I refuse to pick a favorite. I spent one Saturday going from Puerto Iguazú in Argentina to Foz do Iguaçu in Brazil and back, visiting the falls from both sides. Our guide, who was from Brazil, told us that the Brazilian side was the best, and after visiting the Argentinian side, I doubted her. But I’ve already said that I’m not going to choose a favorite.
Driving from Amérian Portal del Iguazú Hotel to the national park on the Argentinian side, there were signs all along the road warning us to watch out for wild animals, including tapirs and jaguars. We didn’t see either, but we did see coatis, and one got much closer than I would have liked.
We took 2 trails in the park. The third, Garganta del Diablo (Devil’s Throat), was closed because of the recent heavy rain. The first trail was the Upper Circuit, which took us to many different spots where we could see a variety of waterfalls from above. At every stop there was another view, and from every side, I thought it was beautiful. Have I mentioned that I love waterfalls?
This was a group tour, and I have to admit that I was often the last person to rejoin the group because I was taking pictures and enjoying the scenery. I would catch up and listen for a while, then another view would catch my attention and I would fall behind again. Finally, we reached a point where we could see many falls at once, and this was also where things got a little exciting.
Our guide had warned us to be careful around the coatis because they will sometimes try to steal your food or get into your bag. First, one climbed onto the railing and tried to get into the backpack of the man in front of me. He swatted it away, and then it started trying to get into my crossbody bag. It must have smelled the alfajor from breakfast.
Our guide explained that the coatis used to eat fruit and other food from the forest, but they have become used to people feeding them chocolate, burgers and other highly palatable food. They now associate humans with food and can develop some of the same illnesses that we do from eating it.
After the Upper Circuit, we went to the Lower Circuit, and it felt like going from seeing the waterfalls from the top to meeting them from below. One of my favorites was Dos Hermanas, the Two Sisters Waterfall. I think I had a huge smile on my face the whole time because this was not just any waterfall.
I’ve been to Niagara Falls and Victoria Falls, and I’ve seen Shifen Waterfall outside Taipei, with water cascading over its broad ledge. When I went to Sri Lanka and saw 6 waterfalls in 3 hours, I felt so blessed, but I really do think that Iguazú is the most spectacular. Perhaps it was because it had rained heavily recently and we were visiting in the winter, but the sheer volume and power of the water were incredible.
Then we went to the Brazilian side.
There is a walkway that takes you right into the spray of the falls, and the whole time I was walking along it, getting wetter and wetter, I was thinking, “Oh my goodness, this is crazy.” I had left my raincoat on the bus, it was cold and windy, and I was having so much fun. I felt so alive.
On the way to the end of the walkway, I stopped to let people take photos and to enjoy the view. Once I reached the end and started making my way back, though, I was soaked and on a mission. I did not stop for photos or for the view. I was committed to getting back safely and out of the spray of the waterfall.
Then it got even better. We took the elevator up, and suddenly we were so close to the wall of water that I can’t even describe it properly. The water was cascading over the cliff like an enormous sheet, folding over the edge and disappearing into the white below. I was mesmerized, and I started thinking about how powerful water is. Rock seems so solid and has so much structure and form, but water flows wherever it can and somehow carves through all of that. I’m at a loss for words, so I’m just going to say that it was beautiful.
My friend got a photo of me in front of the wall of water, staring over at it and still trying to take it all in.
We walked about 6 km that day between the 2 sides. The Brazilian side was much easier to get around, with a main trail of about 1.5 km, while the Argentinian side gave us more places to wander, more angles and more time among the falls. Brazil brought us close enough to get drenched, and no, I’m still not choosing.
Our time in Puerto Iguazú wasn’t only about the waterfalls. Amérian Portal del Iguazú was close to Hito Tres Fronteras, the Three Frontiers point where Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay meet, so we walked around the area and looked out across the water towards the other 2 countries. We also went downtown, walked through Plaza San Martín and did some souvenir shopping. At Duomo, I had dulce de leche ice cream with coconut, and I also fit in a 60-minute massage and eyebrow shaping.
There was a lot of barbecue, more than I needed, and I kept looking for fried manioc sticks. They appeared on several menus, but that did not mean they were actually available, so I ate fewer than I had hoped.
I ate well, crossed borders, walked about 6 km and watched water tumble over cliffs with a force that I could feel in my body. I learned that Iguazú Falls is one of the New7Wonders of Nature, and it definitely has my vote.
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