Breathtaking Iguazu Falls from Brazil & Argentina
Consisting of a network of over 260 waterfalls, Iguazu Falls is the largest collection of waterfalls in the world. They were caused by a volcano eruption and span the borders of three countries in South America, namely Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay.
My trip here was a happy accident filled with beautiful landscapes and four stamps in my passport. It was a once in a lifetime experience for me that ranks pretty high on my “best places ever visited” list.
24 Hours, In and Out
How I ended up in Iguazu Falls is quite the tale. I had been in in South America for just shy of 2 weeks and had just arrived in Rio de Janeiro. On my first night at the hotel I went up to the roof-top pool to have a drink and take in the view.
After sitting there for some time, a lady about my age tapped me on the shoulder and asked if the seat next to me was taken. Since I am social by nature, it was an invitation to make a new acquaintance. What I actually got was a full blown friend and new travel buddy.
Her name was Lera, a Russian girl from Moscow who also solo-traveling. The irony that her trip itinerary was a lot like mine surprised us both. We bonded quickly over a common interest in exploring the globe. As a result, we ended up chatting for hours into the night.
Both Lera and I were spending 4 days in Rio, and she mentioned to me that she was planning a day trip to Iguazu Falls. Jealousy immediately seethed through my pours. When I first planned my trip I had tried to get to Iguazu Falls, but it was too expensive to afford for me alone.
When Lera learned about my failed attempt, she immediately began convincing me to go with her. Since I believe in fate it was an offer I couldn’t refuse. When would an opportunity like that come around for me again?
Making a Plan
The next morning we bought our tickets and 2 days later we were on the 5:00 am GOL Airlines flight to Iguazu falls on the Brazilian side. Upon arrival we quickly realized that we had limited time to see a world of incredible wonders. Also, Lera had accidentally booked us a hotel on the Argentinian side. In other words, this further limited our time because of border crossings.
As a result of our time constraints, we arranged a private driver right from the airport who took us from the Brazilian side to the Argentinian side of the falls, and finally dropped us off at the hotel. It turned out to be the best decision we could have made. We had to maximize how much we could see while limiting the number of lines we wait on.
The lines for things such as park entrance tickets or at the border crossing could get extremely long, so it helped not to waste time on them. The one caveat was that our driver, Umberto, didn’t speak any English. My broken Spanish and the help of Google Translate were necessary for us to communicate with him. Still, he did his best to accomodate us.
Brazil - The Devil's Path
After a relatively short ride from the airport into the rain forest, we arrived at the head of the Devil’s Path. The panorama that opened up before us as we stepped onto the path was awe-striking. It was a series of waterfalls spilling out tons of water into the Rio Iguazu.
The road wound down along a cliff side through the rain forest while the crickets serenaded us with their Amazonian songs. Along the path there were all kinds of wildlife, such as families of coati (which are similar to raccoons), rare species of butterflies, lizards and toucans that flew in the trees above us.
There were several lookouts along the path as it twisted down to a boardwalk built right over the river. Tons of water rushed down the steep cliffs. The water roared like a storm as it crashed into the river below us. The thought of how blessed I was to get to see this natural phenomenon up close wasn’t lost on me. Even in that moment I knew even that it was an experience I would never forget.
Since we went in January, it was is summer in South America. Therefore, the rainfall and water levels were high. In some places the mist was so thick that it soaked us from head to toe. Looking back, a couple of ponchos probably would have benefited us. Nonetheless, it was a small price to pay for the unparalleled experience.
Lunch at Iguazu Falls
Before leaving Brazil Umberto led us for lunch at Restaurante Porto Canoas. The quality of food pleasantly surprised us both, despite being located in one of the largest tourist destinations in Brazil. There was a full Brazilian style buffet that included steak and all kinds of seafood. It had us coming back for seconds. The ambiance included a beautiful outdoor patio, elegantly dressed waiters, and reasonably priced drinks. We were far from disappointed.
Argentina - Iguazu National Park
After lunch we left Brazil. It didn’t take long for us to cross the border into Argentina and drive to Iguazu National Park. From the entrance, Umberto walked us through the rain forest to get to Cataratas Station. This was the central stop for the Ecological Train of the Forest.
The path was filled with all sorts of wildlife such as howler monkeys and alligators in the river that made themselves known to us. (Warning — the monkeys like to steal your belongings approach at your own risk). Unfortunately, we were not lucky enough to see the jaguars that we were told roam in the forest.
Garganta del Diablo
From Cataratas Station we took the train down to Garganta del Diablo Station. It ran along a track through the rain forest to the foot of a long walkway. Translated as the “Devil’s Throat”, this path led us over the Iguazu River that was connected by random bits of land along the way.
Good walking shoes are recommended for this portion of the walk. The walkway became slippery because it rained over us at one point, so it became a little hard to manage. The end of the Garganta del Diablo was the most exhilarating part of the experience as Iguazu Falls. There we stood overlooing the edge of a cliff that was over 80 meters of continuously flowing water.
The splattering water drenched us, but it was well worth it. In addition, it’s name was not misleading. The massively treacherous cliff that plunged tons of water down into a black hole below us looked like it led into the depths of hell. In that moment, the grandeur of nature made us feel incredibly small in comparison.
The Superior Path
Our time constraints began to weigh on us by this point, so we were only able to walk one of the other paths in the park. We chose the Superior Path which began from Cataratas Station. This path took us up to a bird’s eye view of several different waterfalls called Adán, Bosetti, and Eva Falls. In addition, other falls including Dos Hermanas, Bernabé Mendez, Mbiguá were found along the road. Above all there were stellar views of San Martín Falls, which is the most famous of the falls.
Simply put the landscapes were spectacular. No two looked the same, however the combined beauty of the falls stretched infinitely into the horizon. There was nothing that could compare to the feeling of staring down more than 250 feet of rocks as the water crashed below us. From the panorama to the wildlife and everything in between, each bend revealed something new and delightful. Overall, it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.
Lodging- Hotel Saint George
After an amazing day of taking in the sights at Iguazu Falls, Umberto dropped us off at the Hotel Saint George on the Argentinian side. Our stay there was absolutely amazing. The reception was wonderfully friendly and accommodating to us. We had to be at the airport in Brazil at 5:00 AM the next morning, so they arranged for a taxi and wake up call for us.
We needed to have ample time to cross the border before the flight. Lera and I even took advantage of their spa and massage services after spending some time in the huge outdoor pool. As a result of walking a considerable distance, it was absolutely wonderful to unwind after such a grueling day.
Final Thoughts on Iguazu Falls
Our trip had been much too short. That was a fact not lost on either of us. In an ideal situation we would have had two or three days to see the other sights in the area without trying to pack it into all into one day. That being said, given the choice between going for one day or not going at all, the choice wouldn’t have changed for me.
Not only was my day spent exploring one of the most amazing natural wonders in the world, but also I had a wonderful travel companion to experience it with me. Lera and I had a fantastic time getting to know each other and bonding over shared passions. She was the most happy accident that could have happened to me, and above all I will be forever grateful to her for convincing me to visit the majestic Iguazu Falls with her.
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