Iguazú Falls

Brazil Info

There are direct flights between Foz do Iguaçu and São Paulo (1½ hours; $180), Rio de Janeiro (2 hours; $360), and Curitiba (1 hour; $180) on TAM, which also has connecting flights to Salvador, Recife, Brasilia, other Brazilian cities, and Buenos Aires. Low-cost airline GOL operates slightly cheaper direct flights on the same three routes.

The Aeroporto Internacional Foz do Iguaçu is 13 km (8 mi) southeast of downtown Foz. The 20-minute taxi ride should cost R$40; the 45-minute regular bus ride about R$2.20. Note that several major hotels are on the highway to downtown, so a cab ride from the airport to these may be less than R$30. A cab ride from downtown hotels directly to the Parque Nacional in Brazil costs about R$50-70.

Via bus, the trip between Florianópolis and Foz do Iguaçu takes 15 hours with Pluma (R$120; R$230 for sleeper). The same company travels to Rio de Janeiro, which takes 11½ hours (R$175), and São Paolo, which takes 14 hours (R$144; R$215 for sleeper). The Terminal Rodoviário in Foz do Iguaçu is 5 km (3 mi) northeast of downtown. There are regular buses into town; they stop at the Terminal de Transportes Urbano (local bus station, often shortened to TTU) at Avenida Juscelino Kubitschek and Rua Mem de Sá. From here, buses labeled "Parque Nacional" also depart every 15 minutes (7-7) to the visitor center at the park entrance; the fare is R$4. The buses run along Avenida Juscelino Kubitschek and Avenida Jorge Schimmelpfeng, where you can also flag them down.

There's no real reason to rent a car in Foz do Iguaçu: it's cheaper and easier to use taxis or local tour companies to visit the falls, especially as you can't cross the border in a rental car. There are taxi stands (pontos de taxi) at intersections all over town, each with its own phone number. Hotels and restaurants can call you a cab, but you can also hail them on the street.

Brazil Essentials

Airline Contacts

GOL (300/115-2121 toll-free; 45/3521-4230 in Foz do Iguaçu. www.voegol.com.br.)

TAM (800/570-5700 toll-free; 45/3521-7500 in Foz do Iguaçu. www.tam.com.br.)

Bus Contacts

Pluma (0800/646-0300 toll-free; 045/3522-2515 in Foz do Iguaçu. www.pluma.com.br.)

Banks and Currency Exchange

Banco do Brasil (Av. Brasil 1377, Foz do Iguaçu, 85851-000. www.bb.com.br.)

Medical Assistance

FarmaRede (pharmacy) (Av. Brasil 46, Foz do Iguaçu, 85851-000. 45/3572-1363.)

Hospital Ministro Costa Cavalcanti (Av. Gramado 580, Foz do Iguaçu, 85860-630. 45/3576-8000.)

Taxis

Ponto de Taxi 20 (45/3523-4625.)

Visitor Info

Foz do Iguaçu Tourist Office (Praça Getúlio Vargas 69, Foz do Iguaçu, 85851-340. 45/3521-1455. www.iguassu.tur.br. 8 am-6 pm.)

Tour Operators

Macuco Safari. You can take to the water on the Brazilian side with Macuco Safari. Their signature trip is a Zodiac ride around (and under) the Salto Tres Mosqueteros. You get a more sedate ride on the Iguaçu Explorer, a 3½ hour trip up the river. 045/3574-4244. www.macucosafari.com.br.

Cânion Iguaçu. In Brazil, Cânion Iguaçu offers rafting and canopying, as well as abseiling over the river from the Salto San Martín. They also offer wheelchair-compatible equipment. 045/3529-6040. www.campodedesafios.com.br.

Macuco Ecoaventura. Macuco Ecoaventura is one of the official tour operators within the Brazilian park. Their Trilha do Pozo Negro combines a 9-km guided hike or bike ride with a scary boat trip along the upper river (the bit before the falls). The aptly-named Floating trip is more leisurely; shorter jungle hikes are also offered. 045/3529-6927. www.macucoecoaventura.com.br.