Impressive Iguazu Falls

The Iguazú Falls are one of the seven wonders of the world.

The Iguazú Falls are located on the Iguazú River, between Argentina and Brazil.

The New7Wonder Foundation, on February 22, 2012, confirmed that these falls are officially one of the “Seven Natural Wonders of the World.”

More than one hundred million people around the world voted over the Internet by text message, with more than 440 appeals from 220 countries.

The Iguazu Falls are located on the Iguazú River, on the border between the Argentine province of Misiones and the Brazilian state of Paraná.

And they are totally inserted in protected areas. The Argentine sector is within the Iguazú National Park, and the Brazilian sector is in the Iguaçu National Park.

Both parks in Argentina and Brazil were declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco, in 1984 and 1986 respectively.

Within the Argentine park is the Hotel Sheraton Iguazú , which has a panoramic view of the Devil’s Throat and the Brazilian waterfalls.

Near the falls, is the Argentine city of Puerto Iguazú , at the confluence of the Iguazú and Paraná rivers. There is located the triple border with Paraguay.

The whole of the Iguazú Falls is made up of 275 falls, 80% of which are located on the Argentine side.

The Devil’s Throat is quite a spectacle on its own, it is the waterfall with the greatest flow and the highest with 80 m, and also, if you go, you can enjoy it in all its majesty from only 50 m, walking the footbridges that depart from Puerto Canoas, using the ecological train service. The border between the two countries passes through this jump.

You can take boat rides under the waterfalls and walk along trails appreciating some animals of the semitropical jungle.

Three walks in the Iguazú Falls

To visit the Iguazú Falls can be done through three walks and a trail.

• Lower Walk, starts from the viewpoint, which is reminiscent of a lighthouse due to its figure, descends by steps, some carved in the same rock, towards the Iguazú River and walks along a beautiful pedestrian path surrounded by the exuberant jungle. At the end of the path is the Bossetti waterfall, where the water vapor produced by the shock of the water against the rocks forms a tenuous but incessant rain. Going down the path towards Punta Peligro, you can navigate the Iguazú River and cross to San Martín Island.

• Paseo Superior, starting from the viewpoint, the upper part of the waterfalls is covered. Observing the falls from a higher level completely changes the vision of the landscape. The Salto Dos Hermanas, the Bossetti, the Chico, are a small preview of the imposing Garganta del Diablo. Here the water falls from approximately 70 meters high, surprising the deafening roar of the water, permanently covered by dense columns of steam, which is fired by the collision of the water with the rocks.

• The Devil’s Throat, go on the Falls Train and get off the train at the Devil’s Throat Station. From there, you walk along the new walkway that runs 1,100 meters to the wide balconies located along the edge and in front of the Garganta del Diablo.

• And the macuco trail is one of the traditional outings for lovers of nature observation. This trail allows access to a 20 m waterfall in the middle of the jungle. It is an opportunity to get to know the jungle, and spot macucos, platyrrhine monkeys such as the cai or the caraya monkey, coatis, mountain guans, an endless number of insects and occasionally coral vipers. Here is the Salto Arrechea. 

The name is guarani

The name of Iguazú , before Y guazú , is of Guaraní origin , y = ‘water’, guazú = ‘big’, thus, Iguazú means “big water”.

The fauna of the semitropical forest

The fauna that exists in the Iguazú falls is made up of 450 species of birds, 80 species of mammals, a great variety of insects and within the river fauna we can find alligators, turtles, herons and fish.

Among the bird species, the waterfall swifts stand out, which are the representative species of the Iguazú Falls and the great toucan, which is one of the 5 types of toucans that exist in the area.

The waterfalls represent a refuge for some animals that are in danger of extinction such as the jaguar, tapir, ocelot, tiricas, anteater, the yacutinga, jungle eagles and the alligator etc.

The most expensive hotel

The most expensive hotel is the Awasi Iguazú , located on the banks of the Iguazú River in the middle of the tropical jungle, just 20 minutes from the famous falls.

It has 14 villas inspired by local Guarani art, each with a private pool, private guide, and an all-terrain vehicle. And in the surroundings, nature hides an infinite number of secrets that surprise you wherever you look: orchids, ferns, endemic trees among which tapirs, monkeys, pumas and birds of infinite colours go unnoticed. The packages are around between 1,790 and 5,800 dollars.

Of course, there are also many beautiful and comfortable hotels much cheaper than the ones you will enjoy in Puerto Iguazú.

The Iguazú Falls are unanimously recognized as the most spectacular in the world.