Visiting the Iguazú Falls

Argentina – April 2019

Visiting the famous Iguazú Falls has been an item on my bucket list ever since I started planning my Latin America journey. I was daydreaming about crossing the land border between Brazil and Argentina for the full experience for months. But once I get to Argentina and make the decision to travel to Japan from Buenos Aires before returning to Switzerland, a change of plans is inevitable. And so my trip through northern Argentina begins in Buenos Aires, where I say goodbye to my parents, who joined me for a portion of my trip. (Read more about our boozy adventures in Uruguay and Mendoza).

Anyway, I fly to Cataratas del Iguazú International Airport in the morning. I’m staying in the only town on the Argentinian side for 1 night and then taking a night bus the next evening, which gives me a whole day to spend at the waterfalls. However, this also means that I have to somehow get to Puerto Iguazú, and there is no bus service. Luckily find a Spanish couple with the same plans, and so we share a cab for the 25-minute ride. Once I arrive at Hostel Bambu (one of my favorites in Argentina, but unfortunately no longer operating), I can check in early. After dropping my bags, I head to the local bus terminal to buy my tickets for the night bus to Corrientes, and to check the timetable for the shuttle bus to the waterfalls.

Having sorted out all the administrative to-dos, I have the late afternoon to myself. I pick up the book I’m currently reading at the hostel and then go for a walk along the Iguazú River. This is the river separating Argentina and Brazil, which eventually takes a deep plunge at the Iguazú Falls a couple kilometers downstream. However, the original source of the water is Río Paraná, which separates Argentina and Brazil from Paraguay. As Puerto Iguazú is conveniently located in the corner where the three countries meet, I make the statue marking this location the destination for my sunset stroll. Once the red ball disappears behind the horizon, I return to my hostel, have dinner at the in-house restaurant, and pack my backpack before going to bed early. Following the hostel owner‘s recommendation, I want to catch the first bus to the national park in order to avoid the big crowds.

However, when I arrive at the ticket office, the queue is already very long. But at least the parking for the tour buses is still empty. I join the line of individual travelers wanting to see the Natural Wonder of the World and patiently wait until it‘s my turn. Fortunately, it‘s a lot faster than I expected, and I soon am holding my ticket for entry to the Argentinian side and a map of the park in my hands. Trying to anticipate the average tour group‘s itinerary, I check the different trails leading to various viewpoints. I identify the “garganta del diablo” (the devil’s throat) as the main attraction and remember the hostel owner’s comment about most tour groups only visiting this attraction on the Argentinian side. I gamble and decide to walk around the park first and head to the main falls around lunchtime.

For most of the morning, I have the trails and magnificent views to myself. Sporadically, I sit down in a spot and enjoy the full immersion in nature. I listen to the birds singing, watch butterflies move from flower to flower, and soak up the sun. Sometimes I pass a Coati, one of the cute raccoon-like inhabitants of the park. They can often be seen sitting on the railings keeping tourists out of their natural habitats. They are very used to people and friendly. From time to time the long-nosed creatures come up to me, to see if I have some treats for them. Realizing I don‘t, they quietly head away to check on the next tourists. At one resting area, I see a gang of Coatis taking over a table covered in leftovers from a US family‘s lunch. Some people feed them potato chips or popcorn. Others buy snacks for the animals from the designated vending machines. I enjoy my own lunch sandwich on a secluded bench, far from humans and animals. The sunlight shining onto the number of small waterfalls in my view creates beautiful rainbows.

I stay there for a while and then follow the trails leading to Estación Las Tres Marías. From here, I take the electric train to the entrance of the trail leading to the Devil’s Throat viewpoint. It can take around 60 tourists at a time and is free of charge, is a highly frequented spot at the Argentinian park. The slow ride through the jungle takes a few minutes. After getting off the small train, I try to get away from the crowd as quickly as possible. I‘ve seen a bunch of possible slow-walkers and even the thought of being stuck behind them for the whole stroll over the narrow, 1 km-long bridge is horrible. So I basically run towards the stilt walkway and am the first to arrive at the platform hanging above the roaring waterfall which is shaped like a U. I take advantage of being alone and snap some pictures. I take a quick break, sitting down on one of the few benches scattered at the viewpoint. Then, I stroll back across the low bridge. This time I take my time to marvel at the way the quiet waters transform into racing currents and finally soar down the falls within less than a mile.

I return to the station and catch the next green train arriving. This time I go one stop further, which brings me closer to the park exit. But before leaving, I want to go on another stroll through the dense tropical forest. I spot a route with few people and start a 2 km circuit. There are lots of butterflies and from one spot I can see the sightseeing boats leaving a beach on the Brazilian side. I stay there for a while and watch a couple of boats return with soaking-wet passengers. I guess the tour takes them to the bottom of the falls, something that isn‘t possible from the Argentinian side. Suddenly, I notice a light breeze of air on my right calf. It‘s an orange butterfly who sits down on my leg. I look at it flapping its wings and when it finally flies away, continue my walk. By now it‘s already 3pm and most visitors are getting ready to leave the park. I, too, head for the exit preparing myself for the change of scenery from a day surrounded by the lush forest and roaring waterfalls to a packed bus.