Visiting Iguazu Falls – Facts & Advice for the Brazil and Argentina Side
Foz de Iguazu falls were high on my South America bucket list – heralded as being even more impressive than Victoria falls or Niagra falls! It can be visited from both Brazil and
Argentina sides so I decided to write this guide to visiting Iguazu falls from the Brazil and Argentina side and share some advice and Iguazu falls facts to make your trip there an absolute breeze.
What you can expect from this article...
Foz de Igauzu Falls Facts
Foz de Iguazu Falls (also known as Foz de Iguacu or Iguassu falls) is the largest waterfall system in the WORLD and borders both Argentina and Brazil. Iguazu translates to “Big Water” and it’s no surprise why as it spans 2.7 Km and currently stands at 6th place in the world for the greatest annual flow rate with an average of 1746m3/second! Eleanor Roosevelt famously visited and uttered ‘poor Niagra’ which at 165m is a 1/3 shorter. Do you know any Igaucu falls facts? If so tell us in the comments below!
Some Iguazu advice…
It can be visited from both sides, each offering a unique perspective of the stunning natural phenomenon and if you can, I suggest you visit both sides of Iguazu Falls in Brazil and Argentina. A day in each should be sufficient for most people to get a good feel for the area. However, I suggest allowing a few extra days for your visit just in case you are not so lucky with the weather.
I also suggest keeping an eye out for the local wildlife. You may see monitor lizards, monkeys and birds of prey but mostly you will see coati’s – a member of the racoon family. They have absolutely zero fear so don’t be surprised if they strut right up to you and steal the food straight out of your hands! Bags are also not safe around them as they will happily rummage through for food!
Top Tips for visiting Iguazu Falls
- You will get soaked. I mean absolutely drenched. At times it’s like stepping into a power shower! You will need a poncho and a change of clothes. Keep cameras and important possessions inside a dry bag! I just took a waterproof the first day and ended up having to use it to protect my bag and my camera so my outfit got soaked through. Even in Brazil’s tropical heat, I was shivering with the cold! I learnt my lesson in time for the next day packing a change of clothes, dry bag AND a poncho!
- You will be out most of the day so bring plenty of suncream and bug spray if you intend to stay until late afternoon when the mozzies start to make an appearance.
- Keep your eyes peeled for the wildlife and don’t leave food unattended.
- If a coati makes for your food, don’t try to fight it – the coati will win and you may end up injured. Remember they are wild animals and treat them with respect.
- You do not need guides for the park although many will try to persuade you otherwise. If you arrive in a group they may even insist on a guide so I suggest splitting up and arriving in 2’3 and 3’s. The exception to the rule is if you are passing from Brazil to Argentina in a group of more than 8 people – they will only let you through with a guide which is very annoying. Try to travel in smaller groups if you can.
- There aren’t many places to get drinks etc on the way so bring plenty of water with you!
Consider a waterproof camera!
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Visiting Iguazu Falls – The Brazilian Side
Iguazu on the Brazil side consists of a walkway which leads you up to the Devils Throat where 50% of the water passes through in a raging powerful torrent! The views get ever more impressive and you will be fine getting your camera out for most of the walkway though stick to waterproof cameras only for the walkways right beneath the falls – this is where you get soaked!
There is also the opportunity to take a helicopter ride for 430BRL. The ride lasts only about 10 minutes but does 2 loops of the falls. I chose not to do it but I’ve spoken to many people who raved about their experience. It’s important to note that each helicopter takes 6 people so there is no guarantee of a window seat.
Foz de Igauzu Bird Park – Parque das Aves
The waterfalls walk will take a few hours allowing for plenty of photos so you should have plenty time to visit the Igauzu bird park near the entrance of Iguazu falls- Parque das Aves. It costs 40BRL for access to the bird park or you can pay 200BRL for a behind the scenes up close and personal tour of the park.
Parque das arves can take anywhere between 1 and 3 hours to explore depending on your interest in birds. Personally, I loved the park and would highly recommend it. It was the best bird park I’ve been to and the birds generally seemed really healthy and well cared for. The exception would be the flamingoes as I felt there were too many for a smallish enclosure. But otherwise, I thought it was a brilliant experience and such a great opportunity to get up close and personal with striking toucans with their bright yellow beaks and the even more colourful macaws which will fly and swoop around you within their enclosure. It was really impressive!
Visiting Iguazu Falls – The Argentina Side
Where Brazil gives you amazing panoramic views, Argentina is more about getting up close to the water – so bring your waterproof cameras or keep yours in a dry bag! Here you will truly appreciate the magnitude and power of the falls – especially at the top of the devil’s throat where the water just thunders past.
Plan your day at Iguazu Falls Argentina side
You can take several walks at the park so I’d recommend allowing yourself the full day, arriving at the park when it first opens – this will also mean you can do some of the walking before the sun gets scorching!
Each walk gives you a different perspective and view of the falls. One which is un-missable is the boardwalk to the top of the falls at Devils Throat. You will need to take the train up there but it’s worth the long queues. It’s best to do this one early before the park gets too busy.
When is the best time to visit Iguazu falls?
The best time to see Iguazu falls is in the hot, wet season December to March) when the falls are at their most impressive but occasionally the board walks will get closed during this season if it’s deemed unsafe.
Taking a boat ride at Igauzu Falls
It’s worth taking a speedboat ride on the Argentina side – it gets you much closer and much wetter than the Brazil side! You will get drenched through but it is so much fun! Only here, can you appreciate the full force of the water as you speed through the spray and go beneath the falls themselves. The walk down to the boat was also the prettiest walk in the park in my opinion! The boat trip costs 550 ARS ( about £22) and lasts about 12 minutes.
They will give you a dry bag but I’d recommend only bringing the minimum of possessions and definitely have a change of clothes with you. Even wearing a poncho here seems pointless as the water just pours into the neck and soaks you through! Just embrace it and have fun!
Book your Accommodation in Foz de Iguazu here
So there we have it, my ultimate guide to visiting Iguazu Falls packed full of advice for your visit and Igauzu falls facts! I would encourage you to visit Iguazu falls brazil AND Argentina sides as both offer different perspectives! But hopefully, if you are short on time, this guide will help you choose between Igauzu falls Brazil side and Argentina side?! Have you got any Iguazu falls facts you can share with us? Or perhaps some tips to improve others experiences here? I’d love to hear them! Please comment below…
This looks like a really nice trip. I love the pictures of the fauna, especially the coati photos. I had never heard about this animal before. 🙂
Me either – they were cheeky little beasts but I did secretly love them!
Taking a waterproof camera is such a good tip! We really valued having ours on us when visiting waterfalls in New Zealand. This looks like an epic adventure – minus the coati ha they sound a tad terrifying!!
Haha well they were if you were eating but I loved photographing their cute little faces!
We’ve been talking about visiting the Iguazu Falls for a long time. They just look like a natural spectacle worth seeing in real life. I can feel the strong currents just by looking at these pictures. <3
You definitely should visit – they are stunning! And the bird park is worth a visit too!
I loved the wry tale of the cheeky coatis doing what a coati does best. That’s great advice too about just embracing the soaking and packing a change of gear. I can imagine settling into the experience better without tooth chattering chills later. Duly noted for the future, as this has been on our “next big trip” radar for a while.
I hope you’ll have the most amazing time Bernie! I also highly recommend a trip to Bonito!
Reminds me of my time at Vic Falls – I got totally soaked too and was too scared to bring my good camera. You successfully protected yours – your pictures are gorgeous!
Thank you! On day 1 when I was not so prepared, it got a bit dicey at times!
Oh the iguazu waterfallss are definitely so high on my travel bucket list. It is such a grest place to enjoy nature
You’re not wrong there Paulina! ?
This bought back such good memories of my visit as a backpacker 10 years ago. Wish I had a waterproof camera then! Your photos of the wildlife and waterfalls are amazing.
Thanks Jayne! I never travel without a waterproof camera any more!
Id love to go to Brazil and Argentina! I agree that it would definitely be worth taking a waterproof camera to get some great shots of the falls.
Without a doubt you should go kacie! Plus they have great food you can write about!
Just the information I needed. I am going to South America in December. Can’t wait! I definitely need to get a waterproof casing for my camera. Thanks for the tip!
That’s a great idea! You might find this post handy for planning: https://theglobetrottergp.com/2018/04/06/ultimate-south-america-itinerary/
This place is PHENOMENAL!! We actually swam in the waterfalls on the Argentine side too, after a long 2 hour hike through the jungle. Watching the power of the water from the Brazilian side was totally humbling also. Your post has bought back memories!
Wow I bet that was awesome to swim there!
This is definitely on my bucketlist! I love waterfalls and it doesn’t get much better than this, pinning for future reference.
You are so right there anise!
This is such a great post! I haven’t been to Latin America but I really want to go and seeing all your pictures, especially all the animals, really makes me want to go!
Thanks Liz! You should definitely go! There’s so many great places to see!
Looks like you had an amazing time! I enjoyed reading about the different sides of the waterfall and how to prepare to visit it as that was one of the things I was most curious about. I also loved all the photos of the colorful birds and the falls itself, it’s so crazy how you can see how powerful the waterfall is just by seeing the photos. It must’ve felt even more powerful in real life!
It was the noise that made you fully appreciate the power. So loud! That and how wet you get!!!
Those falls look so good! If only they weren’t so brown 😉 Looks like you had a great trip there!
Yeah you certainly wouldn’t want to drink the water!!
I am heading to the falls in a few months and read this with interest. Didn’t know there was a bird park on the Brazilian side!
Yeah it’s definitely worth a visit. And I’d recommend seeing it from both sides as it’s a different experience from both. Brazil is all about the pretty views. Argentina is about getting close and experiencing the power in the falls!
If you are looking for a cool hiking adventure, head to Los Glaciares National Park located in Southwest of Santa Cruz Province in the Argentine part of Patagonia. You can spot amazing icy blue glaciers while ice hiking on the famous Fitz Roy mountain.
Sounds incredible!