When I think of paradise I imagine a place that looks a little bit like the Iguassu Falls: Rainbows, tropical butterflies, palm trees and countless small and bigger waterfalls. Situated on the boarder of Argentina and Brazil the Iguassu Waterfalls are one of the most spectacular and breathtaking wonders of nature I have seen so far and make part of the UNESCO World Heritage. The falls are part of the Iguassu River and divide it into different levels.
If you visit the Iguassu Falls be sure to count in at least two days because there is much to see and discover and if you are just there for one day you might have to rush to see everything. The national park can be visited on both sides, the Argentinean one (from Puerto Iguazu) and the Brazilian one (from Foz do Iguaçu). It is actually not just one big waterfall you can visit but a huge area of nearly 3 km in which the Iguassu Falls are split into more than 250 different cascades. There are buses that drive you to the waterfalls as well as from one side to the other. So you will need to spend some money on transportation, as well as an entrance fee for the National Park.
In the National Park itself there are plenty of walkways built around the waterfalls so you get the chance to see them from different points of view. You’ll see them from further away, from close up, from the bottom and from the top, which gives you a great way to enjoy this magnificent nature spectacle in the best way possible. Also it is surrounded by the jungle, exposing its visitors to lots of beautiful nature and exotic animals. Look for monkeys and tropical butterflies on your way around!
The so called “Devil’s Throat”, reachable from the Argentinean side, is the highest and biggest of all the cascades of the Iguassu falls. Actually the boarder of Argentina and Brazil runs right through the Devil’s Throat. It can be reached with a little train and from there you can actually reach the top of the big waterfall by walking. I can just describe the Devil’s Throat as the hugest and loudest accumulation of wild white water I have ever seen! It is over 100 meters high and its mist rises up to 30 meters. Here you can feel the power of nature...not really a place you want to fall down into!
Most of the waterfalls (80%) are situated on the Argentinean side, which is in my opinion also the prettier side, although you can get a great overview of the cascades from the Brazilian side. On the Argentinean side you see the cascades from the bottom and the top, which is both ways incredibly beautiful! Those numerous waterfalls, coming out and disappearing into the rainforest, running over cliffs and creating rainbows, are truly one of the most paradisiacal and gorgeous things I have seen in my life!
An option that I highly recommend you is a boat ride to the falls. From the bottom of the river on the Argentinean side you can take a boat (costs an additional feed- but totally worth it! ), which offers the opportunity to get really close the waterfalls. But be aware: you’ll get soaked! When I took the boat I actually got scared because I thought the waterfalls were just some meters away from us and that the boat could get hit and pushed down by the mass of water pouring down. But in reality the boats still stay away pretty far from the cascades, just that the mist is so strong most of the time that you even get soaked and poured on if you are still many meters away from the waterfall itself. It was a very intense, but at the same time truly amazing experience to see and literally feel them from so close!
Finally I can just say: go, go and go! The immense volume of water rushing down the falls and the beauty of nature at its best is something you will never forget! I swear to you: this visit is an experience you will treasure forever.
To end a little fun fact: The Iguassu Falls are higher than and twice as wide as the famous Niagara Falls. When Eleanore Roosevelt visited the Iguassu Falls she just said: ''Poor Niagara! ''
