Most Beautiful Waterfalls: Iguacu in Brazil

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275 Beautiful Waterfalls

Iguacu (or Iguazu) waterfalls are some of the most impressive and beautiful in the world, not the biggest, widest nor tallest waterfall, but 275 separate waterfalls spread over a three-kilometre crescent between Argentina and Brazil. Most of the falls are in Argentina, but the best views are from the Brazilian side.

While on vacation in Brazil, after a wonderful few days in Rio de Janeiro and before heading into the The Amazon Jungle and Salavador (The Carnival City) I spent a few days at Iguacu, staying at the wonderful Tropical Das Cataratas Hotel. This article gives travel tips, advice and recommendations for vacations in Iguacu and an hotel review and photographs of the beautiful waterfalls.

Please see the full South America Photo Gallery here...

Getting To Iguacu, Brazil 

We intended to fly from Rio to Curitiba, but the weather was too bad for a small plane, so we flew to São Paulo and caught a bigger plane from there to Curitiba, to catch the connecting flight to Iguacu.

Map of Iguacu, Curitiba, Brazil 

Where is Iguacu?

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Guide Books for Brazil 

Brazil (Country Guide)

Brazil (Country Guide)

by: Regis St. Louis, Kevin Raub, Gregor Clark, John Noble, Gary Chandler, Robert Landon, Mara Vorhees

Amazon Price: $17.81 (as of 11/11/2009) Buy Now

Brazil (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

Brazil (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

by: Oliver Marshall, Dilwyn Jenkins

Amazon Price: $19.80 (as of 11/11/2009) Buy Now

Frommer's Brazil (Frommer's Complete)

Frommer's Brazil (Frommer's Complete)

by: Shawn Blore, Alexandra de Vries

Amazon Price: $15.83 (as of 11/11/2009) Buy Now

Where to Stay 

Hotel Tropical Das Cataratas

We stayed at the four-star Tropical Das Cataratas which is about ten miles from the airport at Foz do Iguaçu, and has the almost perfect location for an hotel overlooking the Iguaçu Falls on the Brazilian side with just a two-minute walk for a stunning view of the falls from a terrace. There is also a twenty-minute walk along a walkway next to the falls with various viewing platforms en-route and an amazing platform at the end of the walkway. The hotel is a very attractive, colonial style building with two restaurants a bar and very pleasant, relaxing gardens.

The Waterfalls 

We walked along the footpath next to the falls for about 2 miles to a viewing platform at the top of one waterfall and the bottom of another. It was absolutely spectacular. Several coatis, a kind of south American Raccoon and large lizards wandered along fearlessly near us. The cute coatis were amusing to watch, rummaging in the rubbish bins, but apparently the favourite delicacy for Jaguars so you have to wonder if you are being watched by something slightly more dangerous. We didn't get eaten, just wet from all of the spray from the falls.


After standing out on the terrace watching the sunset and the stunning view of the falls, we had dinner in the hotel restaurant. Quite a grand looking, colonial-style hotel and restaurant, but the food wasn't quite up to the apparent grandeur. We were of course, a captive audience and it's difficult to complain given the stunning location. There was also a pleasant bar with a jazz pianist and singer to while away the evening.

Excursions 

We booked up a couple of trips at the hotel travel agency for the following day, because, although the falls are stunning we needed some activities to keep us amused. We took a bus from outside the hotel to "Macacu Safari" where we were taken in an electric "jeep" to some "jungle" then went on a "safari". O.K. so perhaps it was a mini theme park based on Jurassic Park, and the "safari" was a 600 metre walk. This slightly disappointing start was followed by a very amusing and thrilling motorboat ride. An inflatable motorized inflatable boat took us into the white-water and under some of the waterfalls, into Argentina. We were unable to land on the Argentina side, because my partner is Russian and would have needed a visa, but we wouldn't have seen anything very different from there anyway. The pilot of the boat played in the white water, trying to make the trip as exciting as possible for the screaming tourists, regularly drenching us all under the spray. It was very amusing trip and we were completely soaked. It gave a different more frivolous perspective to this stunningly natural beauty.



After a delicious buffet lunch at the hotel, outside by the pool, we took a double-decker bus to the visitor-centre, where we left the national park and walked 200 yards to the "Parque das Birds" - not a bad way to spend an afternoon, with a selection of birds and few monkeys.

Boat Trip into Iguacu Waterfalls

Birdlife at "Macacu Safari"

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More Reading 

The Mystery of Samba : Popular Music and National Identity in Brazil

The Mystery of Samba : Popular Music and National Identity in Brazil

by: Hermano Vianna

Amazon Price: $20.65 (as of 11/11/2009) Buy Now

Carnival in Rio

Carnival in Rio

by: Helmut Teissl

Amazon Price: (as of 11/11/2009) Buy Now

The Linger Loco! In Search of the Real Carnival (Argentina, Chile, Peru, Brazil)

The Linger Loco! In Search of the Real Carnival (Argentina, Chile, Peru, Brazil)

by: Simon Raven, Chris Raven

Amazon Price: $15.99 (as of 11/11/2009) Buy Now

Photo of Iguacu Waterfalls

Current Weather in Foz do Iguacu, Brazil 

Climate in Iguazu, Curitiba, Brazil

Current weather conditions in Foz do Iguacu, Brazil

Local Pollen Reports

18°C (Feels like 18°C)

Last update: 11/11/09 12:00 PM Local Time

Humidity: 94%
Visibility: 4.0 km
Dew Point: 17°C
UV Index: 2 (Lawn and Garden Weather)
Barometer: 1012.9mm steady
Moon: Rush Hour Traffic
Wind: 11km/h From: Airport Conditions
powered by weather.com

Today


Light Rain with Thunder
High: 30°C
Low: 21°C
Sunrise: 6:44 AM
Sunset: 8:01 PM

Thursday
Nov 12 


T-Storms
High: 29°C
Low: 21°C
Sunrise: 6:43 AM
Sunset: 8:02 PM

Friday
Nov 13 


T-Storms
High: 32°C
Low: 21°C
Sunrise: 6:43 AM
Sunset: 8:03 PM

Saturday
Nov 14 


PM T-Storms
High: 30°C
Low: 22°C
Sunrise: 6:42 AM
Sunset: 8:03 PM

Summary 

Iguaçu is a wonderful place to visit for a couple of days, if you are in Brazil. A romantic and beautiful location, which, no doubt, will be spoilt by development and tacky tourism. The Tropical Das Cataratas Hotel is in a perfect location and makes a relaxing place to stay.

This article was also published on Helium.com

Photographic Equipment 

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275 Waterfalls in Brazil and Argentina

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Anina wrote...

Hey Andy, great lens. I'd like to point something out, though. You spelled the Salavador, when it's actually Salvador. other than that, great lens!

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You take some awesome pictures.

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Beautiful pictures, I just returning to give you a Squid Angel Blessing
I enjoy traveling with your lenses.
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Michey wrote...

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Evelyn_Saenz wrote...

The falls are much more open than I had imagined. I have been wanting to visit Brazil and Argentina and one of the most important stops on the trip would be to Iguassu falls.

After seeing your photo of Iguassu falls on RedGage I just had to check out the rest of your photos.

ReplyPosted August 27, 2009

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