We stayed in Puerto Iguazu on the Argentina side for our hotel. Since the rest of our trip was within Argentina, the flights and logistics were just easiest to stay in Argentina—and the exchange rate didn’t hurt with that decision either!
We were there for only about 1 ½ usable days—and I wish we had had two full days. We spent our ½ day on the Argentina side, and the full day on the Brazil side. I chose this because I didn’t want to waste any of the ½ day going through the border, but did have some doubts at the time because so many say that there’s more to do at the Argentina side.
The Argentina Side
We got a driver from our hotel in downtown Puerto Iguazu. It took about 20 minutes to drive over to the park. We quickly got tickets and jumped on the little “train” they have which takes you to the top of the falls. (There is the option to walk it, but we were feeling pressed on time.) The train drops you off at 2 stations—we went for the highest and planned to work our way down the hill based on suggestions from our driver.
PRO TIP: If you are speedy and fit and want to see the falls before your entire train-load, sit as close as possible to the front of the train, on the left-hand side. This allows you to be the first few off the train—which matters since the walk out to Devil’s Throat is along a moderately narrow, metal walkway—prime for getting stuck behind slower groups.
The day was postcard perfect for pictures, and we meandered our way down entire set of trails. We definitely rushed more than we would have liked, and they were closing trails behind us to new hikers.
This is a great way to get your first view of just how large Iguazu Falls is. I wondered how it compared to Niagara Falls and can say there is absolutely no contest. The number of waterfalls, the distance that is covered with falls, is far superior in Iguazu.
The Brazil Side
The next morning we woke up to the torrential rains that had been forecasted. Water flooded the streets by several inches. When I asked the driver about this he said it was totally normal. The rain was forecasted to end around 11, so our driver picked us up at 10.
We drove to the Brazil side, which was uneventful but more time consuming than the locals lead you to believe. The drive to the border is a quick 10-15 minutes. Then, we waited in a line of cars for about 15 minutes. Once you get to the front of the line, you need to park, get out of the car, stand in a line of people, and get your passport stamped at the window. Another 10ish minutes. Then, off to the Brazilian park Foz de Iguacu—another 15 minutes.
It was still raining pretty hard when we arrived, but we knew it was predicted to clear up soon. We boarded the bus after the ticket counter (they put everyone on the bus to get them up to the falls). Once we got out it was walking on metal walkways. For a while, we kept saying “we’re glad we did this, but the Argentina side is more our style”. We felt like we were far from the falls, and only seeing them off in the distance.
As the rain tapered off, we continued along the walkway. At one point, the view changed and suddenly, we realized that we LOVED the Brazil side. The walkway takes you along the bottom of some waterfalls and puts you into the river valley, in the midst of the falls. You have waterfalls on three sides of you at the scenic view points, and you are covered with the spray coming off the falls. If you didn’t have a poncho on already, you’ll probably want one for this part. The force from the crashing water drives waves of mist onto the viewing platforms. Keeping camera lenses dry enough for photos was a challenge!
PRO TIP: Buy your poncho in town before you head over the border to Brazil. Many street vendors have them. We got 2 small disposable ponchos for about $3 USD. They sell them at the park, but they are (not surprisingly) far more expensive.
In an uncharacteristic move, we chose to eat at the buffet in the park, up near the top of the falls. Partly, I was hungry and partly I wanted to try some Brazilian food—but without too much fuss. We hadn’t come with any Reals, so needed a place that would take credit cards, Argentinian pesos, or US dollars. The buffet seemed like a forgiving place. The food, caipirinhas, and view were all really good.
We finished off the day with the boat ride. Fun and worth doing (I suspect it’d be cheaper on the Argentina side due to currency values—but we didn’t have the time), and very wet!
A one-day pop-over makes sense given the ease of the new Brazilian eVisa. The old process, as I understand it, would not have made sense given the cost and effort for just one day.
An amazing park to visit—I would absolutely suggest you go to both sides if you are able. Plan ahead for the visa—you’ll be happy that you did!