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Iguazú National Park features the Argentinian side of Iguazu Falls. It’s just a short drive across the border from Foz do Iguaçu in Brazil. The falls are a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Getting There from Foz do Iguaçu
I hired a private car to take me across the border and drop me off directly at the park entrance. It was a shared ride with two German guys. Pickup was at 9am, and after passing through customs, we were dropped off around 10am. You can hire a ride across at tour offices in Foz. Alternatively, you can take a public bus to Puerto Iguazú in Argentina and change buses to go to the park. This is cheaper but takes much longer.
Suggestions
There was a steady rain falling during my entire six hour visit. It took away from the views but the falls were no less spectacular. Regardless of the weather, a rain jacket is a necessity when visiting the falls.
I mentioned in my post about the Brazilian side that anyone visiting the falls should see the Brazilian side first and then the Argentinian side. Why? The Argentinian side has the more spectacular views and much more to explore.
Admission
The park is open from 8am to 6pm and admission for foreigners is ARG$35,000 (as of July 2024). There are plenty of tourist facilities including snack bars, restaurants, shops, toilets, and a train.
Activities
There are three paths to take at the park – the lower circuit, upper circuit, and Devil’s Throat (Garganta del Diablo). Paths are clearly marked and not difficult except for some stairs at times. For an extra fee, you can take a cruise right up to the falls (and get soaked!) or visit Isla San Martin for a unique perspective of the falls. I recommend taking the lower circuit first, followed by the upper circuit, and finishing with the Devil’s Throat. The views get more dramatic if you follow in this order.
Lower Circuit
The lower circuit provides views from down low. It passes several beautiful smaller waterfalls and gives a panoramic view of the main curtain of water. There is also a path that will take you right up to one of the bigger falls. It is windy and you will get very wet!
Upper Circuit
The upper circuit has a path that goes directly over the river to look at the falls from above. You can get right up to the edge of the cliffs to look down below!
Devil’s Throat
Finally, a visit to the Devil’s Throat will take you to the most spectacular part of the falls. You have to take a short train ride from where the upper and lower circuit paths begin. Once at the stop, you walk over a seemingly endless path over the river, crossing a few islands on the way. Unfortunately due to the rain, this is where my camera became waterlogged and stopped working!
When you reach the Devil’s Throat, you can feel the force and fury of the waterfall by the heavy winds that hit you. I could not believe the volume of water that was dropping down at such a high speed. The mist that would occasionally pop up and wet everyone would elicit screams and laughs from all of the tourists. I don’t think there is a more appropriate name for this part of the falls than “Devil’s Throat”.
Back to Brazil
After spending a full day in the rain, the Germans and I sat down for a cup of coffee at the entrance and talked about the World Cup while we waited for our ride back to Brazil. We were soaked, my passport was warped, but we were all in awe of what we had just seen. I would be very happy to go back to Iguazu Falls one day, especially on a nice, sunny day.
