Iguazu Falls 2023

In considering a trip to Brazil / Argentina, we decided to take a guided tour with the Travel Department, with three different guides on-hand whilst visiting each of the three main holiday locations of (1) Rio de Janeiro (2) Iguazu Falls and (3) Buenos Aires.

 

The tour comprised twelve nights staying in four/five star hotels on a half-board basis. All of our daily coach trips began and ended at our hotels.

 

During our tour free days, there were optional tours available at extra costs.

After our two nights at the Sanma Hotel in the Brazil side of Iguazu, we flew onto Buenos Aires in Argentinian. (See our 2 night itinerary below).

 

 

(2) A guided tour, visiting the highlights that Iguazu Falls, along the Argentina-Brazil border,  has to offer.

We recommend a visitor to the Falls and you should plan to spend a minimum of 2 days, one day on either side, in order to take it all in.

 

Our JustRetired50Plus walking tour Iguazu Falls impressions:-

 

• You can view the falls from both Argentina and Brazil, and the views offer quite different vantage points for experiencing the falls. Brazil is more of a panorama view as well as a walkway into the falls, while Argentina has extensive walking paths over the falls where you can get very close to the cascades.

• As a consequence of all the forest growth taking place on the forest floor, it is not possible to walk in the forest, except where there are man-made pathways. The Amazon forest in comparison is easy to walk in, because unlike Iguazu, all of the growth takes place up at a much higher canopy.

• It is recommended to spend two nights at least in the area, preferably one on each side.

•  The easiest way to get to Iguazu is via one of the daily flights into either the Argentina airport (IGR) or Brazil airport (IGU), but you can also access the area by long-distance bus from major cities like Rio and Buenos Aires.

• They have succeeded in building a well run accessible tourist walkways around their naturally occurring waterfalls;

• Their man-made trails, paths and viewing points afford any visitor the perfect opportunity to literally soak up the awesome power of nature in its own unspoilt natural surroundings;

• The border crossing between the two countries can be done easily overland in either car or bus. Most EU passport holders can enter Brazil visa-free. 

• There is  noticeable  infrastructural developments underway all around the area, in order to enhance their tourist experience;

• It lies 25 degrees south of the equator in the sub tropical zone;

• These waterfalls are truly a stunning natural phenomenon that draw millions of visitors each year. Iguazu Falls are nearly three times as wide as Niagara Falls and Victoria Falls, with a staggering average flow rate of 1,700 cubic metres of water falling every second. That is nearly 400,000 gallons of water per second;

• There is no way around it—Iguazu National Park gets crowded. The falls are one of the most famous and popular attractions in both Brazil and Argentina, so it is no surprise that crowds swell throughout the day. The busiest season for visiting the falls is during the southern hemisphere’s summer months, typically December-March, but the park is open year round so there isn’t really a way to avoid the potential for crowds;

• Unlike other national parks around the world, Iguazu has very structured metal walking paths and access areas to keep visitors safe from the falls. This structure makes it difficult for visitors to spread out since everyone is roughly following the same few paths;

• Alternatively, you could go to the park about 2 hours before it closes. Most people visit Iguazu Falls between 10am-3pm, especially the large tour buses, so it is best to avoid those peak hours;

• Perhaps the weirdest thing about the Argentina side of Iguazu Falls is the old small train that visitors are required to take, to access all of the falls and walking paths. If you want to visit the Garganta del Diablo (Devil’s Throat) viewpoint, you have to take the train. There are no public walking paths to the viewpoint (although you will see people once again ignoring posted park rules and walking anyway);

• The cost of the train tickets are included in your park entrance fee, you need to reserve a time slot on the train in order to be allowed to board, and depending on the crowds, you might find yourself stranded for 30 minutes or more waiting for the next available boarding time;

• The weather at Iguazu Falls is hot and humid with almost daily rain. It is a rainforest after all;

• Rainforests and electronics do not match. So come prepared to protect your phone, camera etc.;

• You can get pretty close to the falls on both the Argentina and Brazil sides of Iguazu Falls. There will be a lot of spray and moisture in the air. Plus, sudden rain is a common occurrence. It can go from sunny to pouring rain in a matter of minutes;

• If money is not an issue for you, at both of the national park hotels, guests have the privilege to visit Iguazu Falls before the park opens or after the park closes. Choose to stay at the Gran Melia in Argentina and the Belmond in Brazil, both of which are inside the national park boundaries;

• Visiting Iguazu Falls has the potential for wildlife encounters with rainforest animals like toucans, monkeys and coatimundi. Remember not to feed them and keep a safe distance between you. Leave them in peace and simply enjoy the opportunity to see them thriving in the rainforest. A cool Instagram picture is never worth it.

 

 

 

Our JustRetired50Plus boat trip to Iguazu Falls impressions:-

 

• All of the points above relate in general terms to the boat trip experience as well, however there are some additional points relating solely to the river boat trip experience;

• All the boat trip participants get driven for a 20 minute drive on the back of bespoke lorries to access the entry point onto the river;

• The steps down to the boat access point are steep and many. Be mindful that what goes down must come back up, allied to the fact that you will be soaked to the skin on the way back up;

• First and foremost, they say you may get wet. They drive the high-powered rigid inflatable boat (RIB) right under the waterfall towards the end of the boat trip;

• You are given a waterproof bag for your valuables, clothes and electronics, make sure to use this, as the boat will be inundated with water when it goes under the Falls;

• The boat crews make videos with water proof cameras during the entire experience. These can be purchased via the web , if you so wish afterwards;

• Hold on tight as the boat ride to the bottom of the falls can be very bumpy when you go through the rapids section of the approach.

 

Our JustRetired50Plus helicopter trip to Iguazu Falls impressions:-

 

• All of the points above relate in general terms to the helicopter trip experience as well, however there are some additional points of note;

• The entire helicopter trip duration is 20 minutes approximately, of which 14 minutes is getting to and from the falls;

• The duration of time over the falls is 6 - 7 minutes maximum;

• If you intend to take photos, you have to be ready for the very short window of opportunity;

• The helicopter takes 5 passengers along with the pilot. This means that 2 passengers are in the middle seats, in the front and in the back;

• Your seat position is decided by the ground crew based on weight distribution;

• The reflective glass surfaces interrupt the focussing on SLR cameras, so be prepared for lots of camera corrections. Using auto-focus will just get you lots of photos of the inside of the helicopter ;

• The helicopter is extremely noisy, especially when the passengers are not miked up, so do not expect to be heard by fellow passengers until you land back at the helicopter base;

• The helicopter ground crew make a video of the take-off and landing. These videos along with previously taken helicopter acquired photos can be purchased back at the helicopter base.

 

 

 

Our recommendation of the order of importance by which you should visit the Iguazu Falls sight:-

 

The sight is 80% in Argentina and 20% in Brazil, approximately. The Brazilian size offers the best panoramic ground views of the Falls from its paths and viewing points.

 

Alternately, the Argentinian side offers better opportunities to get up close and personal with the Falls, from their walkways out onto the top of the Falls.

 

In an age of perfectly curated Instagram photos, the reality of the travel experience is now becoming more threatened by the pushy Instagrammers who command the key viewing points for inordinate amounts of time. This culture really comes to the fore at very popular tourist venues like Iguazu Falls.

 

The boat rides offer greater opportunities to appreciate the power and depth of the Falls.

The helicopter trip offers an unmatched aerial panorama of the extent of the falls, even allowing for the brevity of the time spent over the Falls.

 

Our JustRetired50Plus recommendation is to do a mixture of all 3 ways to see the Falls, if you want to get the complete sense of this modern wonder of the world. We stayed in the 5 star Sanma  Hotel, in the Brazilian side, which was a wonderful experience, strongly recommended, an all-round totally satisfying experience after a long day walking around the Falls.

​

 

Our must see recommendation for a trip to Iguazu Falls, Brazil/Argentina 2023:-

(1) Take in the panoramic views from the Brazilian side of the Falls.

(2) To get a great perspective of the Falls, take in the top-side views from the Argentinian side of the Falls. In particular go the extra mile to visit the Devil’s Throat viewing point.

(3) Our third would be to do the helicopter trip to get the aerial perspective of the Falls.