After doing (and loving!) Victoria Falls we had been planning to visit Iguazu Falls for quite some time. It all came together when we got a deal on a Buenos Aires to Rio cruise, and we opted to add a few days as a pre-cruise to visit Buenos Aires and do the short trip to Puerto Iguazu to enjoy the falls for three nights.
Located at the border of Argentina and Brazil, Iguazu Falls is truly one of the world’s top wonders. The sheer size of the falls is breathtaking! And it’s easy to see why. The falls stretch over 2.7 km and there are approximately 275 individual drops. The longest being the Devil’s Throat, with a drop of 80 meters.
The location in the rainforest is also extremely scenic and teeming with wildlife.
Getting there
Ideally one would do both the Brazilian and the Argentinian sides of the falls to get both perspectives. With only three nights and two days we already had an action-packed visit planned so we opted to only visit the Argentinian side.
The 2-hour flight to and from Buenos Aires leaves many times a day with Aerolineas Argentinas. There were a few options, but they seemed to offer the most frequent service. But do check their luggage allotment carefully. It was listed at only 8kg per carry-on and 15kg per checked bag. We stressed over this a bit and in the end no one weighed anything.
Related Travel Tip: Booking Separate Internal Flights
No time to snooze on the flight, keep an eye out for a bird’s-eye view of Iguazu Falls!
Where to stay
We splurged and selected the Grand Melia Iguazu hotel with a view of the falls. Location, location, location. The hotel is actually located inside the Iguazu National Park so there is no entry requirements. You just buy a park pass for one day and arrive and stay for as many days as you like.
The hotel rooms are newly renovated, and the falls-facing balconies offer a great view. The vista is often enjoyed by the monkeys that seem to have the run of the balconies. Some guests were feeding them so that explains that. While the rooms were not huge, they were well appointed, and we didn’t lack anything for the few days we were there. Tip: Ask for a higher floor for a better view.
The infinity pool overlooking the falls was probably twice as big as an Olympic-size pool and the perfect place to cool off and relax after a day of exploring the park.
The restaurant was excellent too. We opted for the full board but later realized that this had us on a fixed menu with limited choice. Servings were generous and we often didn’t even take our full allotment of starters, entrees, and desserts, sharing plates so they didn’t go to waste. The fruits and vegetables were so fresh that while we didn’t see it, we were convinced that the chef had a private garden somewhere on the premises.
The hotel is located close to where the Old Cataracts Hotel (Viejo Hotel Cataratas) used to be (now just a visiting attraction) and you can easily walk to the trailhead of both the upper and lower trails. We did both walks twice and loved them. The train station to get to Devil’s Throat was also just a short walk away.
Upper Walk
About 1.75 km, this trail was easy to navigate and is fully accessible. The circuit consists of a raised flat metal walkway with great views of the waterfalls and the Iguazu River. Along the way we spotted colorful birds, including our first toucan in the wild. So exciting!
Lower Walk
This 1.7 km walk offers spectacular panoramic views of the falls. Since the viewpoints here are lower, you get a different perspective. It seems like you are looking right into the falls. This trail has some stairs to navigate, and it can be slippery from the spray of the falls. When we visited a section was closed due to the heavy water flow.
Devil’s Throat
To get here, you take the Rainforest Ecological Train up to the Devil’s Throat trailhead. You then follow the path (about 2.2km and accessible) to the very top of the falls where you can actually look right down over the side as the water gushes over. An unstoppable force of nature!
Spectacular views! While it’s a little more trouble to go by train, it was well worth it. It’s also quite crowded but a definite must-see view of the Iguazu Falls.
Iguazu National Park Wildlife
We saw a wide variety of birds and butterflies, and even encounter a few of the park’s furry inhabitants. There were plenty of coatis and monkeys begging (and stealing) food from unsuspecting tourists!
There are also jaguars, pumas and a variety of smaller wild cats that inhabit the rainforest along with deer and huge rodents of various species. The trail with the metal pathways and the crowds are probably too noisy for wildlife viewing. Perhaps we would have had more luck for wildlife along the Macuro Trail. This is the most rugged trail of Iguazu National Park, but at almost 8km round-trip and difficult, it was not for us, especially in this heat!
Rainforest Ecological Train
This environmentally friendly train has three stops. If you’re staying at the Melia, you can get on at the middle station near the old lighthouse to go up to the Devil’s Throat trailhead. We recommend the train for this hike. The train also goes to the park’s visitor center where there are restaurants and shops. This is also the station where those arriving by bus need to get on the train to reach Devil’s Throat.
The middle station and visitor center are also linked by a short (650 meters) Green Trail where you might spy some wildlife. We actually walked this trail, and it was faster than waiting for the train, but we didn’t encounter any furry residents of the park.
Iguazu Falls Boat Tour
One activity not to miss is the Grand Aventura Boat Ride that takes you right into the falls. Be ready to get wet. It’s thrilling!
The tour starts (rain or shine) with an open-top jeep ride through the jungle before reaching the boat dock. The boat sails along the Lower Iguazu River and heads towards the waterfalls. Seeing Iguazu Falls from the base is spectacular! To see the falls from below and feel their power is phenomenal and a must-do!
Conclusion
While we didn’t get to see Iguazu Falls from Brazil, we thought two full days was just perfect for our visit.
Iguazu Falls were amazing and while we set out with the idea of comparing them to Victoria Falls, we found that they were different but equally spectacular. I don’t know that we had a clear favorite but we’re just happy we got to experience both of these natural wonders!