Iguazú Falls: the largest waterfall in the world
The highlight of South America: the Iguazú Falls
During a long trip through South America we arrived in Argentina for the second time. We embarked on a great journey through this special continent in Buenos Aires and travel through almost all countries to Lima, Peru. In the previous part we made the crossing to Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay. You can read about this adventure here: Backpacking in Uruguay, the highlights. Now it’s time for one of the absolute highlights of South America: the Iguazú Falls!
The largest waterfalls in the world are located at the border triangle of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay.
The border triangle of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay
We are back in Argentina and take the bus to the three-country point between Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. The famous Iguazú Falls (Iguaçu in Portuguese) are located on the border of these three countries and are definitely a highlight of South America. Each country has its own base for your visit or organized tour to the Iguazú falls.
On the map we see that the three cities are close together, from where a short bus ride can transport you to the national parks.
What can you expect at the Iguazú Falls?
Combined, the Argentinian side Iguazú and the Brazilian side Iguaçu have 275 waterfalls, where the water plunges as much as 82 meters into the Rio Iguaçu. In extreme cases, as much as 12 million liters per second can come down. Although the Niagara Falls may be better known, Iguazú has the largest and most impressive waterfalls on our planet. A visit is therefore a must-do during your trip to both Argentina and Brazil. In addition to the chain of hundreds of waterfalls of up to 2.7 kilometers, the tropical rainforest full of colorful plants and animals is a nice bonus.
The Iguazú Falls are a destination that you can definitely visit all year round. After the wettest months in spring, the waterfalls are at their largest due to the large amount of water in the rivers. In our summer, their winter, there is little rain and the temperature is very pleasant.
The best time to visit Iguazú Falls is summer, because it rains less. The temperature is always very pleasant.
We visit the Iguazú Falls in July, a month with lots of sun and little rain!
The Argentinian side in Puerto Iguazú
After a long bus journey of thirteen hours we arrive in Puerto Iguazú. Because we always take the buses at night, we sleep most of the long distances. The system of night buses throughout South America is highly recommended. You can quickly travel in luxury here on a fairly cheap budget! When we wake up we see that we are suddenly surrounded by the jungle. We stay in Marcopolo Suites Iguazú, a very relaxed hotel with a beautiful courtyard, a swimming pool and lots of greenery. We don’t spend much time on it now, because we quickly grab some Argentine Pesos and immediately take the bus to the Iguazú National Park.
The various routes through the park run straight through the jungle. We see coatis (coatis), toucans and birds of prey. When I ask Suzanne if she has seen many animals, she answers sarcastically: YES! MOSQUITOES! When I told her that there are also crocodiles and jaguars in the enormous jungle around us, those flying blood spikes suddenly were no longer the problem. Although the chance of spotting a truly rare Jaguar is minuscule, Suus watches alertly in the bushes all day long in Kung Fu position.
The coati is the South American version of the raccoon. They are always greedy for food, including what’s in your bag!
A boat trip between the Iguazú waterfalls is a must!
You can get a good view of the waterfalls from various plateaus, but what we really wanted was to get even closer by boat. We knew that too! During a boat trip on the river we sail very close to the swirling water, through a corridor called la Garganta del Diablo, the Devil’s Throat. You will notice that you can hardly breathe because the water seems to come from all sides in a thick mist! By the way, Suus had been screaming so loudly that later in the day we still encountered people imitating her. It was truly indescribable and a super cool experience!
How much does a visit to the Iguazú Falls cost in 2025?
One disadvantage of such a great park is the prices. We had to triple our usual daily budget, but places like this are worth it. This is what you can expect:
- Entrance to the Brazilian side: approx. €25 p.p.
- Entrance on the Argentinian side: approx. €40 p.p.
- Boat tour: €65-85 p.p.
- TIP: Book via this link and use code WOUTOFTHEWORLD5 to get an exclusive discount!
The swirling water of the Iguazú Falls up close. What an impressive sight and how insignificant and small we feel!
The life of a backpacker in Puerto Iguazú
The beer is extremely cheap at the cozy bar of our hotel. During Happy Hour we only pay 2 bucks for a 650 ml bottle, how bizarre! But be careful, if you order just after Happy Hour, prices will skyrocket. Converted, the bottles now cost 11 bucks per bottle! At that moment it is good to know that there is not yet any beer coming out of the tap in South America, in so many places they can conjure up the golden rascals. Across the road, the Shell gas station is more like a liquor store that also happens to have a gasoline business.
The center of Puerto Iguazú is not very impressive. As backpackers, we quickly see the tourist restaurants, where group trips go, as a money grab. Admittedly, this part of Argentina is not rich and you can’t blame them for making a good living from the hordes of tourists wandering around here.
On Sunday, Puerto Iguazú, like many places in South America, is completely at a loss. The waterfalls are accessible, but much else is closed. Suus can finally do something about those white milk bottles she calls legs and I take a dip in the pool. We enjoy the sun to the fullest, surrounded by the sounds of the tropical rainforest around us.
Happy Hour is the nicest and cheapest time of the day everywhere in South America, especially for backpackers!
Crossing the border between Argentina and Paraguay/Brazil
In the evening we will cross the border into Paraguay, perhaps the greatest unknown of all the countries in South America. The border town is called Ciudad del Este and is somewhat known as a bad gambling town: more for the fortune seeker or whoremonger and less for the backpacker. The bus ride is exciting and we are also a bit nervous. Paraguay is a lot poorer than the previous countries and much less touristy. As we board the bus, the bus driver says to let us know when we reach the Argentina border and therefore outgoing customs. There we ‘check out’ of Argentina and get back on board. We expected to repeat this routine on the Paraguayan side. The stamp is arranged within a minute, but that idiot of a bus driver is the target! He left us at the border and it is already dark.
Hello Paraguay!
Two Chileans and a strange drunk, who share the same fate, offer to share a taxi. However, I see that our hostel is quite close and we decide to walk the distance. After all, the weather is nice; We can immediately withdraw some money from the bank and the area becomes more and more beautiful. Everything now resembles an exciting episode of Ultimate Survival, in a completely new environment that we know nothing about.
We walk along a large lake, through a park, but into a somewhat deserted area. There are no more street lights and uninhabited villas are under construction around us. A rich neighborhood, but there are many stray dogs. Suus is really terrified, but I keep telling her that there is nothing wrong. I also start to lose my tight Terminator look when at one point three dogs run towards us and bark loudly. Fortunately, the proverb about dogs barking still turned out to apply. We arrive at the hostel in an escort of stray dogs, where Suus shed a tear (also of happiness).
Spend the night in Ciudad del Este, Paraguay
What we no longer expect at all happens. We enter the most beautiful hostel we have ever seen: Casa Alta Hostel. A gigantic kitchen, large rooms with mega TVs, marble floors and designer furniture. We get a large quadruple room for two, a modern bathroom and a garden with a brand new swimming pool: an almost free paradise. Because we are now starving, the hotel manager gives us a list of thirty types of pizza. We combine three flavors on a mega pizza (70 cm diameter!) that comes with two liters of coke as standard. Fresh and quickly delivered for seven euros. Where have we ended up? Heaven exists and it is in Paraguay!
We chill on the roof terrace of Hostel Alta Casa in Ciudad del Este, surrounded by the Paraguayan jungle.
The Brazilian side in Foz do Iguaçu
From Paraguay or Brazil you will enter the Iguaçu National Park from the town of Foz do Iguaçu. This nature reserve borders the Argentine Iguazú falls in the south, where we were earlier. Actually the name is exactly the same, but instead of Spanish it is now Portuguese. Most of the waterfalls are in Argentina (about 80%), but the best view is from the Brazilian side of the waterfalls! It is therefore worth visiting both sides while you are there.
After a beautiful view we have finished the entire ‘experience’ and we travel on to Paraguay on our trip through South America.
The view at the top of the waterfall is breathtaking. The sound alone will blow you away.
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