Where and when: Brazil and Argentina, 26 February 2024
0730: Today is the most exciting day of the trip for me. We are leaving Buenos Aires and heading to Iguazu falls – my reason for coming on this trip.
0800: We arrive at the Buenos Aires city airport and check-in for our flight to Iguazu. The flight is with JetSmart which is a low cost South American airline. I found the flight and service comparable to easyJet.
The flight is delayed by 1.5 hours due to weather, so we are finally on our way at 1130.
1330: After a two hour flight, we land in Iguazu. From here we travel to the border with Brazil.
There is bit of a queue at the border, but we only have to wait in line for 20 minutes or so.
1515: After a short break for lunch, we enter the Brazilian side of the falls.
Our very first view of the falls was beautiful, but I was certain that the Iguazu falls I had seen in photos, videos and documentaries had more to it. I couldn’t help thinking, “Is that it?” Turns out, it most certainly was not. The first view point from the Brazilian side is actually quite a small part of the falls.
Taller than Niagara falls and wider that Victoria Falls, Iguazu (meaning “Big Water” in indigenous Guarani language) consists of 275 waterfalls, of varying shapes and sizes.
According to legend, the god M’boy planned to marry a beautiful girl named Naipí against her will. She escaped from him by fleeing with her mortal lover, Tarobá, in a hand-carved canoe on the river. The god flew into such a wild rage when he found out that he split the river into two and created all the waterfalls so that the two lovers would be condemned to an eternal fall.
The falls are in the shape of a horseshoe, one side longer than the other. The longer side (containing 80% of the falls) are on the Argentinian side and the shorter side (with 20% of the falls) are on the Brazilian side. This means that whilst you can get closer to the falls from the Argentinian side, the most panoramic views are from the Brazilian side.
As you make your way to the top of the horseshoe, the falls become more and more impressive. From the viewpoint at the top of the horseshoe you can see “Garganta Del Diabolo” or the “Devil’s Throat”.
Devil’s Throat is the largest and most formidable waterfall within the Iguazu Falls system. It spans a width of approximately 150 meters and a height of 82 meters. The viewing platform is several hundred meters from the falls, but the sheer magnitude of the water is such that there is a perpetual mist that envelopes us and we can hear nothing but the thunderous roar of the water.
You can get very close to the top of Devil’s Throat from the Argentinian side, but the walkways that could take us there were washed away due to floods a few months before. So, at the time of this visit, the viewpoint on the Brazilian side is the closest you can get to the Devil’s Throat.
Both sides of the Iguazu Falls are protected national parks, meaning that there are very few buildings and many flora and fauna thrive here.
1800: After a few hours exploring the falls, we head to our hotel for the next two days. We are staying at Hotel Rafain Centro in Foz do Iguazu.
1900: Dinner at Hokkai Sushi. This is excellent Japanese restaurant in Foz do Iguazu.
After a great dinner, it is time for bed as we have a full day tomorrow exploring Iguazu falls from the Argentinian side.
Have you been to Iguazu Falls? Or would you like to visit? Leave a comment below and let me know.
Diary of a Tourist 
I haven’t been but it looks spectacular!
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