Iguazu Falls

Why Iguazu Falls:

Iguazu (Guarani for Big Water) is considered one of if not the most magnificent waterfall on earth. I have wanted to visit for a long time. As the region lies on the triple border of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, I could reach it from all three countries. The falls themselves are located half in Brazil and half in Argentina. The plan was to start in Paraguay (since I was already there), then visit Brazil and finally visit Argentina where I would catch a domestic flight to Buenos Aires for a friend’s wedding. 

November 13, 2025: Brazil

After two half days and a night in Ciudad del Este, my business school friend Chris and I crossed the Parana River into Foz do Iguazu, Brazil. The bridge is not pretty. 

On the Brazil side, we walked past a security officer unchecked and just like that we were in Brazil. The problem is that I needed the passport stamp to legally enter the country – locals don’t need to do this but foreigners must because bad things could happen if you get caught without the entry stamp). After asking around we eventually found the immigration booth on the far side of the hectic 12-lane road. We waited in the 20-minute line of foreigners and was eventually stamped in.

We then caught an Uber to a local lunch spot called Restaurante Barracao. With 14,000 Google reviews, 4.7 rating, we had to go. The restaurant serves a buffet of Brazilian delicacies for $10 USD/person. An absolute steal. 

From there, we took an Uber through the town of Foz de Iguazu to the falls themselves. Our driver was Cuban but has lived here for a few years. Like in Paraguay, I asked him which country in the Iguazu Falls area has the best women. He also said Paraguayan women then Brazilian then Argentinian. Perhaps we have a consensus building?

The drive took 45 minutes and we were at the National Park entry gate by 13:30. We stored our bags and then got onto the bus to take us to the falls. We also paid $70 USD for the famous boat trip. 

At the end of the bus line, we reached the trailhead for the main falls overlook. A few steps in, we caught our first view of the grandeur of Iguazu. 

Unlike Victoria Falls or Kaieteur, Iguazu is not just a single falls or single sheet of water: it is actually 150-300 individual waterfalls spread the edges of a canyon.  That said, there are two main clumps. The first clump lies on the Argentina side. 

The second clump is the Devil’s Throat where the falls make a U shape around the international border. 

On the Brazil side, the main viewpoint lies halfway up the falls and feels quite immersive. 

The trail in total took about an hour including all the photo stops. 

The vast majority of the visitors here were Brazilian. 

On the way back towards the visitor center, we stopped for the famous boat tour. We were pressed for time. The experience supposedly lasts two hours, but the final national park bus back is in 90 minutes. If you miss that bus, then you need to wait an extra hour or two for the final bus that transports the park staff. Normally this would be fine, but we still needed to find a taxi and cross the international border into Argentina. Additionally, we left our bags in lockers at the front of the national park. Hopefully they did not clear out the lockers at the end of the day. 

Despite these risks, we had already paid and decided to go for it. Perhaps the experience wouldn’t take as long as advertised. 

We boarded an electric tram that drove through the jungle. After 15 minutes, we were given the option to go on a 20-minute nature hike. Given the time crunch, we declined and instead boarded jeeps that took us even further down the hill. Here, we boarded a funicular which took us down to the Iguazu River itself. 

At the river platform, we were asked if we wanted the “dry” or “wet” tour. We opted for “wet”. How wet could it be? I’ve done the Maiden of the Mist at Niagara. Besides, we had ponchos.  

Soon enough, we were loaded onto a powerful speedboat which WHISKED us up the huge rapids with ease. 

When we reached the base of the first clump of falls, the “dry” tour people switched into another boat. No turning back now!

We then proceeded to go UNDER the falls. The passengers screamed. It felt like a heavy shower….because it was. My head ached from the water pressure. 

After getting some breathing room, we then went under the falls again! And then a third time!

As we headed back, I could not believe that it is allowed to get this up close and personal with the falls. In America, the boat company would have been sued to oblivion. 

Back at the platform, we backtracked all the way up to the road, where we were able to just catch the final national park bus back to the park entrance! 

From there, we hired a taxi to take us all the way to Argentina for $40 USD. We had a female taxi driver, so I did not ask her which country had the best women. 

The drive to the Brazilian side of the border took 35 minutes due to the road-construction related traffic. 

Once at the border, we got stamped out through a much quicker process than earlier today. We then continued for a few kilometers through the no-man’s land and over the Iguazu River. 

Eventually, we reached a humongous traffic jam waiting to get into Argentina. The driver said she would give us a 50% discount on the fare if she could drop us off here. We accepted so she pulled into the parking lot of a giant duty free store located in the no-man’s land. 

We then walked through the pedestrian crossing into Argentina. Argentina recently stopped issuing passport stamps. 

From the border, it was only a 25-minute walk to the town of Puerto Iguazu and our hostel. My first impression of Puerto Iguazu is….very positive. The town is far prettier than the equivalent towns in Brazil or Paraguay. There are also many really nice wine shops – the other countries don’t have the same quality wine as Argentina. 

For dinner, I met up with my business school friend Alfonso who was also traveling before the wedding. 

It was 17 hours after we woke up in Paraguay. What an adventure it has been so far. 

November 14, 2025: Argentina

After waking up and getting the hostel’s mediocre breakfast, we took a taxi ride to the Argentine side of the falls. Like with the other cab drivers, I asked which country had the best women. Again, the ranking was Paraguay, Brazil, Argentina. I think that settles is. 

We made an arrangement for the same driver to pick us up later.

We then queued to purchase our tickets to enter the park right when it opened. Nearly everyone here was a foreign tourist from Europe or North America. I met just a few people speaking Spanish. 

After entering the park at 8:00, we bolted for the train to take us to the falls.

The train took us directly to the Garganta Station, where we began an impressive 20-minute boardwalk hike across the Iguazu River. How on earth did this get built?!?

At the end, we reached the top of the Devil’s Throat. This is the single most impressive view of the falls. 

We then walked back to the train station and took the train to the main falls stop. From here, there were two trails: Upper and Lower. We had the time to do both, so we started with the lower. 

The path took us across some of the more “minor” falls further downriver. Even these “lesser” falls were still massive and this showcased just how massive Igauazu really is. 

We then got a panoramic view of the second-biggest grouping. 

The upper trail traversed along the top of this grouping of waterfalls. 

By the end of these trails, I now felt like I had my bearings. 

It was now 12:30 and time to head to the airport for my 15:00 flight. The cab driver was there to pick us up and drove us the 20 minutes to the airport where every flight was going to Buenos Aires.

When flying out, I was blessed with a beautiful view of the falls. 

Final Thoughts:

Iguazu lives us to the hype. The Argentine side is objectively better, but if you have a second day, you should go to Brazil where the boat trip is more accessible. You only need one day for each side. If you have a third day (you could also do this on day 2), go visit Ciudad del Este.