Last weekend, I made the trek up to Iguazú Falls from Buenos Aires to see the biggest waterfall system in the world. Several people had told me how magical it would be, but for some unknown reason, I didn’t quite believe them. ‘It’s just rocks and water,’ I thought, stubbornly suppressing my love of beaches. ‘What’s really going to be special about it?’
Everything. That’s what.
To break up the mammoth 20 hour bus journey, we stopped to look round the ruins of the Jesuit missions at San Ignacio Miní. Which were beautiful, if sparse. The intricately carved red stone seemed to glow in the early morning light, and as the day was overcast and off season, it wasn’t busy.
Then it was back on the bus until we reached Las Tres Fronteras just outside the town of Iguazú. This is where the Río Iguazú breaks off from the Río Paraná, creating a natural border separating Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. This was one of the most impressive views I’ve ever seen – there’s something really powerful about being able to see three such incredible countries, two of which are among the ten largest in the world, all at once.
Soon it was time for my first trip to Brazil! We spent one day on the Brazilian side (it counts ok?!) soaking up both the glorious views, and copious amounts of eau d’Iguazú. Having opted to take a speedboat ride called the Gran Aventura up the river for our first look at the waterfalls, I was extremely glad I’d refrained from going out clubbing the night before. Of all the things I can imagine not wanting to do with a hangover, a breakneck white water ride complete with dunking under a waterfall has got to be in the bottom ten.
And it was breathtaking. Like something you can only imagine existing in a Bond film. But there it was, a light covering of spray adding to the mysterious atmosphere. And there I was, grinning gormlessly.
Following the boat ride, we headed to the paths in the national park, and spent about an hour gazing at the ‘rocks and water’, mouths hanging open.
Pretty wow, really. By this point, we were all so hungry that we were really glad our next stop was late lunch at a Brazilian buffet, or churrascaría. As delicious as all the unfamiliar food was, though, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it, as combined with another hot bus journey back to the Argentinian side, it made us all ill.
On our last day, we went into the Argentinian national park and took the longest walking route to see all the views.
And ended at the hilariously named Garganta del Diablo, or Devil’s Throat.
I’m glad we left this one til last, because although I was admittedly feeling a little waterfalled-out by this point, it’s impossible not to be impressed by it. You walk quite a long way along a boardwalk across a calm, quiet stretch of river that lulls you into a false sense of tranquility…
…you see just the very top of the waterfall and feel a bit deflated…
…and then suddenly the ground drops away beneath your feet into the biggest, loudest, angriest cascade of energy so far. My camera lens actually wasn’t wide enough to fit it all in one shot, but you get the idea.
So there you have it. One of the true wonders of the natural world. I’d recommend this to anyone who has the opportunity to go, and if you think you’ve already seen something similar, you probably haven’t – Niagara isn’t a patch on Iguazú in my eyes, and according to one of my trip companions, neither are Victoria Falls.
Just a couple of travel tips:
- Mid to late August was a great time to go. It was over 30 degrees most of the time, but not a bit humid, with no mosquitoes (!) and devoid of crowds.
- I went on a group trip as I get a discount through my job, but to be honest, I’d recommend going on your own. There’s not much to book other than transport, accommodation, and national park entry, and this is not something you want to do on someone else’s timetable, or waiting for a big group. I’d say in total I spent about three hours of valuable sightseeing time waiting for the Dutch kids to finish their cigarettes.
- The Gran Aventura boat trip was brilliant, but at $2500ARS for 20 minutes, I did think it was overpriced. Skippable.
- The hostel I stayed in was very lax about security, leaving the room keys unattended on the front desk. I strongly advise bringing a suitcase with a lock, and keeping your valuables on your person as much as possible. Iguazú didn’t seem like a particularly dangerous place, but it was obviously very poor, and in my experience where there are tourists, there are opportunists. A money belt for your cash is a must.
- Bring a swimsuit. BRING A SWIMSUIT.
I think that’s enough raving for now…
