Puerto Iguazu – Argentina

Cataratas, Caiperinhas, and Coatis.

View of Iguazu Falls from the Argentinian side.

Our journey to Puerto Iguazu at the very top of Argentina entailed undertaking our first overnight bus journey. While not the definition of luxury, this isn’t quite as bad as it might sound given that Argentinian buses are actually rather comfortable; our seats reclined about 60° and had a built in foot rest that turned the seat into a slightly inclined bed. The food provided is similar to airline food, and is basically guaranteed to include bread, cheese and ham in at least two forms; they also provide a glass of half-decent wine (or two) with dinner. As we settled down for the night we were treated to the sight of hundreds of glowworms luminescing in the fields beyond the road.

We were therefore relatively well rested when we stepped out into the oppressive tropical heat of Puerto Iguazu. We stayed in a fantastic B&B, Secret Garden Iguazu. Our room was situated at the end of a lush tropical garden, and each evening the owner, Jon, served complimentary Caiperinhas which were so refreshing and delicious that he had a rule limiting guests to two each so as to avoid a previous situation where several guests went out to dinner and couldn’t find their way back again; he never mentioned, I suspect deliberately, whether they were ever heard from again. Perhaps, because he was instinctively aware of our drinking habits, he served us three most nights.

The garden of The Secret Garden Iguazu.

We were somewhat unsure whether the Cataratas del Iguazú could possibly live up to their colossal reputation, but we needn’t have worried, they are every bit as spectacular as the hype suggests.

Because they are located on the border between Argentina and Brazil, the falls can be viewed from either country; we began on the Argentinian side at the highest part of the falls, the ‘Garganta del Diablo’. To reach the Garganta we walked across a series of walkways traversing the Rio Iguazu. Beneath us we saw the outline of huge fish, on rocks we saw turtles sunning themselves, colourful birds flew between small forested islands, and everywhere butterflies of every vivid colour flitted through the air. Anywhere else these sights would have been the reason to visit on their own, but here they were minor attractions. The main event was the falls. The Garganta del Diablo was, as Kim said, literally breathtaking. Here the falls are U shape, so from our vantage on the viewing platform we had a torrent of water beginning its long plunge downward on both sides of us, in front of us, and when we looked down, below us as well. The scale, power, and noise was awesome.

View across the Garganta del Diablo, Iguazu Falls.

View down the Garganta del Diablo, Iguazu Falls.

Returning the following day after another evening accented by the sweet, citrus, tang of Caiperinhas, we explored the paths located slightly further downstream. First, we walked the Circuito Superior, a winding trail through lush forest which when the brink is reached offers spectacular longitudinal views of the falls. It was only as we stood and marvelled at the massive curtain of plunging water curving gently into the distance that we really got a sense of the sheer scale of the falls. If the Garganta del Diablo was the most intense experience of a waterfall we had had, this was the grandest. After a short break and a much needed cold drink, we tackled the Circuito Inferior. The walkways here took in the views at the base of the mighty falls, and down to the river itself. Despite being informed in advance we would get wet, we foolishly bought tickets for a boat ride that took us right to the base of some of the bigger falls, and then under them. Wet was an understatement.

Like the area above the falls, the jungle below and around the falls also teams with life. The most conspicuous creature to cross our path as we explored were Coatis, Raccoon like mammals with elongated noses, a brazen confidence around tourists, and a taste for the high calorie snacks favoured by visitors to the park. Despite numerous warnings not to feed the wildlife we constantly observed the Coatis feasting on empanadas, ice cream, and fizzy drinks; though in defence of the human denizens of Igazu, only occasionally was the food given freely and not snatched greedily from unguarded tables. We also saw monkeys playing in the trees, and large lumbering lizards sunning themselves on rocks near the water.

On our final day in Puerto Iguazu we crossed the border into Brazil. While the Argentinian side allowed us to get up close to the falls (sometimes too close, as my waterlogged wristwatch will testify; it repaired itself after 24 hours, just one of the wonders of my £9 Casio), the Brazilian side offered stunning panaramic views of the whole park.

A 180° panoramic shot of Iguazu taken from the Brazilian side. (Note the distorted perspective caused by the panorama, the river is actually flowing in a straight line)

Also located on the Brazilian side of the falls was a large bird park. Unlike many averies the birds here looked well tended too and happy with their reasonably spacious enclosures. There were a few showing the signs of stress that are so often present in captive birds, but these were happily rare. We found out later that the park is run by a German conservationist and ecologist, and has many successful breeding programs for endangered species. In many cases the birds were in large enclosures that visitors could walk through, and in some cases approach to within a foot or two of the feathered residents. As you can see, Kim took every opportunity to get close to the birds.

Kim gets close to a Toucan. It appears perturbed by this.

Kim get’s close to a parrot. She is very excited.

After three days in this overheated paradise, it was time for us to begin our epic 40 hour, 2 bus, journey to the mountainous Bariloche in the Argentinian Lake District.