Iguaçu Falls (if my Rio Report Didn't Bore You to Death)
Jan 14th, 2008, 12:56 PM
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Iguaçu Falls (if my Rio Report Didn't Bore You to Death)
Why here should ever be any question as to whether one should visit Iguaçu Falls is beyond me. I am quite the jingoistic American but frankly there is absolutely no comparison between Niagara Falls and Iguaçu Falls. The setting, the magnitude....magnificent.
We decided to visit Iguaçu Falls between Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires. Getting to Iguaçu Falls was actually quite easy. Despite the numerous reports I had read of the difficulty of on time air transportation in South America, everything went off without a problem. From Rio de Janeiro, we took a TAM Airlines flight in the morning to Foz de Iguaçu. The flight left on time and served a foil wrapped hot ham and cheese sandwich along with a drink. Nothing special, but the flight was only a little over 1½ hours so it didn’t really matter. On a clear day you can see the greenery of Brazil stretched before you interspersed with an occasional farm. Suddenly you pass over Foz de Iguaçu continuing on to the one runway airport. The plane deplanes right in front of the terminal so a short walk takes you to the baggage claim area. With only one plane in the airport we were off and running. We decided to stay on the Brazilian side and visit both sides over a 2 day period. We made our reservations in the Hotel das Cataratas, the only hotel in the park itself. There appears to be a hotel of the exact same name in Foz do Iguaçu itself so don’t get confused (my travel agent initially did!). We had arranged for the hotel to send a driver to pick us up.
A short drive later and we were at the entrance to the National Park (Brazilian side). Our driver collected some money from us and ran into the visitor center to buy tickets for all of us. A few minutes later we were off again. No private vehicles are allowed in the park...all visitors are required to take the park’s double decker busses which run frequently. The exception to this was for taxis and tour vehicles. A short drive later we found ourselves at the hotel. The Hotel das Cataratas is a charming older hotel built in a courtyard style. The rooms are not very luxurious but they seem to fit in very well in a tropical setting. The location cannot be beat: the start of the walking trail to the falls was literally across the street from the hotel.
As the snack we had on the plane did not satisfy any in our party, we headed across the street and took the park bus to the end of the park where there is a large tourist complex with a buffet restaurant, snack bar and shops. The buffet lunch was excellent, although it was definitely tourist priced. After lunch we took the short park bus ride back to the hotel. We crossed the street and started the Brazilian side falls trail. There is much debate over which side of Iguaçu Falls is better......frankly this debate is easily solved by seeing both. The Brazilian side is better for giving you an overview of the totality of the falls while the Argentinian side is better for getting up close and personal with the falls. The Brazilian side can easily be seen in an afternoon. Most visitors do not walk the whole trail (even though it is fairly short) but rather take the bus to the observation tower and take the brief walk to the Devil’s Throat area.
The down side of staying in the park is that you are not close to the city of Foz do Iguaçu. The hotel is in a great setting removed from traffic and crowds, with the sounds of birds and wildlife. The restaurants at the hotel are very good, so we never even traveled into Foz do Iguaçu, instead opting to eat at the two hotel restaurants.
For our second day, we decided to spend a full day on the Argentinian side. Although you can see the Argentinian side of things from Brazil, it is a bit of a hassle to get to the other side. You have to exit the park, make a long loop around, go through Brazilian and Argentinian customs and then loop back to almost exactly where you started, albeit on the other side of the river. We opted to hire a driver through the hotel to take us there and pick us up later in the day. It was a bit pricey, but frankly it was well worth the price just to avoid the customs hassle. Leaving Brazil there was no issue at all. We just drove through the customs check point without stopping or anyone checking our documents. Approaching the customs checkpoint in Argentina, the lineup of cars and trucks was several miles long. Our driver told us this was typically the case early in the morning. Our driver got in the left shoulder going the wrong way on the road and cut ahead of all of the waiting traffic. He said that this was permitted for tourist vehicles. Who were we to argue? The checkpoint was the strangest we had ever seen. You did not drive through and have a customs agent check and stamp your passports. Rather the driver parked the vehicle and we waited in the vehicle while he took our passports to customs control. No one ever saw us in the vehicle or check us out. We sat there for 20 minutes after which our driver came back with our passports, stamped and ready to go. Fifteen minutes later we were in the Argentinian park.
The National Park on the Argentinian side is very clean and well maintained. Like most national parks throughout the world, it has one easily accessible sire where all of the tourists flock: here it is the Devil’s Throat. Although the park has three major trails, most people forego two of them and head straight to the Devil’s Throat. Bucking the trend we opted to see the Devil’s Throat at the end of the day. We started by taking the Superior Trail. It is an easy walk that takes you to various viewpoints at the top of the falls. Next we took the Inferior Trail which takes you to many scenic vantage points at the bottom of the falls. Unfortunately the boat to San Martin Island was not running due to the high water level. But having seen pictures of the falls in 2006 with a very low water level, it was a more than adequate trade-off!
For lunch we opted to eat at the Sheraton......but foolishly we had forgotten the time difference between Brazil and Argentina, so we were too early for lunch. Instead we ate at the restaurant near the visitor center known as La Selva. This place was what they call in Argentina a “tenedor libre” or what we would call an “all you can eat” buffet. It came complete with a parilla that served steaks......our first introduction to the beefiness which is Argentina!
Continuing after lunch we took the park train to the Devil’s Throat. This was the only part of the park that was crowded as everyone who comes to the park seems to come here. But it was worth battling the crowds. We walked the 1000 meters to get to the Devil’s Throat. Quite spectacular! After many pictures we headed back to the train and took it back to the visitor center where we were met by our driver. We returned the way we came with a long stop at the Argentinian customs. At the Brazil side no one even came out to check our passports....we just drove straight through!
We did not do the Macuco Safari like many other visitors. The thought of taking a cold shower under a small waterfall just did not appeal to us. We did do the helicopter ride over the falls (breathtaking!) and the Parque das Aves (Bird Park).
All in all Iguaçu Falls was amazing and well worth the detour!! After Iguaçu Falls we returned to the Argentinian side where we caught a flight to Buenos Aires.
We decided to visit Iguaçu Falls between Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires. Getting to Iguaçu Falls was actually quite easy. Despite the numerous reports I had read of the difficulty of on time air transportation in South America, everything went off without a problem. From Rio de Janeiro, we took a TAM Airlines flight in the morning to Foz de Iguaçu. The flight left on time and served a foil wrapped hot ham and cheese sandwich along with a drink. Nothing special, but the flight was only a little over 1½ hours so it didn’t really matter. On a clear day you can see the greenery of Brazil stretched before you interspersed with an occasional farm. Suddenly you pass over Foz de Iguaçu continuing on to the one runway airport. The plane deplanes right in front of the terminal so a short walk takes you to the baggage claim area. With only one plane in the airport we were off and running. We decided to stay on the Brazilian side and visit both sides over a 2 day period. We made our reservations in the Hotel das Cataratas, the only hotel in the park itself. There appears to be a hotel of the exact same name in Foz do Iguaçu itself so don’t get confused (my travel agent initially did!). We had arranged for the hotel to send a driver to pick us up.
A short drive later and we were at the entrance to the National Park (Brazilian side). Our driver collected some money from us and ran into the visitor center to buy tickets for all of us. A few minutes later we were off again. No private vehicles are allowed in the park...all visitors are required to take the park’s double decker busses which run frequently. The exception to this was for taxis and tour vehicles. A short drive later we found ourselves at the hotel. The Hotel das Cataratas is a charming older hotel built in a courtyard style. The rooms are not very luxurious but they seem to fit in very well in a tropical setting. The location cannot be beat: the start of the walking trail to the falls was literally across the street from the hotel.
As the snack we had on the plane did not satisfy any in our party, we headed across the street and took the park bus to the end of the park where there is a large tourist complex with a buffet restaurant, snack bar and shops. The buffet lunch was excellent, although it was definitely tourist priced. After lunch we took the short park bus ride back to the hotel. We crossed the street and started the Brazilian side falls trail. There is much debate over which side of Iguaçu Falls is better......frankly this debate is easily solved by seeing both. The Brazilian side is better for giving you an overview of the totality of the falls while the Argentinian side is better for getting up close and personal with the falls. The Brazilian side can easily be seen in an afternoon. Most visitors do not walk the whole trail (even though it is fairly short) but rather take the bus to the observation tower and take the brief walk to the Devil’s Throat area.
The down side of staying in the park is that you are not close to the city of Foz do Iguaçu. The hotel is in a great setting removed from traffic and crowds, with the sounds of birds and wildlife. The restaurants at the hotel are very good, so we never even traveled into Foz do Iguaçu, instead opting to eat at the two hotel restaurants.
For our second day, we decided to spend a full day on the Argentinian side. Although you can see the Argentinian side of things from Brazil, it is a bit of a hassle to get to the other side. You have to exit the park, make a long loop around, go through Brazilian and Argentinian customs and then loop back to almost exactly where you started, albeit on the other side of the river. We opted to hire a driver through the hotel to take us there and pick us up later in the day. It was a bit pricey, but frankly it was well worth the price just to avoid the customs hassle. Leaving Brazil there was no issue at all. We just drove through the customs check point without stopping or anyone checking our documents. Approaching the customs checkpoint in Argentina, the lineup of cars and trucks was several miles long. Our driver told us this was typically the case early in the morning. Our driver got in the left shoulder going the wrong way on the road and cut ahead of all of the waiting traffic. He said that this was permitted for tourist vehicles. Who were we to argue? The checkpoint was the strangest we had ever seen. You did not drive through and have a customs agent check and stamp your passports. Rather the driver parked the vehicle and we waited in the vehicle while he took our passports to customs control. No one ever saw us in the vehicle or check us out. We sat there for 20 minutes after which our driver came back with our passports, stamped and ready to go. Fifteen minutes later we were in the Argentinian park.
The National Park on the Argentinian side is very clean and well maintained. Like most national parks throughout the world, it has one easily accessible sire where all of the tourists flock: here it is the Devil’s Throat. Although the park has three major trails, most people forego two of them and head straight to the Devil’s Throat. Bucking the trend we opted to see the Devil’s Throat at the end of the day. We started by taking the Superior Trail. It is an easy walk that takes you to various viewpoints at the top of the falls. Next we took the Inferior Trail which takes you to many scenic vantage points at the bottom of the falls. Unfortunately the boat to San Martin Island was not running due to the high water level. But having seen pictures of the falls in 2006 with a very low water level, it was a more than adequate trade-off!
For lunch we opted to eat at the Sheraton......but foolishly we had forgotten the time difference between Brazil and Argentina, so we were too early for lunch. Instead we ate at the restaurant near the visitor center known as La Selva. This place was what they call in Argentina a “tenedor libre” or what we would call an “all you can eat” buffet. It came complete with a parilla that served steaks......our first introduction to the beefiness which is Argentina!
Continuing after lunch we took the park train to the Devil’s Throat. This was the only part of the park that was crowded as everyone who comes to the park seems to come here. But it was worth battling the crowds. We walked the 1000 meters to get to the Devil’s Throat. Quite spectacular! After many pictures we headed back to the train and took it back to the visitor center where we were met by our driver. We returned the way we came with a long stop at the Argentinian customs. At the Brazil side no one even came out to check our passports....we just drove straight through!
We did not do the Macuco Safari like many other visitors. The thought of taking a cold shower under a small waterfall just did not appeal to us. We did do the helicopter ride over the falls (breathtaking!) and the Parque das Aves (Bird Park).
All in all Iguaçu Falls was amazing and well worth the detour!! After Iguaçu Falls we returned to the Argentinian side where we caught a flight to Buenos Aires.
Jan 14th, 2008, 04:05 PM
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Your Rio report certainly didn't bore me to death & I liked and appreciated this one too. I'd like to visit Brazil but there are so many great places to see that it's hard to decide. Reading your detailed report helps narrow it down. Thanks again for sharing!
Jan 16th, 2008, 01:27 PM
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Hi JR,
My fiance and I are going to South America for our honeymoon, visiting Santiago, BA, Montevideo, Iguazu and Rio. Which hotel did you stay in in both Iguazu and Rio? How much did the helicopter ride cost?
My fiance and I are going to South America for our honeymoon, visiting Santiago, BA, Montevideo, Iguazu and Rio. Which hotel did you stay in in both Iguazu and Rio? How much did the helicopter ride cost?
Jan 16th, 2008, 03:23 PM
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In Rio we stayed at the Caesar Park Ipanema. A little on the expensive side but in a great, safe location. In Iguacu we stayed at the Hotel das Cataratas...the one INSIDE the park. The helicopter cost $70.00 U.S. per person. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Jan 18th, 2008, 05:39 PM
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Thanks for a great report on the falls. We will be there in a couple of months. Staying on the Argentinian side since we are coming from Buenos Aires. I will have to read your Rio report. We loved Rio a few years ago.
Lucyboo, we stayed at the Orla Copacabana when we were in Rio and loved it. I think it is a bit more moderately priced and was recommended by Frommers. We were quite pleased with the hotel, the location and the breakfast. I would certainly recommend looking into it.
Lucyboo, we stayed at the Orla Copacabana when we were in Rio and loved it. I think it is a bit more moderately priced and was recommended by Frommers. We were quite pleased with the hotel, the location and the breakfast. I would certainly recommend looking into it.
Jan 19th, 2008, 12:57 PM
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Hi jrlaw, I have just read both your reports and like petite, found it far from boring!!
Are you going to post a report on BS?? Can I ask which you liked best - Rio de J or BsAs??? I am just starting to consider a trip to South America this March - the planning is VERY late and I may not even be able to swing it but reports like yours help immensely.
Are you going to post a report on BS?? Can I ask which you liked best - Rio de J or BsAs??? I am just starting to consider a trip to South America this March - the planning is VERY late and I may not even be able to swing it but reports like yours help immensely.
Jan 19th, 2008, 01:15 PM
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I will work on a Bs As report next week. Comparing Rio and Bs As is really like comparing apples and oranges. Rio is pretty and vibrant with a tropical feel while Bs As is more elegant with a European feel. Rio is prettier and feels different than most places while Bs As does not feel too foreign or different. Which is better? Ultimately depends on what you like in your travels. Sorry for the non-answer!
Jan 19th, 2008, 03:08 PM
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Thanks jrlaw, don't want to put and pressure on you but I'd love to read your report on BsAs. I have spend all evening reading this board and am still bamboozled. I'm not sure if we should attempt South America on this trip or leave it until we have more time to plan - decisions decisions 
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