Spectacular Iguaçu/Iguazu Falls in Brazil & Argentina

Truth be told, I didn’t know anything about these gigantic waterfalls before arriving on the South American continent, which is strange, since they belong in the same category as majestic Victoria Falls and Niagara Falls. Like me, you’ve probably heard of those natural wonders. Yet, Eleanor Roosevelt is known to utter the words “Poor Niagara!” when she first saw Iguazu Falls. 🙂

Iguaçu/Iguazú Falls are recognized as a natural wonder of the world, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of the “New 7 Wonders of Nature.” The area is known for its immense scale, with 275 individual cascades spanning nearly two miles (3 km), making it the largest waterfall system in the world. The falls divide the river into the upper and lower Iguazu River and have heights of 200 to 263 feet (60–82 meters).

I had no idea that Iguaçu/Iguazu Falls straddled a border between two countries or that their name was spelled differently, depending on the side of the border. Heck, I didn’t even know just how impressive and numerous the falls were until we showed up!

Mark and I prefer not to research highlights much or look at photos ahead of time. Just like with other spectacular sites, like Bryce Canyon and Arches National Parks in Utah, we arrived at this site “unprepared” and gazed in wonder. “Wow! Those waterfalls keep going as far as the eye can see.” Impressive! When you don’t have expectations, you can truly be surprised, awed, and inspired.

Iguaçu Falls in Brazil

As I mentioned in my recent expense report for June, Mark and I only planned to visit the Brazilian side of the falls, after asking among our friends which side they preferred (and why), reading comments in our free iOverlander camping app, and considering fees and logistics.

When we discovered the nearby hostel offered camping at the same price per night as the parking lots in the vicinity and it was located within a ten-minute walk of the entrance to the National Park, we had a plan. The three of us left Paraguay for a night or two, after Mark finally received his Brazilian visa. (Yes, thanks to a certain person and his international “policies,” Americans now need pricey visas to visit Brazil.)

The border crossing at Foz do Iguaçu was chaotic, but the authorities were friendly, welcoming, and helpful. This is a “free zone” for Brazilians and Paraguayans who buzz back and forth. As the only international visitors with required paperwork, we enjoyed the peace and quiet in the offices.

(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)

We settled at the campground and figured it was too late to visit the falls that afternoon. We had been watching the forecast for days and saw the next morning would be perfect for our excursion. Not too hot to leave Maya behind for a few hours, but sunny and blue skies for ultimate photos. We booked the first slot online to catch a bus into the park at 8:30 a.m.

Imagine our disappointment when we woke up to another gray and misty morning… The visibility was really bad, so we decided to hop off the bus at a 6-mile jungle trail that would take us two hours to reach the waterfalls. We hoped that by then the sky would clear.

On this hike, we met a young Flemish couple, Louisa and Jean, who had the same idea about delaying their arrival, and saw troops of monkeys in the trees.

The minute we reached the point where the river plummets down, the sun popped out and an expanse of waterfalls became visible.

We walked on all the boardwalks and stopped by all the viewpoints to take everything in.

To our surprise, a whole “new” section of waterfalls on the Argentinian side became visible as we walked away from the main area.

At some point, we left our new friends, since Maya had been alone for four hours, which was pushing it with her separation anxiety. Sure enough, when we reached home, I’d forgotten that some dog treats were left in my shorts next to the bed. Maya’s nose and then teeth found them…

Iguazu Falls in Argentina

Coincidentally, Louisa and Jean stayed at the hostel of our campground and they had planned a day trip to the Argentinian side of the falls the following day. Was I interested?

When an opportunity comes along that is this easy and relatively affordable, I have to jump on it. Mark was indifferent and someone had to stay with Maya during this long, international journey, so I joined the group in a shared taxi. There were five of us in total, which made the 1.5-hour drive each way doable at $20 per person. I bought my entrance ticket online the previous evening.

I latched on to the Belgian couple for a fun day at the falls, walking every trail and boardwalk we could find. It was interesting to see the falls we spotted yesterday from the other side of the river up close and personal.

In Argentina, there was an upper and a lower trail. The bottom one was more spectacular, as the top one only allowed views over the rivers and the points where they plunged into the canyon.

The highlight was the Devil’s Throat (Garganta del Diablo), reached by an extremely long and busy boardwalk. You were guaranteed to get wet here, and the roar of the water was deafening.

After a full day back in Argentina, we returned to the campground by 5 pm and packed up. The management of the hostel had allowed Mark and Maya to wait for me without having to pay extra. So, just before nightfall, we managed to drive to and hop over the border into Paraguay again, with quick formalities this time, and reach a free camping place, to save money.

While we were a tad disappointed that the water was brown from all the recent rainfall, this was a cool and fast side trip into Brazil, which gave us a wonderful first impression of that country!

Next up: The Southern Pantanal and Bonita in Brazil

Curious about a previous ten-year chapter in our nomadic lives, which includes eight years aboard a 35-foot sailboat in the tropics with dogs, check out my compelling, inspiring, and refreshingly honest travel memoir: