Iguassu Falls

After breakfast the next morning. we flew to Iguassu Falls.  Located on the Argentina/Brazil border, the falls are among the world's most impressive sights.  They are twice as high as Niagara Falls and 65 feet wider.  We were here in 2013 during a South America Circle cruise, so this is a repeat visit for us.  But, we love waterfalls and Iguassu is a beauty!

Aerial view photo from the internet

From the airport on the Argentinian side, we crossed the river to the Brazil side of the falls.

A visa is needed to enter Brazil....ours that we bought in 2013 is valid for 10 years so it was nice to make use of it again.  It is one of the more expensive visas we have acquired for travel abroad.

We hiked on the stone trail leading to the boardwalk at the bottom of the falls for spectacular views, stopping frequently for photos at several platforms.

 Soon we reached the bottom where we could walk out on boardwalks for panoramic views.

It was hot and humid so the cooling mist was welcomed.

Before taking the elevator back up to the top of the falls, we could get a close-up view standing right next to the thundering water.

The park's resident coatis (raccoon-like animals) were scampering around everywhere looking for food left by tourists.  They bite so signs cautioned us to keep our distance.

 They would jump right up onto the tables by the food vendors.

We then returned to the Argentinean side of the falls and checked into our hotel for the next 2 nights, the Amerian Portal Del Iguazu...

...and enjoyed an Argentinean Malbec wine while chatting with our fellow travelers before dinner.

On Day 2 of our visit to Iguassu, we were up early for breakfast and then on the bus to go into the Argentinean park by 7:30 am.  Our group hurried to make the train that took us to the trail that leads to the Devil's Throat.  Thousands of people each day make this trip and we wanted to have as few people as possible around the viewing areas.

A long boardwalk over the water brought us to the windy and wet viewing area of Garganta del Diablo (Devil's Throat).

We see the water going down into a hole...

And as we get closer, we see where the water plunges 230 feet into a rolling cauldron.  This is the point where most of the water passes over the falls.

With spray flying up to 50 feet above our heads, photos were impossible as we got drenched by mist, so this one is from the internet.

We had the professional photo taken with our usual waterfall pose.  It was amazing that they were able to find us walking the trails in the park later that morning to sell us the printed photo.

Next we did about a 3-mile hike along the upper falls.

There are a total of 275 waterfalls that make up Iguassu Falls; 2/3 of them on the Argentina side. That’s a lot of water and why it is worth seeing from the various platforms and viewpoints as it looks different and spectacular from all angles. 

More water flows through Iguassu Falls than any other waterfall in the world. It is estimated that nearly 1500 cubic meters of water flow through each second.  Of course, that varies depending on rainfall.  We were lucky in that the falls were flowing 20-30% more than is usual at this time of the year due to recent rains.  They are a spectacular sight to see.

That afternoon we took the optional tour (an add-on) offered by OAT (or you can buy tickets at the park) to explore both halves of Iguassu National Park:  the jungle and the waterfalls. 

Riding an open-air bus, we entered the jungle on the Sendero Yacaratia trail and watched for various birds and animals.

Animals were hard to spot but we did see a few birds and lots of butterflies as we sped through the jungle.

and a howler monkey...

We arrived at the Puerto Macuco base where there was a floating dock to board a boat for a wild ride on the river beneath the falls.

And off we sped toward the falls...

Here's a photo of another boat emerging from underneath one of the falls.  It was a fantastic boat ride and we got totally drenched.

So which side of Iguassu Falls should one visit? Given that seeing the falls from the Argentinean side, with several walking trails, is a completely different experience than viewing them from the Brazilian (panoramic) side, it is well worth exploring both sides and also experience it from the river below.

Back at our hotel, we enjoyed another bottle of Malbec wine before attending a BBQ dinner in the hotel.  It was a good time to visit with our group members, who now are our new friends, and learn about their various OAT travels...they are all well traveled and gave us lots of ideas for future trips.

To continue reading, scroll up towards the top of this page and click in the right-hand column the entry entitled:  Back to Buenos Aires and we learn to Tango!