Gran Meliá Iguazú
Resort · €€€€The only hotel within the Argentine park — formerly the Sheraton — with rooms facing the falls directly and the catwalks beginning at the door.
Destination Guide · Argentina & Brazil
Iguazú Falls
25°41′S 54°26′W
In brief
Iguazú Falls is an enormous system of about 275 waterfalls on the Iguazú River, on the border of Argentina and Brazil. Its great cataract is the Devil’s Throat (Garganta del Diablo), a horseshoe of thundering water. The surrounding national parks on both sides are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Iguazú is less a waterfall than a landscape coming apart. Where the Iguazú River reaches a fault line in the basalt, it shatters into a curtain of cataracts nearly three kilometres wide — somewhere around 275 individual falls, divided by forested islets, plunging up to eighty metres into a permanent cloud of spray. The Guaraní called it y guasú, “great water”, and no later name has improved on it.
The falls straddle a border, and that is the secret to visiting them well. The Argentine side delivers the immersion: a web of steel catwalks that carry you above, beside and almost into the water, ending at the lip of the Devil’s Throat. The Brazilian side delivers the revelation: a single panoramic walkway that holds the whole vast amphitheatre in one sweeping view. Around both lies the Atlantic rainforest — loud with toucans, butterflies and the bandit-faced coatis that patrol every path.
Why go to Iguazú Falls
Reason · 01
The Devil’s Throat
Ride the ecological jungle train and walk the long catwalk to the rim of the Garganta del Diablo, where half the river vanishes into roaring spray below your feet.
Reason · 02
Both sides of the border
Spend a full day in Argentina among the catwalks and a half-day in Brazil for the panorama. Together they show the falls as no single side can.
Reason · 03
The Gran Aventura speedboat
On the Argentine side, a boat carries you up the rapids and straight under a cataract — a brief, drenching, exhilarating encounter with the water’s full force.
In pictures
Iguazú Falls, seen
On film
Watch Iguazú Falls
A short film to set the scene — sourced from YouTube and credited to its maker.
Where to stay
The finest beds in Iguazú Falls
Hand-picked places to sleep, from the iconic to the characterful — each chosen for position as much as polish.
Belmond Hotel das Cataratas
Luxury · €€€€A pink Portuguese-colonial landmark and the only hotel inside the Brazilian park, with the panoramic trail to itself once the day visitors leave.
Awasi Iguazú
Relais & Châteaux · €€€€An intimate retreat of fourteen stilted villas in the rainforest, each with a private plunge pool, a guide and a 4x4 for unhurried, tailored days.
What to see
Attractions worth your time
The sights that earn their fame — and a few the crowds miss.
Garganta del Diablo (the Devil’s Throat)
Within both parksThe largest cataract — a U-shaped chasm where the river falls in a deafening, ever-rising cloud of spray. Reached by catwalk from the Argentine side.
Argentine Upper & Lower Circuits
Iguazú National ParkKilometres of steel catwalks, served by the ecological jungle train, that lead above and beneath the falls for the closest possible encounters.
Brazilian panoramic walkway
Iguaçu National ParkA single cliffside path on the Brazilian side that frames the entire wall of cataracts in one wide view, ending on a platform amid the spray.
The subtropical rainforest & its wildlife
Both parksProtected Atlantic forest around the falls, alive with toucans, brilliant butterflies, capuchin monkeys and the inquisitive coatis that roam the trails.
Where to eat
Tables we send people to
From landmark restaurants to the small rooms only locals mention.
Itaipu Restaurant, Belmond Hotel das Cataratas
Hotel dining · €€€A relaxed buffet and à la carte room inside the Brazilian park, best enjoyed for a long lunch with the rainforest just beyond the windows.
La Misionera
Parrilla · €€A classic Puerto Iguazú parrilla serving wood-fired beef, river fish and regional Misiones cooking — the natural place to end an Argentine-side day.
Aqva Restaurant
Restaurant · €€€A polished Puerto Iguazú table specialising in surubí and other Paraná river fish, with an open kitchen and a thoughtful list of Argentine wines.
Key facts
Iguazú Falls at a glance
| Location | The Iguazú River, on the Argentina–Brazil border in South America |
|---|---|
| Famous for | The Devil’s Throat (Garganta del Diablo) and a horseshoe of around 275 cataracts |
| Recognition | UNESCO World Heritage Sites — Iguazú National Park (1984) and Iguaçu National Park (1986) |
| Gateway towns | Puerto Iguazú in Argentina and Foz do Iguaçu in Brazil |
| Setting | Protected subtropical Atlantic rainforest, rich in birds and wildlife |
| Borders met | The Triple Frontier, where Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay meet |
Field Notes
Your questions, answered
Should you visit the Argentine side or the Brazilian side?
Both, if you can. The Argentine side has far more trails and puts you right among the falls, including the walkway to the Devil’s Throat — plan a full day there. The Brazilian side is smaller but gives the grand panoramic view in a half-day. Seeing only one means missing half the experience.
How many days do you need at Iguazú Falls?
Two to three days is ideal. Give one full day to the Argentine park and its many catwalks, a half-day to the Brazilian panorama, and keep time for an early start at the Devil’s Throat or a boat ride. A single rushed day cannot cover both sides well.
When is the best time to visit Iguazú Falls?
Spring and autumn — roughly March to May and September to November — bring warm, comfortable weather and healthy water flow. Summer is hot and very humid with the heaviest rainfall, while winter is mild and pleasant. The falls are spectacular year-round; only rare droughts or floods change the picture.
How do you get to Iguazú Falls?
Two airports serve the falls: Puerto Iguazú in Argentina and Foz do Iguaçu in Brazil, each a short drive from its national park. Both towns sit at the Triple Frontier, where Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay meet, and crossing between the two countries is straightforward by road.
What exactly is the Devil’s Throat?
The Devil’s Throat, or Garganta del Diablo, is the largest and most powerful cataract at Iguazú — a U-shaped gorge where roughly half the river’s flow plunges some eighty metres at once. A long catwalk on the Argentine side carries you to its very edge, into the rising spray.
Begin a journey
Build a journey around Iguazú Falls.
Travel here as a chapter of a grand journey, or as a trip of its own. We will tailor it to your dates and pace.