Iguazu Waterfalls

I went a few years back to Iceland the land of waterfalls and so I had to ask the question:, is it worth it to go all the way to Iguazu for a waterfall after seeing some many. I got the same clear answer from everyone: YES!!!
Now post trip, if you have the same question, stop questioning JUST GO. 

Just to give you a few details:
​"The semicircular waterfall at the heart of this site is some 80 m high and 2,700 m in diameter and is situated on a basaltic line spanning the border between Argentina and Brazil."
If you want to read about all the importance of IGUAZU waterfalls ​and why it is a UNESCO protected site, check out the Unesco website. 

Getting there 

It depends if you are travelling there from Brazil or from Argentina. We were coming from Argentina and so we booked a flight with Aerolineas Argentinas getting you to the Iguazu Airport on the Argentinian side of the waterfall. You can get there also by bus, but this is super long. If you buy your ticket with enough time in advance the price for the plane ticket is low enough to make it totally worth it not to lose so many hours with travelling by bus (but then there is the environment to consider as well)

From the airport we went to the accommodation with a taxi arranged by the hotel but here the number of the taxi driver. 
Contact: Hugo
​Phone: +5493757458786
He works for a local company and I think they use their own car, anyway he was friendly, but watch out as he will try to make you visit different attractions and go to particular restaurants as I think they get some commission. Otherwise very knowledgeable of the area so can give you a lot of info.

Accommodation

We stayed at the Hotel of Armando and i left from there with mixed feelings. The house was comfortable though super hot. They offer laundry service, but unless you stay several days don't risk washing anything with the high humidity nothing dries although he will tell you it will. There is a small swimming pool available and he can organize a Mate tasting. To me the most annoying part, except that we had to take our cloths wet,  was that he was incredibly slow. It's even hard to expain how slow :P

What to see and do

Sure, this seems straightforward, but a bit of structure did not harm anyone. I will list everything in the order that we organized ourselves, not saying it's the best way, but i can give like this better time estimations. We had there almost 2 full days. 

Day 1 - arriving in Iguazu AR 7:35 AM

We took the first flight from Buenos Aires and so we arrived ultra early. Bare in mind that the timing is subject to change also after booking. After we arrived at the hotel to leave our stuff, we took the taxi as drivers around. 

Day 1 - Stop 1: Foz de Iguazu, Brasil 

We drove to the Brazilian side of the waterfall, as they say it's enough for 1/2 day, and it is. Don't forget to take your passport with you, as you are crossing a border! The taxi left us in the parking and we arranged that they will come pick us up at a particular hour in the afternoon. You can do several things around we decided for the following
A. Helicopter flight over the waterfalls 
B. FOZ de Iguazu  
C. Parque das Aves​ 
In this order, the only thing i regret is that while part of our group went for the helicopter we did not start queuing for the bus that brings you to the waterfalls. It's something out of this world, on top of the super long queues it is horribly hot & wet.

Helicopter Flight 

I did not go for it, but you have a 15 min tour over the waterfall which I understood it is quite impressive. It's approx 100 Euro per person. 

Foz De Iguazu

The price for the entrance is approx 16 Euro. Not a lot I would say for the huge park that they are taking care of. You first need to queue to get your tickets, this goes fast and then you start the real queue, the one waiting for the bus. There are a lot of buses, and the area where you have to wait is protected from the sun, but it takes very long and it is very hot. Once in the bus, you can get off along the way or go directly for the short hike to the falls. You have some places from where to buy food and drinks as well as toilets. 

The view is spectacular and you sort of forget of the heat and the crowds. There are moments that you look like hypnotized. It's truly impressive.  

Take the time to walk around and enjoy the view. Take the pictures and make sure you have enough water with you to hydrate. 

Coatis  - these little guys are everywhere. I am not sure what people find cute about them, i see them more like bigger rats. Anyway if you think they are cute, keep in mind that they are wild animals and they carry disease. They can scratch or bite. Do not go close to them nor try to feed them. 

At the end of your trip, you'll have the same bus driving your back so there will be a queue for your way back. We got some beer to refresh but decided to drink it while queuing not to lose time. 

​Parque das Aves

As per the name, it is full with birds. The way my friend Martin added the price (10.5 Euro) of this in Splitwise (great tool to split bills when travelling in a group and multiple people pay) was "park that ran out of alpacas so they filled it with birds") 

If you like birds, it's nice, but I don't think it's worth it. 

Day 1: Stop 2: Hito Tres Fronteras, Puerto Iguazu

In case you did not really look at the map to see where you really are, well you are right at the intersection between Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. The location is marked by a landmark.

You can also have dinner at one of the restaurants offering a great view over the river. The food is ok, but nothing special

Day 2: Stop1: Cataratas de Iguazu  

We left most of the day time to explore all the trails around the Argentinian Side of the waterfall. The entrance in the park was about 15.2 Euro and it included the ticket that you can use to take the train to Gargantas del Diablo.  You have facilities around especially around the Train Stop and you can also buy water and some things to eat. 

Upper Circuit

We started with the upper circuit, and now that I am thinking was a good idea. We were there early in the morning so it was not very crowded. Gave us enough time for pictures and absorbing all the amazing nature that was surrounding us. 

The upper circuit as it's name says, brings you along the upper side of the falls. 

Lower Circuit 

While of course the lower circuit shows you kind of the same but from the bottom. It's an interesting perspective and a good way to compare. 

Garganta del Diablo 

The train works as in Brazil, you need to queue, but they sort of give you an order so you will know when it's your turn. It's a short trip. When we arrived we saw it coming! What's it? 

Yeap the storm. We got completely soaked..and I think this made the view over the Devil's throat even more spectacular. 

We decided not to take the train back anymore but walk along the train tracks. I am not sure if this is allowed or not, but we just followed some other wet people also heading back. 

Day 2: Stop 2: Mate tasting 

This is not a proper stop as it was organized by the hotel in the hotel garden, but clearly an interesting experience. 

At the end of the post, I want to add that while there, there were several strikes going on. The problem in a weird way is that extremities of the villages on both sides of the fall lack water. Yeap, i know it's an absurdity given that the waterfalls are right there but unfortunately it is a reality. The tourists are not impacted by the water problem as the hotels who are paying the water taxes do have water. As a tourist you can be impacted by the strikes as the local people tend to block the roads to the airports.