Foz do Iguaçu
Falls seen from two countries, and it is not the same experience — Brazil gives you the view, Argentina the proximity
- When to go
- September 22° · 10 rainy days
- Per day
- €€price 2 of 5
- How many days
- 2days
- For you
- 6 questions →
- Nearest airport
- 11 km Foz do Iguaçu
- Right now
You do Iguaçu from both sides rather than choosing one: the Brazilian side is a morning and gives you the panorama, the Argentine side a full day that takes you in among the cascades themselves.
The Brazilian side has a single path about a kilometre long that descends along the canyon and ends on a platform beneath the falls. It takes three to four hours, with a park bus from the entrance, and it is best in the morning when the sun is on the water. Foreign entry is €22.54.
The Argentine side holds around eighty percent of the falls and needs a whole day, with entry at €34. Three circuits — upper, lower and the little train to the Devil's Throat — ending with standing directly over the lip, where the spray hides the bottom. Crossing the border is routine, done by taxi or organised transport; carry your passport and take the stamp, even though neither country requires a visa.
The third thing in town is the Itaipu dam, the largest hydroelectric plant in the world by capacity until 2011, when China's Three Gorges overtook it — still one of the two largest by annual output. The tour is two hours and is worth it if you have a third day; if you do not, drop it without regret. The bird park opposite the Brazilian park entrance is a better half-day substitute and the only place you see a toucan up close.
Guides for Foz do Iguaçu
Shorter, practical pages for one concrete question each — how many days, how much money, where to sleep, where to escape the city.
Foz do Iguaçu in 2 days
→Two days and two borders: the Brazilian side gives the panorama in three hours, the Argentine one takes a whole day and…
What to see in Foz do Iguaçu
The Brazilian panorama
A path descending along the canyon to a platform beneath the falls, with almost the whole system in one view. Three to four hours; a poncho does not help, you get wet regardless.
The Devil's Throat
The largest fall in the system, on the Argentine side, where water pours into one throat from three directions. A walkway over the river leads to a platform right on the lip. This is why you cross the border.
The lower circuit, Argentine side
Paths that drop in among the cascades, with a boat that runs under the water for anyone who wants to be soaked. A rainbow needs the sun behind you, not the falls — check on the spot rather than planning around a fixed hour.
The bird park
Opposite the Brazilian entrance, with walk-through aviaries — toucans, macaws and harpy eagles a metre away. Ninety minutes, and the only chance to see what you otherwise only hear in the forest.
- I
Itaipu
An eight-kilometre dam on the Paraguayan border, with a tour of the machine hall. Two hours; only if you have a third day, and best in the evening when it is lit.
The triple frontier
The point where Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay meet, each with an obelisk painted in its own colours. Fifteen minutes, which is exactly the right length.
Two things you probably did not know
The Iguazu falls have between 150 and 300 separate cascades, depending on the water level. On seeing them, Eleanor Roosevelt is said to have remarked only: poor Niagara.
An hour away is the triple border of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, marked by obelisks in three colours on three banks. The falls are split between the first two countries, so there are two sides to see and they are two different views.
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Within reach from here
Places sorted by straight-line distance from Foz do Iguaçu — day trips or weekends.
Brazil
→A country where the flight between two cities is often cheaper, and always faster, than the overnight coach
Argentina
→A country 3,700 kilometres long, where the far south is seen in December and the whales and the snow in August
Portugal
→A country that spent centuries looking at the ocean instead of the Europe behind it
All 277 places we write about sit on one page — narrow them down by continent, country, price or what you are travelling for.
Within reach from here: São Paulo, Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro
See how much of that actually suits you — or pin Foz do Iguaçu if you have been.
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