Where Nature is stronger than Man
As in Up (a favorite DVD night during our round the world), we followed Mr Fredricksen’s dream of seeing the largest waterfalls in South America and headed to Iguazu falls. Impressive..really. Nature is stronger than Man (i hope)
As the falls lie exactly at the border between Argentina and Brazil, you could choose to be based in either country, I don’t think it would make much of a difference. We chose the Brazilian side. However, for the visits, I do think it’s worth seeing the falls from both sides and spending at least 2 nights, maybe 3 to allow plenty of time.
The Argentine and Brazilian side differ quite a bit. You have a more panoramic view from the Brazilian side, but the trail there is rather short (about 1.5km) and can easily be done in half a day. On the Argentine side, you really need a full day. And then there are plenty of outdoor activities to take with the children if they are old enough for the adrenalin rush (rafting, boat trip to the falls, 4Wd in the jungle..)
Be prepared to be surrounded by tourists as there’s no way to avoid it unfortunately. The Brazilian side felt a bit calmer and the paths were all shaded by the trees.
To plan your stay, here are some BozAround tips…
– In the Argentina side, you travel for a while with a little train (not as fun as it sounds), and you have 3 main trails: the Devil’s throat (must-see), the Upper circuit (for good close ups from above) and the Lower circuit (for close ups from below). In the Inferior trail, you will get wet for sure, and beware that there are lots of stairs, making it rather tricky if you use a stroller. All together, it’s about 6km of trails on the Argentinian side.
– In the Brazilian side, you can take an excursion called Macuco Boat Safari, which I was dying to do, but Marcelo and Amalya would have been too scared (I don’t think I would do it with children less than 10 years old although there is no age limit). You take a boat trip all the way to the falls, super close up, and come back. It last 35min and the boat takes you and brings you back to the shore. Sounds fun.
– You can do a similar high-adrenalin boat trip on the Argentinian side but there, the boat takes you close to the falls and leaves you on a trail where there is then the long walk.
– There are additional ecological trails offered on either side going in the forest, they can be booked the same day. We did not have time to do those and I regretted. The thick jungle is beautiful, and there are tons of birds species.
– The helicopter ride above the falls is pricey, but quite worth it. You can only do it the Brazilian side as Argentina does not do it for ecological reasons (although the verdict is out there on the real impact). It’s US$100 per person, but young children won’t pay (Marcelo,5, and Amalya,2, sat on our laps and it was fine). You can’t book it in advance. Just show up at the helicopter pad before the entrance of the national park, between 9am and 5pm.
– We found a really nice taxi driver at the Argentine airport, and agreed on a deal for the next day to take us back and forth from Argentina and Brazil. Pablo Barreto Tel: 03757-15416047 / Cel: 054-3757-15540089 or pablinbarreto@hotmail.com.
Feeling like Mr Fredricksen from the helicopter ride…Up, Up, Up
Ps: Do not forget your passports when you go from Brazil to Argentina to visit the falls, and vice versa!
RECENT POSTS
YOU MIGHT LIKE
Soulful gift ideas to satisfy a wanderlust
I've read that Christmas tree sales are to the roof this year, and people have never been buying them so early in the festive season. I have never published a curated list of gift ideas - so here you go: thoughtful, soulful gift ideas to satisfy a wanderlust. Because...
Crete without the crowds
The travel corridor announced mid-October between the UK and Crete allowed for a brief family escape to a Crete without the crowds. It was perfect timing for Sea Sand and Sun ahead of what is shaping up to be a very looong winter. It also gave me a chance to...
Open boarders in Africa right now
The African wildlife is thriving and the hotels have plenty of capacity. For those who can, and have the appetite for risk in this tumultuous environment, it's one of those rare times in our lifetime to visit the vastness of the African plains without many 4x4 in...
DESTINATIONS
SEARCH FOR POSTS BY CONTINENT + PLACE
SEARCH FOR POSTS BY CONTINENT
Countries
Continents
AFRICA
# countries visited
ASIA
# countries visited
EUROPE
# countries visited
NORTH AMERICA
# countries visited
SOUTH AMERICA
# countries visited
CARIBBEAN
# countries visited
MIDDLE EAST
# countries visited
OCEANIA
# countries visited
NORWAY
2 ARTICLES
BHUTAN
3 ARTICLES
BURMA - MYANMAR
5 ARTICLES
TURKEY
4 ARTICLES
MONGOLIA
1 ARTICLES
INDONESIA
2 ARTICLES
PHILIPPINES
1 ARTICLES
AUSTRALIA
5 ARTICLES
FIJI ISLANDS
3 ARTICLES
NEW ZEALAND
3 ARTICLES
NORTH KOREA
1 ARTICLES
JAPAN
6 ARTICLES
THAILAND
1 ARTICLES
SINGAPORE
1 ARTICLES
CAMBODIA
2 ARTICLES
LAOS
1 ARTICLES
TIBET
1 ARTICLES
VIETNAM
2 ARTICLES
DENMARK
3 ARTICLES
GERMANY
1 ARTICLES
UNITED KINGDOM
12 ARTICLES
LITUANIA
1 ARTICLES
AUSTRIA
5 ARTICLES
ITALY
11 ARTICLES
GREECE
5 ARTICLES
FRANCE
17 ARTICLES
PORTUGAL
1 ARTICLES
SPAIN
5 ARTICLES
MOROCCO
4 ARTICLES
CANADA
4 ARTICLES
USA
16 ARTICLES
MEXICO
1 ARTICLES
JAMAICA
1 ARTICLES
TRINIDAD + TOBAGO
1 ARTICLES
PERU
1 ARTICLES
BOLIVIA
1 ARTICLES
BRAZIL
11 ARTICLES
URUGUAY
2 ARTICLES
ARGENTINA
2 ARTICLES
CHILE
6 ARTICLES
GHANA
1 ARTICLES
UGANDA
2 ARTICLES
KENYA
2 ARTICLES
ZIMBABWE
1 ARTICLES
SOUTH AFRICA
3 ARTICLES
SÂO TOMÉ + PRINCIPE
3 ARTICLES
OMAN
3 ARTICLES
UAE - DUBAI
1 ARTICLES
MAURITUS
1 ARTICLES
MALDIVES
1 ARTICLES
SRI LANKA
5 ARTICLES
INDIA
14 ARTICLES
NORTH AMERICA
16 ARTICLES
CARIBBEAN
3 ARTICLES
SOUTH AMERICA
# ARTICLES
EUROPE
# ARTICLES
AFRICA
# ARTICLES
MIDDLE EAST
# ARTICLES
ASIA
# ARTICLES
OCEANIA
# ARTICLES
0 Comments