IGUAZU FALLS: WHICH SIDE, ARGENTINA OR BRAZIL?
 

Hi¡¡¡ I am travelling to Brazil in February and one of my stops is Iguazu Falls. I know the Falls are at the border of Argentina and Brazil, so I am looking for advice on which side of the falls is nicest, has the best views, nice (and not so expensive) places to stay, etc. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Paco <BR>

<BR>Hi, the view from Brazil is best in the morning and gives an opportunity to see a wide expanse. The Argentinian side is best in the afternoon and offers the opportunity to see the falls up close.

<BR>Hi, the view from Brazil is best in the morning and gives an opportunity to see a wide expanse. The Argentinian side is best in the afternoon and offers the opportunity to see the falls up close.

Both sides are beautiful because the falls are in a park that is outstanding, with the big devalution in Brazil I would imagine that you can get great bargains in Brazil while in Argentina $1 = 1 dollar. Look for a good hotel in the Brazil side and check distances to the falls, some hotels are far from the falls . As I recall there are great bargains with everything included like a little tour, in this case tours I believe are OK. <BR>( And I hate tours) Good luck.

I have just returned from Iguazzu Falls in Jan. FABULOUS. You MUST see both sides. I stayed on the Argentinian side at the Sheraton. Paid a package deal that was very good. i lay in my bed and looked out on the falls. Views are great, service excellent, as well as the food. A negative thing about staying at the hotel on the Brazillian side of the falls is that there is a helicopter pad right outside and the noise is horrible. Our package included a guided tour of both sides by an agency in Brazil (near the falls) called Gatti Tourism. Unfortunately I have lost their details. You MUST take the safari/boat trip into the falls that is offered from either Argentina or Brazil. (I Took the Arg boat) It is the most incredible experience. Take a disposible waterproof camera! Many agents will tell you that 2 days is enough to see everything, but I was there for 4 and didn't even get to go on one of the short hikes to a fall (you can swim in it) or to explore the actual town of Iguazu. Unless you like rushing around, you also want time just to relax by the wonderful pool and enjoy the beauty of the surroundings(and the many butterflies)Feel free to e-mail me with questions and I will do my best to help. Do get in touch with Graziella if you are planing to go to BA . She often replies to questions on this site...her advice about Buenos Aires helped to make my holiday the success it was. Talia (IN SOUTH AFRICA)

Paco, <BR>If oyu have limited time, visit the Brazilian side. At the airport, you can find many hotels not far from the falls. I stayed at Hotel El Presidente (***) and it was about $35 USDollars per night. You can call them from the airport and they will most likely have rooms. I believe that they have about a 200 room capacity. The airport is between the hotel and the falls, and there is plenty of local buses to use. They run frequently and they are inexpensive. The Brazilian side offers the best run for your money. The town of FOZ De IGUAZU (Brazilian side) is much more pleasent than the Argentinian side. If oyu get a chance, venture into town, it is worth exploring for its parks, cafes, and restaurants.

Argentinian side, of course. Brazilians views don´t show you more than you could see on a picture. On the argentinian side you can literally touch a fall, and the surrounding area is beautiful, it is less poluted than the brazilian side. Puerto Iguazu (the town in Argentina) is much more nice, safe and quiet. Foz do Iguaçu is just another crowded city, with a high crime rate. You may get cheaper accomodation on the brazilian side though. Have a nice trip.

Paco, I visited BA in August, and spent 4 days at Iguazzu Falls. After doing much research in the USA, and having a friend do research in Argentina, we compared notes and decided on a package tour that took us from BA to the Argentine side of the falls (the Sheraton) where we had a room with a view of the falls. We arrived on Friday evening at midnight, and were picked up by the tour company, and taken to the Sheraton. On the 1st morning we had breakfast (included in the package) at our hotel. The tour took us to the Brazil side for the day. It was fabulous. Make sure that you have a visa for brazil before you go, take a waterproof poncho, a waterproof camera and $50 for a helicopter ride over the falls (it is spectacular). The view from the Brazil side is wonderful. We had lunch at a Churascaria / Brazilian brassario (included in package). The food was good, but the restaurant was not as clean as we were used to. We returned to the Sheraton, where we had a light dinner (pizza and salad). The pizza was very good. The next day we spent on the Argentine side. This was great too. The tour included visiting the Power Plant, which was interesting. <BR>What is nice about the Argentine side is that there is a national park with activities that are free and tours for a fee. One tour that we took involved a boat ride to the cat walks above the falls. It was wonderful! Another tour took us on a peaceful ride down the river..less exciting, but peaceful. We took a boat ride on the river and almost into the falls, and we also took a (free) ferry ride over to St Martin Island (great fun). Accept the fact that you will have a million pictures of the falls and will feel that you have seen all that you can see by day two, but keep on track. Every view, be it from the Brazil side Argentine side, top of the falls bottom of the falls or from the air is wonderful, unique and worth seeing. What I recall that was most remarkable were the rainbows. I saw most of these on the Argentine side, but they existed on both sides. Have great fun! <BR> <BR>P.S. I do not think that a view pf the falls is available from your room if you stay on the Brazil side, and it also seemed that the sounds of the helicopter could be a bother. Find out what time helicopter rides begin and decide if you will be out of the hotel by then before discounting the beautiful hotel on the Brazil side.

Hi! Paco <BR>Bouth sides are beautiful, but are different too. The argentinian side is more interesting to see the "inside" Iguazú Falls. The brazilian one is like a beautiful postcard. I've been In Iguazú Falls 15 times (I'm argentinian) <BR>and I never said: "I've seen everything" <BR>Try to camp in the park, is wonderful! <BR>Have a nice trip!

See both sides, but stay on the Argentinian side. That way you can walk around the park and to the falls in the evening, and if there's a full moon it would be even more spectacular. If I had to choose one, I'd say the A. side is most beautiful as the paths wind to the very edge. This is one of the great sights in the world, so leave plenty of time. Also, the boat ride takes you close up at the bottom.

I would suggest statying at the falls on the Brazilian side it is a more traditional hotel and allows you to see the falls first thing in the morning and at night before the park opens. The hotel on the Argentinean side is too modern. <BR> <BR>During the afternoon, the boat ride and walks across the tops of the falls on the Argentinean side are also a must. <BR> <BR>Enjoy.

I stayed on the brazilian side three days and regretted the decision. The argentine side has more trails, a more interesting variety of views, and is better maintained. We stayed at the hotel inside the national park on the brazilian side, and while the hotel was beautiful and we had easy access to the falls, we ot bored of the 1 trail available for walking. Stay on the argentine side, get a day trip over the border, and take your pretty pictures on the brazilian side. <BR>