I never thought of Paraguay as a “destination”, but rather as an addition to an already existing itinerary. And what better destination than Iguazu / Iguacu Falls?
As you may have read on the Internet, Iguazu Falls or Iguacu Falls are waterfalls of the Iguazu River on the border of the Argentine province of Misiones and the Brazilian state of Parana. Together, they make up one of the grandest waterfall systems in the world. I planned to visit the waterfalls from both Argentinian and Brazilian sides, with a side trip to Paraguay in between.
Logistics
Unfortunately, my damaged passport that was deemed invalid for travel contains my 10-year visa for Brazil. Even though there was a chance that I could still use this valid visa for entrance into the country, I did not want to risk being denied entry and applied for another visa. I used the new Brazil eVisa Application Service to get my third tourist visa for Brazil. And whoa, what a change from when I had my last two tourist visas issued – $40 USD; no supporting documentation needed, just a passport copy and a photo; active support line; issued within 48 hours; and valid for two years.
To save money, I booked two separate airfare itineraries: round-trip airfare from Chicago to Rio de Janeiro via Sao Paulo and then round-trip airfare from Rio de Janeiro to Foz do Iguacu. Luckily, all flights were on time and I arrived at Foz do Iguacu International Airport on the evening of Friday, August 31, 2018.
To visit the falls, you can base yourself in either Puerto Iguazu on the Argentinian side or Foz do Iguacu on the Brazilian side. Getting around is easy from both border towns. I decided to spend the first night on the Argentinian side, before crossing back over into Brazil for two more nights. Prior to arriving in Brazil, I prearranged transportation from the airport to the hostel on the Argentinian side, located a little less than 30 minutes away from the airport in Foz do Iguacu. I could have probably hailed a taxi for less, or even taken the bus for a fraction of the cost, but I was worried about crossing the border without getting stamped out of Brazil and stamped in to Argentina. While planning this trip, I learned that hopping around between Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay can potentially cause foreigners problems. Since locals do not need to use a passport to move around between these three countries, taxis (unless directed) and public buses do not stop at the borders. This could potentially cause problems if and when you need to provide proof of exit or entry. So, to avoid any problems, I booked a private transfer that ensured a stop at passport control.
Puerto Iguazu
Puerto Iguazu – a gateway to Iguazu Falls. I booked a one-night stay in a four-bed dorm at the Hostel Bambu Puerto Iguazu located in the city center. There is not much to do in Puerto Iguazu itself, it is a rather small and quiet city – you can easily get around the city center by walking. Fear not, the city does have a selection of restaurants and bars to keep you occupied after hours.
But, save some time for a visit to Hito de Las Tres Fronteras (or in English, the Triple Frontier). This tri-border area along the junction of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay is a must. I mean, there is not much to do here, but it was pretty cool to see the natural border between the three countries. Oh, and there even is a light show every night. But, it was not so great.
Argentinian Side of the Falls
The Argentinian and Brazilian sides of the national park comprise a total of 225 hectares (or about 556 acres) of protected areas. I allocated one full day to each side of the falls. Getting to Iguazu Falls from Puerto Iguazu is easy and cheap – but, please keep in mind that the following information is as of the date that this post was published. There is only one bus company (Rio Uruguay) that goes to the national park from the bus terminal every 20 minutes beginning at 7:20 AM. Note: There is also a bus that goes to the Brazilian side of the falls from this bus station, and it stops on both sides of the border for you to do your immigration procedures. Round-trip bus tickets are sold at the stand on Platform 11 for $190 ARS (about $5 USD). It only takes about 30 minutes to get to the entrance of the park. I took the first bus to falls, where I spent the entire day exploring the park before joining a boat ride under the falls.
The Argentinian side of the national park is open from 8:00 AM until 6:00 PM. Entrance to the park is $600 ARS (about $16 USD). The park now accepts credit and debit cards.
The Argentinian side offers many trails and circuits to enjoy different waterfalls and the jungle. All of the trails on this side of the park are paved and flat, with a low level of difficulty. The various circuits and trails can be accessed by the park’s Rainforest Ecological Train. It starts at the Central Train Station, close to the entrance of the park and where the access to the Macuco Trail and Arrechea Fall is located.
From there, the train departs every 15 or 20 minutes.
The Cataratas Train Station is the intermediate stop, where access to the Upper and Lower Circuits is located (the Green Trail is an alternative connection to the Rainforest Train, to and from the way to the Upper and Lower Circuits). This is also where visitors can board the boat to San Martin Island. The train ends at the Devil’s Throat Train Station, where the 1,100 meters (or about 1,203 yards) long footbridge beings and leads across the Upper Iguazu River to the lookout from which this waterfall can be seen.
I arrived at the park at opening and headed straight for the Central Train Station. I took the train all the way up to the Devil’s Throat Train Station. I wanted to beat the crowds to reach the lookout balcony of the majestic Devil’s Throat – the most important and mighty waterfall of the Iguazu Falls from the Argentina side.
Next, I took the train back to the Central Train Station, and then hiked the Green Trail to access the Upper Circuit.
The footbridge of the Upper Circuit begins at Dos Hermanas Waterfalls, passes Chico, Ramirez, Bosetti, Adan y Eva, and Bernabe Mendez Waterfalls, and ends at Mbigua Waterfall lookout. After Mbigua Waterfall lookout, the gangway crosses the Iguazu River to reach the edge of the second largest waterfall of the system – the San Martin Waterfall. The views along the Upper Circuit are simply incredible.
After finishing the Upper Circuit, I walked over to begin the Lower Circuit. The footbridge of the Lower Circuit goes into the forest to where Dos Hermanas, Chico, and Ramirez Waterfalls’ falling waters break. At the end of the circuit, visitors can enjoy the bottom of the Bosetti Waterfall. The third and last parts of the Lower Circuit, which lead back to Dos Hermanas Square, go through the Lower Iguazu shore where Alvar, Nunez, Elenita, and Lanusse Waterfalls can be enjoyed.
Bathrooms and restaurants are located throughout the park. Just note, coatis and monkeys love to hang out at these stops, so be careful with your food.
Also, be ready for weather to change at any moment; make sure that you have waterproof clothing and shoes. I would also suggest bringing a dry bag.
I ended my time at Iguazu Falls with the Nautical Adventure – a boat ride under the falls. This was something that was highly recommended by fellow travelers. Unfortunately, it rained nonstop that afternoon. I was cold. Instead of taking in the scenery, I spent much of the ride with my head down trying not to get water into my poncho. If you plan to do the same, I suggest bringing a change of clothes.
Foz do Iguacu
After spending a day exploring the Argentinian side of the falls, I took a taxi across the border to Foz do Iguacu – the other gateway to Iguacu Falls. I booked a two-night stay in a private, standard double bed room at the Bambu Hostel located in downtown Foz do Iguacu.
There is also not much to do in Foz do Iguacu. Just like Puerto Iguazu, it is a rather small and quiet city.
Also, just like Puerto Iguazu, the city has an attraction at the tri-border area along the junction of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. However, unlike on the Argentinian side, there is an entrance fee and operating hours for Marco das Tres Fronteiras (or in English, the Three Borders Landmark).
Paraguay is just across the river. The following morning, on my first full day in Foz do Iguacu, I hired a driver and crossed the Friendship Bridge (an arch bridge connecting Foz do Iguacu and the Paraguayan city of Ciudad del Este) into Paraguay [see post: Across the Friendship Bridge: A Morning in Paraguay].
If you find yourself with extra time, Chen Tien Buddhist Temple and Itaipu Dam are only a short drive away from the city center. Uber operates throughout the city, making getting around cheap and easy.
Brazilian Side of the Falls
Although majority of the falls are on the Argentinian side, the Brazilian side offers something that the other side does not – a panoramic view of the falls. The Brazilian side of the national park is open from 9:00 AM until 5:00 PM. Entrance to the park is $64 BRL (about $16 USD). The park accepts credit and debit cards.
The Brazilian side of the park only has one trail to see Devil’s Throat.
The trail is 1,000 meters (or about 0.62 miles) and provides wonderful panoramic views along the entire path. You really only need two or three hours maximum to explore the Brazilian side (while the recommended time to explore the Argentinian side is between six and seven hours).
If you want to extend your visit, the Brazilian side of the park has several paid activities that you can do, such as a boat ride under the falls or a panoramic helicopter flight over the falls.
Located just across the street from the entrance of the park is Parque das Aves – an internationally recognized center for bird conservation and recovery. The bird park is open every day from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. The park offers several guided tours in addition to general admission. I spent over an hour wandering around Parque das Aves before heading to the airport to catch my evening flight to Rio de Janeiro.
Rio de Janeiro Stopover
A decade and 100 countries later, Rio remains one of my top three favorite cities in the world.
This is my third visit to Rio, and definitely not my last. For my stopover, I booked a one-night stay at the Americas Granada Hotel located in central Rio de Janeiro in the Lapa neighborhood. I spent the following day exploring the Lapa and Santa Teresa neighborhoods before returning to the airport for my late afternoon flight home to Chicago via Sao Paulo.
