you will hear the fall way before you see it. This is definitely the focus of the entire park and most visitors are ushered to this site first.
The large series of water cascades make fantastic and unforgettable photospots, which we naturally spent most of our time. There are multiple points in which we can see the throat but the main site is an island in the middle of the fall which is accessible through the metal bridge from the Argentinian park, which provides the best view. The amount of water gushing into the chasm is really stunning.
By the way there are plenty of lovely raccoons running around the park but apparently they attack humans due to feeding.
I have not been to the Niagara Fall's yet, and hence I cannot comment on Roosevelt's exclamation, but I can assure you that this fall is breath-taking. The throat canyon is 80â90 m wide and 70â80 m deep. The Argentinian side accesses the fall from the top while the Brazilian side sees throat from the base. Make your choice.
Other than the throat, there are a number of other falls, in fact more than 200 of them: the largest being San Martin, Adam and Eva. One simply needs to follow the well-managed and signed Sendero Macuco boardwalk trail from the Devil's Throat to reach the other falls. The spray of the water bouncing back from the river gorge often reaches the height of the fall. As a result, the area is well irrigated and explains the diverse ecosystem it nurtures.
Macuco tour (Tour Macuco)
The river ride Macuco tour (Tour Macuco) is another unforgettable experience in which you will be ferried directly under of the falls at the lower circuit and take a natural shower under it. Before the ferry ride, the adventure begins with a 3-km ride in an open electric jeep through the lush rainforest, one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the world. Along the way, expert guides provide fascinating insights into the flora, fauna, and history of the park. A similar experience is provided on the Brazilian side. One can easily spot beautiful birds, butterflies, giant trees, exotic plants and occasional monkeys around.
The boat ride, starting from the Macuco Pier explores both sides of the falls, especially the base of the throat and then they will put you under the power-shower of a life-time.
The shower.
There is no way you can avoid getting wet, and I mean undies wet. So make sure you bring another set of clothings for the ride and a ziplock for your camera and wallet. The bus ride to the fall actually provides a good explanation of the flora and fauna system of the Park.
Two parks (Dos parques)
The Argentinian side definitely gives an more breathtaking view of the cataracts, especially the Devil's Throat. One is clearly closer to the powerful action and the platforms are higher to have an upper view of the falls. The Brazilian side, however, is not to be missed to be frank. The circuit is slightly lower, and hence the mist often forms multiple rainbows with the view. Moreover because the cliff is further away from the fall, one can get a more panoramic view of the entire cascade, rather than one by one, as along the upper circuit as in the Argentinian park. Not to mention there are more nature and ecosystems to visit from the Brazilian park. Both of these parks protect diverse wildlife, including jaguars, toucans, coatis, and over 2,000 plant species. The two parks are just different, neither one is superior over the other. Both are equally unmissable.
Triple Frontier (Triple Frontera)
The Triple Frontier (Triple Frontera) is a well-known international spot located at the intersection of borders between Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay, near the famous IguazĂș Falls. Technically it is also the intersection of the three cities of Iguazu: Puerto IguazĂș (Argentina), Foz do Iguaçu (Brazil), and Ciudad del Este (Paraguay). There are bridges, ferries and tours crossing the three countries, with loose border control. The area is notorious for its infection of criminal, terrorist and money-laundering activities.
In the area, there is an obelisk in each country with the colours of its respective national flag, where we were the Argentinian flag, as below. Honestly other than the geographical pecularity there is nothing interesting about the monument and the park. So take a photograph and escape quickly.
Eat and Drink
Beef steak (Bifes)
Argentinian beef (bifes) steak is very different from typical American steak that we are used to. Beef is traditionally barbecued unmarinated over charcoal flame and served often as part of a wider selection of grilled meat, with chimichurri as a relish. The Argentinian steak is usually prepared well-done, and most servers will give you a strange look when you mention 'medium-rare' for doneness. While it might be tough, the odour of charcoal does overwhelm the texture.
We had an interesting dinner in Puerto IguazĂș at La Vaca Enamorada where the restauranteur is a very expressive larger-than-life character. He could not command a word of English, but we were convinced when he gestured that his food is so good that we would cry after having the dinner. We did not exactly shed a tear, but the quality is good for recommendation. The Roquefort cheese-dipped grape appetiser deserves special mention.
Stay
You can actually stay inside either Park and the hotel qualities are exceptionally good. They are plenty of good hotels outside the Park and we stayed in the town of Puerto Iguazu, which is a very shanty backward town. The town does very little justice to the grandeur of the fall itself and has little to offer. We stayed in the Panoramic Grand Hotel, which there is nothing panoramic to see, except the river downstream.
Travel Suggestions and Logistics
The entrance fee to the park is ARS $800. We took a full day guided tour to explore both sides of park, but I suggest at least a few days more. The park is around 30 minutes drive away from the main city or the airport.
To be frank, while the cataracts are spectacular, the two cities that are associated with them are both scanty, unproperous and uninteresting. No need to spend too much time either side. I would suggest to include this as a sidetrip with Argentina.
UNESCO Inscriptions
The semicircular waterfall at the heart of this site is some 80 m high and 2,700 m in diameter and is situated on a basaltic line spanning the border between Argentina and Brazil. Made up of many cascades producing vast sprays of water, it is one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world. The surrounding subtropical rainforest has over 2,000 species of vascular plants and is home to the typical wildlife of the region: tapirs, giant anteaters, howler monkeys, ocelots, jaguars and caymans.
The park shares with IguazĂș National Park in Argentina one of the worldâs largest and most impressive waterfalls, extending over some 2,700 m. It is home to many rare and endangered species of flora and fauna, among them the giant otter and the giant anteater. The clouds of spray produced by the waterfall are conducive to the growth of lush vegetation.
References
Comments
Please share your thoughts and comments about the blog. If you need suggestions to build a travel itinerary, please let me know. More than willing to help. I would also like to build a bespoke in-depth travel community around UNESCO WHS and ICH.