On our recent trip to Argentina, we took a mid-week excursion from Buenos Aires. We jumped on a local airline and visited the town of Puerto Iguazu and the astonishing Iguazu Falls. These amazing falls occur at the borders of Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil. We did not apply for a Brazilian visa, so we stayed on the Argentinian side of the falls.
The flight, although only 90 minutes, was the most turbulent flight I have ever experienced. It was no joke! We arrived in the early afternoon to a torrential, sub-tropical downpour. After checking into our hotel and planning our trip to the falls the following day, we waited out the rain and then ventured into town. Puerto Iguazu was very different from the hustle of Buenos Aires. Small businesses lined the streets and it definitely had a small town feel. The people were incredibly kind and children played on the side walks. We had an extremely fun day and all of us count the time we spent there as one of the highlights of the trip. A completely different side of Argentina and certainly worth experiencing.
Our trip was really short – basically 24 hours -and we didn’t have much time at Iguazu Falls. In hindsight, our departing flight should have been much later in the day so that we could have really had time to see the entire park. We made the most of the time we had there and went for the “extreme” experience. Boarding a 4 x 4 for a trek through the jungle, we bounced for a few miles down to the river. We stuffed all of our belongings into dry bags, which coincidentally were soaking wet on the inside, and braced ourselves. A boat ride took us upriver and through some really fun rapids. Then we caught a glimpse of the enormous falls in the distance. No picture can do these falls justice.
The view of the falls from the water was breathtaking, but the view of the falls INSIDE the falls was exhilarating. Imagine someone turning on a fire hose and shooting it straight at you. While I would have loved to open my eyes and see the what it looked like-it was virtually impossible. There was lots of screaming and tons of laughing. It was really quite something. We should have brought our GoPro. The footage would be really fun to have. After departing the boat, we had time to walk the trails. The views from land were also fantastic, albeit a little dryer. Would I recommend allowing someone to drive you into these falls? YES! Would I recommend a swim suit, poncho and a set of dry clothes for after? YES! However, the after shots of us soaking wet make me giggle.
The surrounding park was filled with trails, monkeys and more vantage points of the falls. A train takes you to the top with a lookout and viewing deck. We didn’t have time to get up there, but the pictures we saw highlight exactly how much water is coming over the top. A TON! Iguazu Falls are truly a natural wonder of the world. If you find yourself in Argentina {or Brazil} I highly recommend it!
