The Iguazu Waterfalls
Every second, thirteen million litres of water cascade over the Iguazu waterfalls and almost half of that falls down the narrow chasm known as the Devil’s throat. It is one of nature’s greatest wonders and it is situated in the fascinating province of Misiones. The falls lie in the province’s semi-tropical northern hills which, heading south, slowly blend from the Atlantic forest and Maté (similar to tea and preferred beverage of most of the Southern Cone of South America) plantations into the plains of the province’s cattle ranches. One of our best memories from the region was taking a group of New Zealand and Welsh guests and their children to learn to play Pato (the national sport of Argentina, played on horseback) with the local Misionero children, it was a magical experience watching the language barrier slip away and to see two groups of people, from vastly different backgrounds, laughing together, bonding over a shared love of horses and the countryside.
Where to go & What to do
- Private excursions to both the Brazilian and Argentine sides of the waterfalls and the wildlife reserves that surround them.
- Hiking or bicycling through the Atlantic forest that surrounds the Iguazu falls.
- Kayaking along the river ways of Misiones.
- Exploring the ruins and learning about the story of the Jesuits in the Americas.
- Visiting the Mocona falls, the longest waterfall in the world.
- Birdwatching in and around the falls. The region is famous for its of birdlife and boasts 450 species, many of which are endemic to the area.
- Learning about the cultures of the Guaraní peoples and the Gaucho cowboys of Northeast Argentina.
Travel logistics
- Our favourite times to visit the falls are Autumn (March to May) or (Winter to the start of Spring (August to early October). However, the falls are spectacular all year round. In the Summer months, it is just considerably hotter, with high humidity and a much higher chance of a rainstorm.
- From Buenos Aires there is a direct, 2 h, flight to Puerto Iguazu airport, which is 40 minutes to the falls.
- If you’d like to visit the Brazilian coast, Iguazu is good way to connect the two, with direct flights from Foz do Iguacu – an airport on the Brazilian side that is a 30 min drive from Puerto Iguazu – to Florianopolis, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo.
- Two Argentine regions that connect well with Iguazu are the Ibera Wetlands, which you can get to overland, stopping via the Jesuit ruins or the Mocona falls on route, and Salta and the Northwest to which there is a direct flight from Puerto Iguazu.
Things to keep in mind
- The Iguazu falls are one of the most visited spots in South America, and there is not much we can do about the crowds however we have two tips:
- Melia Iguazu is the only hotel actually inside the Argentine Iguazu national park. It has an incredible view of the falls and, though you do not have access to much of the park outside opening hours, it is a wonderfully peaceful way to experience the area.
- This may sound obvious and easier said than done, though it is surprisingly not that hard to do: make sure you are first in the queue to get into the park, first on the little train and then go as fast as you can to the Garganta del Diablo viewing point. If you are lucky, you will then have about 30 seconds where it’ll just be you and the falls, it is a truly breathtaking experience.
- If you are crossing over to Brazil from Argentina, depending on your nationality, there may be some extra paperwork you need to do. We’ll advise and help you figure this out.
- There have been cases in the region of Zika virus & Dengue fever though there is a dependable way of avoiding both: insect repellent and plenty of it. The principal areas of risk are in the north of Argentina however there are mosquitos across the country so we always advise having a can of repellent to hand.
Example Itineraries
Some examples of our favourite trips that we’ve organised over the years:
