Falling for Iguazu

My main reason for visiting Puerto Iguazu, like most people who come here, is to see the Iguazu Falls. They are located on the border between Argentina and Brazil and consist of around 275 separate waterfalls.
 

I decided to give myself three days in Puerto Iguazu as in this part of the country weather can be unpredictable and the falls are best viewed on a clear day.

I stayed at Hostel Bambu Mini in Puerto Iguazu, it had a nice laid back atmosphere and from what I could gather quite a high turnover of guests as most people seem to only stay a couple of nights before moving on.

Before I arrived I pondered whether to take a tour to the falls as I wasn't sure if it would make life simpler, however it is really easy and cheaper to go independently. 

I took a Rio Uruguay bus from the bus station to the main entrance of the Iguazu National Park. A return ticket cost 100 pesos. 

I arrived at the park at about 10am and it was already quite busy with several school groups and other tours. Entry to the park cost 260 pesos.

Once inside I got myself a map and headed for the lower falls trail - most people head straight for the upper trail or take the train to the Devil's Throat section, but I'd been advised by a guest at the hostel to do the lower trail first as it is usually quieter and gives the best overall view.

The falls are located in what remains of the rainforest in this region and all of the trails take you through this. There are lots of signs advising you to be aware of the various animals you may encounter including jaguars! Covered in a pungent mix of suncream and insect repellent I was good to go.

The lower trail is the longest of the three main ones and I could hear the sound of the falls long before I first saw them. As I rounded the final bend the trail opened out and I caught my first glimpse of them through the clearing it was truly breathtaking, as I made my way along the path it just got better and better. I was somewhat awestruck by it all.

At the end of the lower trail you can stand in front of the Salto Bossetti fall. Even stood quite a few metres from the very end of the platform I still got a nice soaking from the spray. I wasn't complaining though as it was nice to cool down as even at 11am the temperature was in the high 20s.

I then walked the upper trail, which is shorter than the lower and takes you along the top of several of the falls the view from the top was good but not as impressive as the lower trail.

Finally, there is a train that takes you up to the Devil's Throat trail. Approximately half of the river's flow falls down the Devil's Throat (Garganta del Diablo), which is made up of 14 falls. It is 82 metres high, 150 metres wide and 700 metres long and the border between Argentina and Brazil actually runs through it.

The trail to get there is almost 1km long across metal walkways suspended over the river, which open out to a viewing platform right on the edge. The sound was deafening and there was a huge amount of spray coming up from the water not surprising really and when the wind changed direction it actually felt like heavy rain.

It is advisable to keep a plastic bag or waterproof case handy to protect any cameras. I actually used the camera on my phone for the photos at this part as I knew it could withstand a bit of wet better than my main camera. I also didn't bother with any waterproofs and I had pretty much dried off by the time I walked back along the trail.

During my time in the park I saw and heard lots of wildlife. It's true what they say about the noises in the rainforest and at times it was so loud it sounded like someone was playing a recording of insects. Thankfully I didn't encounter any jaguars but I did see a caiman in one of the little rivers, numerous colourful butterflies, a small jumpy spider and a coati.
 

The coatis are notorious in the park for stealing food and can be quite aggressive. I chose to give them a wide berth as much as possible until I was sitting in the shade reapplying my sun cream and one decided to try and steal the bottle! Thankfully it got distracted and ran off but to be honest I probably would have let it take the bottle rather than risk getting bitten as the warning pictures around the park of previous injuries to visitors didn't look nice - I also didn't fancy putting my rabies vaccine to the test quite so early on in the trip either!

Puerto Iguazu itself is very much geared to tourists but does still retain a bit of small town charm. It actually reminds me of the many beach towns in the South West of England during the height of summer only minus the beer bellies on display (thank goodness).

Paraguay on the left and Brazil on the right

On my last full day in the town I wandered out to the point at which you can see Paraguay and Brazil across the Rio Parana and Rio Iguazu respectively. Where the Rio Parana and Rio Iguazu meet you can tell as the colour changes. The Iguazu used to be blue but due to deforestation having loosened the soil it means when it rains what's left flows into the river turning it brown.