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Iguazu Falls are a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the Iguazu River between Brazil and Argentina. They have over 275 waterfalls, with the largest being the Devil’s Throat. The falls are more accessible than Victoria Falls and have a solid tourist industry.
Iguazu Falls are the beautiful waterfalls on the Iguazu River between Brazil and Argentina. They are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and have been since 1984 and 1986. The falls straddle two countries, and therefore are shared by two different parks: Iguazu National Park in Argentina and Iguazu National Park. ‘Iguacu in Brazil.
Iguazu Falls are, without a doubt, one of the most remarkable natural formations in the world. Their name simply means Big Water in Guarani, and it’s an appropriate name. There are more than 275 waterfalls in Iguazu Falls, spanning more than a mile and a half (2.5 km) of river. The vast majority of falls are over 200 feet (60 m) in height, with the tallest fall being approximately 270 feet (82 m). At any given time, about 150 acres of water fall. This compares to Niagara, which has less than 50 acres falling at its peak.
Upon seeing Iguazu Falls for the first time, Eleanor Roosevelt is said to have exclaimed, “Poor Niagara!” It’s hard to conceive the amount of water that flows from Iguazu Falls, and even the videos of the place don’t do it justice. The mist and deafening roar of the falls are as important a part of the experience as the sight of the water itself.
The legend of the creation of the falls says that once there was a huge river spirit or deity, a giant serpent called Boi. Legend has it that the locals sacrificed a young woman every year, to appease Boi and keep him in peace. One year, a Guarani hero rescued the woman destined for sacrifice and fled with her in a canoe. Furious, Boi broke into hundreds of falls, condemning the man and woman to separate forever or fall together for eternity, depending on the version of the myth.
The most notable of the Iguazu Falls is the so-called Devil’s Throat, or Garganta del Diablo. This is the largest of the Iguazu Falls and creates a large horseshoe shape, nearly 500 feet (150m) wide and over 2300 feet (700m) long. The Garganta del Diablo forms this part of the border between Argentina and Brazil.
While Iguazu Falls may not be the largest in the world – that distinction belongs to Africa’s Victoria Falls – they are much more accessible than Victoria Falls, allowing for a more up-close and intense experience. There are boardwalks that extend along some of the Iguazu Falls, on both the Argentinian and Brazilian sides, allowing visitors to get close enough.
The Paseo Garganta del Diablo is one of the most visited of these walkways and allows visitors to get right to the top of the Garganta del Diablo. A boardwalk allows visitors to walk out to a point where they are surrounded by more than 260-degree waterfalls, giving the impression that they are truly in the middle of a whirlpool.
Both Foz do Iguacu on the Brazilian side and Puerto Iguazu on the Argentine side have airports that serve them. There is a solid tourist industry built up there, with many hotels and hostels at all price points, restaurants catering to Westerners, and countless guides willing to show you around the falls. On the Argentinian side is a small train that takes visitors around the falls, stopping at each of the different walkways. This is probably the easiest way to see multiple waterfalls with minimal effort.
