Travel Taleswith Mike Siegel

Iguazu Falls

by Mike Siegel

Bordering Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, this natural wonder is a sight to behold.

Mike’s Snapshot Review

  • WHEN: August, 2008

  • DURATION: 2 days

  • VISITED: Argentina side. Flew regional airline from Buenos Aires. Stayed overnight at Sheraton Hotel inside the National Park.

POSITIVES:

  • Nature– If you’re into natural wonders, Iguazu is a must-see. It’s one of the world’s great waterfalls, and cranks out over 61,00 cubic ft. (1,800— cubic m) of water every second. You can feel the power of it all, and it’s lush jungle setting will ruin the sight of boring old Niagara Falls for ever after.

  • Compact– the bulk of the falls can be enjoyed in one full day or two truncated days.

NEGATIVES:

  • Location– There’s no easy way to get there by land, unless you’d like to suffer through a grueling bus ride through remote jungle roads. Most visitors come from the Brazilian side. There is a small airport receiving daily regional flights from Buenos Aires (approx. 2 hours), Sao Paulo, and several other cities. ** **

  • Culture– After seeing the falls, there’s not much else to do in the area. There may be some interest to hikers and bird watchers, but it lacks in other tourist amenities.

  • Lodging– I took the easy route and chose the Sheraton, the only hotel within the park grounds. It was nice enough, but expensive, especially for South America. The advantage was I could walk to the falls, and park admission is included in the hotel price. After getting soaked on the boat ride, it was nice to be able to walk back to the hotel, change into some dry clothes, and return to the park. It probably would have been much cheaper to find a small hotel in town and taxi to the falls.

  • Weather– Rain is common in these parts, so beware. Though the falls can be done in one day, the benefit I had with staying overnight was the rain stopped the morning of Day 2 and the sun came out. It made for a more comfortable day, and much better photo opportunities.

MUST DO:

  • Leave yourself time to go at your own pace and see the many falls from different angles. If you’re going to give it just one day, then get there early and stay late. You don’t want to feel like you rushed.

  • Take a boat ride up to the bottom of the falls and feel the power, but beware- you will get wet! Dress and prepare accordingly.

RECOMMENDED?

Yes, if you have the time and money. If the flight from one of the nearby cities will strain your budget and you’re not that into natural wonders, then you must decide what it’s worth to you. Hardcore backpackers may be able to find packaged tour bus deals from Paraguay or Brazil that could make the trip more affordable. It would be a shame to get so close and not see it.

…