Iguazu Falls - Power of Nature, Argentina

The impressive  Iguazu Falls, which separate the Iguazu River into its upper and lower sections, are situated along the border between Argentina and Brazil. The number and height of the falls varies throughout the year depending on rainfall. The largest waterfall is the Devil’s Throat, which is about 82 meters (269 feet) high. The Union Fall is the largest cataract at Iguazu Falls.

Local legends have it that a Naipi, a beautiful woman, was expected to marry one of the gods. Instead, she escaped from the wedding with her love, Taroba, in a canoe. The angry god, left at the altar, responded by cutting the river and creating the waterfall, so the two lovers would fall to their doom.

                  

Guarani or Tupi words have inspired the naming of the falls. Iguazu is a combination of two words “y” and “ûasú “, which means water and big respectively.

Iguazu Falls originates where the Iguazu River spills over the edge of the Paraná Plateau; it is approximately 23 kilometres (14 mi) upriver from the Iguazu’s merging with the Paraná River. Surrounded by subtropical forest, the falls appear like a reverse letter ‘J’. The Iguazu Falls is more prominent towards the Argentine side than the Brazilian side.

The count of these smaller waterfalls range from 150 to 300, depending on the water level in the river. Around half of the river cascades down into the U-shaped Devil’s throat measuring 82 m in height, 150 m in width, and 700 m in length.

The park has a network of trains that run to let visitors easily get around the park. Besides walking around the park and viewing falls from a distance, you can also go on a waterfall boat ride to enjoy and capture the views of the waterfall from all angles.

·  The Iguazu National Park was built in 1934 and was designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1984.

·  The source of the falls is the Iguazu River.

·  The falls feature an altitude of 60-82 meters (197-269 feet).

·  A Spanish explorer, Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca was the first European to view the falls in       1541.

·  On November 11, 2011, Iguazu Falls became one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature.

Some of the individual falls are up to 82 meters (269 ft) in height, though the majority are about 64 metres (210 ft). The Devil’s Throat (Garganta del Diablo in Spanish or Garganta do Diabo in Portuguese), a U-shaped, 82-meter-high (269 ft) , 150-meter-wide and 700-meter-long (490 by 2,300 feet) cataract, is the most impressive of all, marking the border between Argentina and Brazil. Two thirds of the falls are within Argentine territory.         

         

The Iguazu River flows along the border between Brazil and Argentina, as do the Iguazu Falls. Devil’s Throat, the major waterfall at Iguazu Falls, cuts between the two countries. The falls can be accessed from Iguazu National Park in Argentina or Iguazu National Park in Brazil. The falls are also a short distance from the Paraguay border. Brazil and Argentina have nearby airports named the Argentine Cataratas del Iguazú International Airport (IGR) and the Brazilian Foz do Iguaçu International Airport (IGU). You can choose to travel in a taxi or bus from the airport. If you book your accommodation in a hotel inside the park, then you can even visit the falls by foot.


Iguazu Falls see their heaviest flow during the rainy season, from around December through March, when the falls will be most impressive. The weather can get hot and humid during this time, however, and during the monsoon, the river sometimes overflows onto the walkways and the waterfalls are difficult to see. 

This river runs through a smooth geography until it reaches a series of faults, and suddenly an 80 m. canyon in the Devil's Throat where the water produces a thundering sound and then drains into the Parana river. 

A legend says that a big snake called "Boi" lived in the river. To calm its ferocity, aborigines sacrificed a woman every year as an offering. But once a brave guarani aborigin kidnapped the woman and saved her from the traditional rite escaping through the river. Boi burst in anger, bent its body and split the river forming the cataracts separating the man and the woman. 

There are more than 270 falls in an area where cliffs and islets are scattered in a half moon. 
From the visitors center you can walk around trails or in a picturesque train. 
There are two basic circuits: an upper path and a lower path. 

The lower path leads to the base of the falls, where the spray moistens visitors. It is a unique experience, worth daring the adventure. In this circuit you may also take a boat to Isla San Martín. 
From the upper path you have panoramic views from the footbridge in an unforgettable experience.

The falls that can be visited are: Salto Floriano, Salto Deodoro, Salto Benjamín Constant, Salto Unión, Salto Escondido, Salto Mitre, Salto Belgrano, Salto Rivadavia, Salto Tres Mosqueteros, Salto Dos Mosqueteros, Salto San Martín, Salto Adán y Eva, Salto Bozzetti, Salto Ramirez, Salto Chico, Salto Dos Hermanos and Salto Alvar Nuñez . 

Leaving from Cataratas station, we go to the footbridge on the upper part of the river. We get to the balcony on the Devil's Throat, the biggest fall with such a big flow of water that you will be overcome by the grandeur of the scenery. 

The lovers of adventure travelling can acces to more intense circuits. 

Apart from waterfalls, the jungle offers a series of alternatives in a dump but slightly fresher environment with a wide variety of animals and plants. Almost 500 species of wild fowl, 80 species of mammals and an immense variety of reptiles, fish, insects and butterflies live in this ecosystem. 

Only some meters from the Research Center is Macuco Trail, a 3 km. walking path through the dense jungle with different degrees of difficulty. It is a 2 hour walk to Salto Arrechea.

A private operator offers a more daring alternative. Leaving in a 4x4 vehicle we drive 8 km. through the jungle to the coast of the inferior Iguazu river. 
Some semi-rigid rafts with powerful engines will be waiting for us to go upstream and into the mist veil formed by the cascades. 

Another option is to take a rowing boat in the upper Iguazú river to watch the animals and plants in this delta, and maybe see some water tortoises or yacares sunbathing on the coast. 

Iguazú is a singular environment that inspired the writer Horacio Quiroga in his "Tales of the Jungle".

                     

Peak season is during January and February, and again in June and July. The National Parks will be busiest and most expensive during these months. May and September are great months to visit for better weather and smaller crowds.

The park opens from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm between April and September, and 7:30 am to 6:30 pm between October and March.

The entrance fee to the Iguazu National Park is USD 40 per person. The amount is to be paid in Argentine pesos.

Nearby attractions:Iguazu National Park, Maruco Safari, Sao Paolo and Itaipu Dam...