Iguazu National Park - Waterfalls

While visiting the city of San Ignacio Miní, my wife and I took a day trip to Iguazu National Park.

It was a brief visit lasting almost half a day, which only allowed us to cover a small portion of the park, leaving a more thorough exploration combined with other available activities—such as wildlife watching or internal hiking—for another time.

I won't go into specific details about the park since there is plenty of information available online, but I will mention a few general aspects: it spans about 67,000 hectares, boasts rich biodiversity, is one of the few remaining fragments of what was once the Misiones jungle, and preserves many endangered species. It is world-famous for the Iguazu River waterfalls, a unique natural spectacle with drops of up to 80 meters. Most of the falls are on the Argentine side, as they are shared with neighboring Brazil. The park was created in 1934 (marking its 80th anniversary last year).

The park's logo features a background of waterfalls with a flying bird in the foreground: the great dusky swift (or waterfall swift). With its boomerang-shaped wings ending in sharp points, it spends most of its time flying, taking refuge to sleep and nest in the rocks underneath the cascading water. It is one of over 450 bird species found in the region. Although we didn't spot many birds beyond the few seen along the trail, there are tours specifically dedicated to birdwatching, equipped with cameras, binoculars, and expert guides, along with local bird guidebooks sold on-site for easy identification.

In 1984, Iguazu National Park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its exceptional natural and cultural significance.

The sign in the image, located at the park entrance, reads in English: "Iguazu Fall. New 7 Wonder of Nature." This refers to a 2011 event held in Switzerland by the New7Wonders Foundation, where, following a global vote, the Iguazu Falls were selected as a New Natural Wonder of the World among all nominated and winning locations. In 2013, UNESCO honored Iguazu National Park once again for its Outstanding Universal Value.

Presented both as the waterfalls and as Iguazu National Park, we are looking at a natural site of paramount importance recognized nationally and internationally.

Another large sign displays a map of the possible trails and key reference points to help visitors orient themselves and navigate Iguazu National Park.

On the day of our visit, it was cloudy, and rain was in the forecast. Upon arrival, there is clear traffic direction for parking cars. Afterward, you walk until you reach the entrance; off to one side are the ticket booths, offering three or four tariff tiers: for Argentines, for Brazilians, and for all other tourists. Admission for Argentines was 160 pesos. Restrooms are located just to one side after paying.

A few meters before, a small table was manned by three young women wearing Iguazu National Park t-shirts. Underneath the table were piles of brochures containing the complete trail map. You have to approach and ask for one; otherwise, they don't hand them out proactively. They have them to give away, but they aren't on display—for reasons unknown to me. There are several brochures available; I managed to get three: one entirely in English, a larger bilingual one in Spanish and Portuguese, and a third flyer dedicated to the rule against feeding the animals.

Outside the entrance area, there are shops selling crafts. As soon as you pass through the entrance gate, just a few meters to the left, you'll find the Ivyrá Retá Visitor Center. I have covered this Visitor Center specifically in another blog post. Most visitors—at least during the brief time we were there that day—walk right past it, heading straight to the main attraction: the Devil's Gorge (Garganta del Diablo). Everything else offered by nature and the National Park institution takes a back seat and is frequently overlooked. In our case, we visited the Visitor Center on our way out, and very few people were exploring it at that moment.

A few meters further inside, there are options for breakfast, snacks, or lunch, as well as restrooms, ATMs, and souvenir shops. For 65 pesos each, we purchased transparent white rain ponchos with hoods, open at the bottom with wide, short sleeves. These ponchos were very comfortable, though also quite warm; being the middle of summer with high temperatures, they had to be taken off when it stopped raining. However, buying them was a smart move, because 20 minutes after entering, a heavy downpour started, and we had to use them to protect our torsos, backpacks, and cameras.

Walking a bit further, you reach a tiny grass roundabout with two options: the Green Trail (Sendero Verde) or Central Station, where the first train departs. This is the Rainforest Train (Tren de la Selva), an eco-friendly, small-scale internal transport service seating up to 10 people (5 facing 5). These trains fill up quickly and depart regularly every 15 to 30 minutes, with all passengers seated.

Taking the Green Trail is preferable: you walk it in 5 to 10 minutes to reach Cataratas Station. The Green Trail is a 600-meter pedestrian path leading through the jungle to the falls. It's recommended because it's short and cuts directly through the vegetation, whereas the train takes a much longer detour, runs very slowly, and requires waiting for departures after arriving passengers disembark. There are two trains in operation; taking the second train is indeed convenient. On our way there, we took both trains.

For most of its route, the first train runs alongside a dirt road and brings you to Cataratas Station. Here you'll find food stands, restrooms, and the departure point for the second train as well as at least two trails: the Lower Circuit (Circuito Inferior) and the Upper Walk (Paseo Superior). The Upper Walk offers panoramic views of the falls from above over a length of 650 meters.

We began the Lower Circuit (or Lower Walk), which is 1,600 meters long according to one brochure, 1,400 meters according to another, and 2,500 meters according to the park's physical signs. The truth is that it's a long trail requiring time and patience, featuring many stairs to descend while remaining elevated.

A few meters into the walk, you encounter a tall structure—formerly a water tank, later converted into a viewpoint tower accessed via an external spiral staircase followed by an internal one. Apparently, the view from up there is excellent, but unfortunately, it is closed to the public and looks somewhat abandoned (originally painted white and red, it now appears neglected).

As you continue descending stairs, you reach a small rest stop with restrooms, food options, and numerous coatis scavenging for food carried and given to them by tourists.

Here, you need to keep in mind a flyer titled "Your Food Kills Me" (Tu comida me mata); actually, you need to keep this in mind throughout the entire park visit. This flyer is handed out at the entrance, and I mention it here because this is the first place where coatis are found in significant numbers—at least twenty were gathered there, drawn to the rest areas by food and their lack of fear of humans.

The flyer states: "In national parks, touching and feeding animals is prohibited." Sadly, some irresponsible people approached them to offer food and pet them—fortunately a minority, almost all of whom were irresponsible adults. Throughout the park, numerous graphic close-up signs depict animal attacks on people, such as hands torn by scratches. Some show injured hands with the warning: "Monkeys and Coatis can bite, scratch, and steal things." These signs are part of a program called Problem Animal Control in the Cataratas Area.

These flyers are produced by the National Parks Administration: http://www.parquesnacionales.gob.ar/

The flyer lists an outdated website for the National Parks Administration (using "gob." instead of modern web standards). The back of the flyer uses illustrative graphics to raise awareness about the dangers of feeding animals by making them speak for themselves:

"We park animals know how to find our own food in the jungle. If you feed us... We get sick and our babies die. We become aggressive toward each other and toward people. We scatter and dig through trash. We stop transporting seeds, and some plants cannot grow."

With that noted, our walk through the park continued. From here on, we saw nothing but jungle and water, surrounded entirely by lush vegetation. The weather deteriorated further as the drizzle turned heavier, making rain ponchos a necessity. We spotted a few birds—one I recall was dark-colored with a small crest, possibly jays, seen in pairs—along with arachnids spinning large webs and plenty of butterflies flying despite the drizzle. Some rested in water puddles on the ground, others flew, and others perched on the path's handrails alongside a tiny caterpillar. The butterflies displayed yellow, red, blue, orange, and many other colors.

The rain intensified. Fittingly, the wooden sign at the start of the trail warned against touching animals (represented by a butterfly) and plants (represented by a flower)—though touching is mild compared to visitors who actually pluck flowers they like. Suddenly, a group of people stopped, gazing up at the top of a tree at what looked like a snake, though it was too high to identify clearly. The path alternated between stone with metal/wooden handrails and entirely metallic walkways.

We continued walking through the vegetation, snapping photos whenever something caught our eye, until we reached a sign warning of the risk of slipping on wet stairs due to the humidity.

Along the way, I remember reading a sign (unfortunately unphotographed) featuring a person's image and a note about exotic plant species introduced by humans that turned into weeds, displacing native species. In fact, larger signs near Central Station detailed an eradication plan for exotic species. It is said that fruit trees and plants were once deliberately planted to attract animals for easy poaching. In Argentina, invasive weeds weren't a major concern until recent years, when studies began evaluating the damage and planning concrete solutions.

The path continues downward, though we are still well above ground level. Soon, the sound of rushing water grows louder until we reach the first waterfall: Salto Lanusse (Lanusse Waterfall).

Named in honor of Juan José Lanusse, second governor of the National Territory of Misiones (before provincialization), this small cascade emerges from the jungle. A bridge crosses right in front of it, offering a full, up-close view as an introduction to what lies ahead.

By this point, heavy rain had set in, forcing us to protect cameras, phones, backpacks, purses, and anything else vulnerable to moisture. Our feet were completely soaked. Below us, the lower basin of the Lower Iguazu River came into view.

The next waterfall along the Lower Circuit is Salto Alvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca. A bronze metal plaque reads:

"To Alvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca. A tribute from the National Parks Administration and Tourism to the memory of the discoverer of these Falls, Don Alvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca, who, after fierce struggles against nature and the unknown during his daring journey from the Atlantic Brazilian jungles in search of a route to the Río de la Plata, discovered this wonder of the world in 1541."

This waterfall is somewhat separate from the main bulk of the falls seen in most photographs, but it is no less important and stands as a major highlight of the Lower Circuit. Two surrounding bridges allow visitors to observe it from the front and from above, and the path encircles it entirely—making it a fantastic photography spot. Attentive observers often spot swifts nesting on its rocks, though we missed them out of unfamiliarity.

Even before reaching the first waterfall, the trail is almost entirely a metal catwalk with metal staircases. Looking down, remnants of the old stone path from one or two meters below are barely visible through moss and vegetation. The old stairs are out of use but still intact.

The Lower Circuit continues all the way down to river level. Further along, the catwalk offers distant views of Salto Bossetti, leading to the final viewpoint overlooking all the waterfalls and, ultimately, the pier where boats depart for San Martin Island (which features its own walking circuit). Two types of boats leave the pier: free ferries to the island and paid catamaran excursions taking passengers right into the spray of the falls.

The return can be made via an alternate path passing Salto Chico and Salto Dos Hermanas (Two Sisters Waterfall). The latter features a natural plunge pool where swimming was once permitted for visitors, though it is now prohibited. We didn't complete this loop; continuous heavy rain was slowing our progress and threatening our schedule. More time would have been wonderful to enjoy it completely.

From Alvar Nuñez Waterfall, the path descends further along a long metal catwalk. Small rest areas along the route offer great photo opportunities with the majestic waterfalls in the background.

We spotted birds flying over the water, insects, arachnids, and many fellow tourists. The photos also capture palm trees—likely Pindo palms, though I cannot say for certain—and epiphytic plants like orchids clinging to tree trunks. From here, San Martin Island is visible as a mass of lush vegetation hiding old stone and wooden staircases.

We began our return along the Lower Circuit under torrential rain. Our rain ponchos offered basic shelter, but our feet and arms were completely soaked. I wore a wide-brimmed bucket hat under my poncho hood, keeping my head dry. Many tourists were entirely drenched—some walking barefoot with shoes in hand, others shirtless, wringing out their clothes at every shelter.

Walking through the rain, we reached a well-painted but completely abandoned building: the Old Cataratas Hotel (Viejo Hotel Cataratas). We paused there for a few minutes to wait out the rain. Just before reaching the old hotel, we passed a grill restaurant where a group of coatis were feeding (or waiting to be fed by visitors).

People continued arriving—some soaked, others less so, children splashing in puddles—stopping briefly at the Old Hotel before pressing on. When the rain eased, we headed back to Cataratas Station.

We skipped the Upper Walk, which takes about an hour. It leads above Bossetti Waterfall, continues past the Adam and Eve waterfalls, and ends at Mbiguá Waterfall.

From Central Station, we boarded the eco-friendly Rainforest Train heading toward the Devil's Gorge sector. Built to environmental standards, it drew a large crowd waiting to board. Once boarding opens, you have to move fast to secure a seat, as it fills up instantly.

Once full, the train departs on a 15- to 20-minute journey at 20 km/h, slicing through the heart of the jungle where occasional wildlife (mostly birds) can be spotted. The terminus is Devil's Gorge Station, equipped with food options, restrooms, a medical post, and ticket desks for paid excursions (such as the Ecological Walk in rubber rafts up the upper Iguazu River), which we skipped due to lack of time. Other available options in the park include the Sheraton Hotel, Macuco Trail, Waterfall Safari, Jungle Safari, and various rest-area restaurants, none of which we visited.

From here begins the trek toward the grand finale of the Waterfalls Walk and what is arguably the premier natural spectacle: Devil's Gorge.

A warning sign depicts a viper to caution visitors against leaving the single designated path leading to the viewpoint. The route is approximately 1,100 meters long.

The walk takes place entirely on a long, single metal catwalk built on pillars. The floor is made of sturdy metal mesh, letting you see the flowing water underneath. You are surrounded by lush subtropical vegetation, rushing water, and occasional birds and fish. Water levels vary with the rainfall. Along the way, roughly six spacious viewpoints offer resting spots, photo opportunities, and observation areas.

While the current catwalk is made entirely of iron, the former wooden walkway was almost completely destroyed on two occasions by massive floods in 1983 and 1992.

Remnants of the old, unusable catwalk are visible from the new path. I snapped a photo of it, though today it serves mostly as a reminder of past infrastructure—or "visual pollution."

Witnessing the first drop is breathtaking: the roaring sound, the rushing water, the deep chasm, and the rising mist. Yet nothing compares to what follows.

A few meters ahead lies the climax: Devil's Gorge (Garganta del Diablo). It is a narrow gorge concentrating the highest volume of falling water from a height of around 80 meters, making it one of the most powerful waterfalls in the world. The crashing water generates massive plumes of spray and water vapor visible from afar, creating an incessant drizzle that inevitably soaks everyone.

From the final viewpoint, you get a panoramic view of Salto Unión, the waterfall that marks the border crossing with Brazil.

Crowds gather here densely, leaving very little room for photos or filming upon arrival. A section is reserved for professional photographers who take personalized portraits (alone, as couples, or families) delivered 1-2 hours later at the entrance for 100 pesos—a great souvenir to frame later.

The final viewpoint is one of the busiest spots, flying one or two Argentine flags.

On our walk back, we spotted all-black aquatic birds perched on river rocks and large fish congregating beneath the catwalks. There is also a spot filled with coins thrown into the river by tourists. Returning to Devil's Gorge Station, we took the train back and walked the final stretch from Central Station to the exit via the Green Trail.

Near the exit, under a thatched pavilion (quincho), Guaraní artisans display their crafts, and a group of Guaraní children accompanied by a guide often sing traditional songs to collect tips (a la gorra). While it's lovely to see them share their art and earn money, it's bittersweet to see underage children working instead of studying or playing. We visited the Ivyrá Retá Visitor Center one last time to pick up our photo and exited the park.

Leaving Iguazu National Park, we drove a few short kilometers into the city of Puerto Iguazú. Roadside warning signs highlight the danger of wildlife crossings; unfortunately, news reports frequently highlight animal casualties (jaguars, ocelots, toucans, anteaters, foxes) caused by speeding motorists.

We arrived at the Three Frontiers Landmark (Hito de las Tres Fronteras). Perched on clifftops overlooking the river junction, each of the three bordering countries features a monolith painted in its national colors, visible across the water. The original red-brick base and stairs have since been remodeled.

Three flagpoles fly the national banners above their respective coats of arms. On the Argentine side, a small Lions Club monument commemorates the nation's 200th anniversary in 2010. A local craft fair sits just steps away.

As shown on the map in Photo 25, Puerto Iguazú offers plenty more for tourists, requiring at least a full day to explore.

After roughly four and a half hours of travel, we returned to San Ignacio Miní, concluding this tour and chronicle.

Links (Visited February 2015):

• http://www.iguazuargentina.com/
• http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parque_nacional_Iguaz%C3%BA
• http://www.iguazuargentina.com/el-navegante-y-explorador-espanol-alvar-nunez-cabeza-de-vaca-descubre-las-cataratas-de-iguazu/
• http://www.parquesnacionales.gob.ar/areas-protegidas/region-noreste/pn-iguazu/
• http://www.sib.gov.ar/