Parque Nacional Iguazú
Visitors to the Argentine Falls arrive at a brand-new complex, which consists mostly of restaurants and gift shops. A small visitor center does have displays on the history and ecology of the falls, but text is exclusively in Spanish. (No! They do not, will not, cannot provide an English-language pamphlet.) Leave them then to their lonely pride, because the chief attraction of the new and improved Argentine park is the Devil's Throat walkway. To reach it, you take a free small-gauge railway, which departs every 30 minutes from 8am to 4pm, either from the visitor center station or from a second station located 600m (1,968 ft.) down a paved walking trail. The train takes about 20 minutes to trundle the 3km (2 miles) up to the Devil's Throat station, where waiting videographers will film your every move and later try to sell you a souvenir videotape. From here it's about a 1km (1/2-mile) walk along the steel catwalk to the falls, where you will once again find yourself accosted by photographers. Thankfully, all this crass commercialism fades in importance once you reach this viewpoint. There is something both magical and awesome in that much water falling in one place; nothing people do seems to mar it. The return train leaves on the half-hour, with the last departure at 5:30pm.
There are several other trails in the park. The Circuito Superior (Upper Trail) loops around the top of the falls. The steep Circuito Inferior (Lower Trail) has been much improved, to the point that much of it is wheelchair accessible. It leads down to the edge of the Iguazú River, offering some excellent views up toward the falls. It's the only way to reach Isla San Martin, an island that's surrounded on all sides by falling water -- well worth the short boat ride (currently free of charge). The last boat back leaves at 5pm. Expect to spend at least 4 hours in the park, more if you take a boat excursion .
Iguazu Jungle Explorer (tel. 03757/421696) operates a number of fast zodiac excursions. The Adventura Nautica (R$35) leaves from the bottom of the Circuito Inferior and blasts up as close as driver and passengers dare to one of the big falls on the Argentine side. The Gran Aventura (R$70) does much the same but starts 5km (3 miles) farther down the river, giving you a 4*4 drive through the forest and a bit more time on the river; the Aventura Nautica is better value. The Ecological Tour (R$20) begins at the Devil's Throat boardwalk above the falls. Passengers hop into rubber rafts and drift 2km (1 1/4 miles) downstream through the forest, then disembark and get trucked back to the visitor center. Please note that all rates are approximate as they are calculated from the Argentine peso.
Getting There: From Foz do Iguaçu take the PORTO IGUAZU bus from downtown. Customs formalities at the border are minimal. Stay on the bus, tell the Customs officer who boards that you're going to the Parque Nacional and -- for citizens of the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia -- you'll be waved through without even a stamp in your passport. The bus then goes to the main bus station in Puerto Iguazú. Go to stall no. 5, where a bus departs every hour between 7:40am and 7:40pm for the 20-minute trip to the park. Including connections, total trip time from Brazil will be at least an hour. The bus from Brazil to Argentina costs R$3, and the one from Puerto Iguazú to the falls costs R$5. A taxi to or from the Argentine side costs about R$80 each way.
Getting Back: The bus from Parque Nacional to the Puerto Iguazú bus station departs hourly from 8am to 8pm. Once back at the bus station, go to stall no. 1 and catch the bus marked FOZ DO IGUAÇU back to Brazil. Another option is to book a guided tour or transfer.
Visitors to the Argentine Falls arrive at a brand-new complex, which consists mostly of restaurants and gift shops. A small visitor center does have displays on the history and ecology of the falls, but text is exclusively in Spanish. (No! They do not, will not, cannot provide an English-language pamphlet.) Leave them then to their lonely pride, because the chief attraction of the new and improved Argentine park is the Devil's Throat walkway. To reach it, you take a free small-gauge railway, which departs every 30 minutes from 8am to 4pm, either from the visitor center station or from a second station located 600m (1,968 ft.) down a paved walking trail. The train takes about 20 minutes to trundle the 3km (2 miles) up to the Devil's Throat station, where waiting videographers will film your every move and later try to sell you a souvenir videotape. From here it's about a 1km (1/2-mile) walk along the steel catwalk to the falls, where you will once again find yourself accosted by photographers. Thankfully, all this crass commercialism fades in importance once you reach this viewpoint. There is something both magical and awesome in that much water falling in one place; nothing people do seems to mar it. The return train leaves on the half-hour, with the last departure at 5:30pm.
There are several other trails in the park. The Circuito Superior (Upper Trail) loops around the top of the falls. The steep Circuito Inferior (Lower Trail) has been much improved, to the point that much of it is wheelchair accessible. It leads down to the edge of the Iguazú River, offering some excellent views up toward the falls. It's the only way to reach Isla San Martin, an island that's surrounded on all sides by falling water -- well worth the short boat ride (currently free of charge). The last boat back leaves at 5pm. Expect to spend at least 4 hours in the park, more if you take a boat excursion .
Iguazu Jungle Explorer (tel. 03757/421696) operates a number of fast zodiac excursions. The Adventura Nautica (R$35) leaves from the bottom of the Circuito Inferior and blasts up as close as driver and passengers dare to one of the big falls on the Argentine side. The Gran Aventura (R$70) does much the same but starts 5km (3 miles) farther down the river, giving you a 4*4 drive through the forest and a bit more time on the river; the Aventura Nautica is better value. The Ecological Tour (R$20) begins at the Devil's Throat boardwalk above the falls. Passengers hop into rubber rafts and drift 2km (1 1/4 miles) downstream through the forest, then disembark and get trucked back to the visitor center. Please note that all rates are approximate as they are calculated from the Argentine peso.
Getting There: From Foz do Iguaçu take the PORTO IGUAZU bus from downtown. Customs formalities at the border are minimal. Stay on the bus, tell the Customs officer who boards that you're going to the Parque Nacional and -- for citizens of the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia -- you'll be waved through without even a stamp in your passport. The bus then goes to the main bus station in Puerto Iguazú. Go to stall no. 5, where a bus departs every hour between 7:40am and 7:40pm for the 20-minute trip to the park. Including connections, total trip time from Brazil will be at least an hour. The bus from Brazil to Argentina costs R$3, and the one from Puerto Iguazú to the falls costs R$5. A taxi to or from the Argentine side costs about R$80 each way.
Getting Back: The bus from Parque Nacional to the Puerto Iguazú bus station departs hourly from 8am to 8pm. Once back at the bus station, go to stall no. 1 and catch the bus marked FOZ DO IGUAÇU back to Brazil. Another option is to book a guided tour or transfer.
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