275 waterfalls, over 3 kilometres wide, over 80 metres high, wider than Victoria Falls, and higher than Niagara Falls, all set among dense tropical jungle: Iguaçu will inspire awe and amazement in even the most experienced traveler! Declared a UNESCO World Heritage site, the falls straddle the Argentine-Brazilian border, with Argentina laying claim to the majority. The falls are a required stop on any Brazilian vacation.
The falls are surrounded by a national park on each side of the border, and, although much debated between the nationals of both countries, both sides are equally awe-inspiring – a trip to Iguaçu wouldn’t be complete without a visit to each side of the falls. (Note that each side of the falls requires a full day.) The Brazilian Parque Nacional do Iguaçu offers a more panoramic view of the falls – 275 separate falls in total -, while the Argentine Parque Nacional Iguazú offers a more up-close experience. The beauty, vastness and sheer enormity of the falls and the surrounding tropical jungle is guaranteed to captivate and amaze you! You can do many activities here, including delving right into the falls themselves by boat! This is definitely a highlight of any trip to Brazil or Argentina!
Note that it is possible to base yourself on either side of the border, either in the larger, more industrialized, Foz do Iguaçu (Brazil), or in the more quaint and quiet Puerto Iguazu (Argentina). Both towns offer good quality pousadas and hostels and equally good accessibility to the national parks. We would recommend, however, choosing Puerto Iguazu, as the price of accommodation tends to be a little lower, and the town, although significantly smaller, has more character and is considerably safer than Foz.
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