10 Tips Before You Visit the Iguazu Falls National Park
Iguazu Falls National Park
You haven’t seen waterfalls until you’ve been to the Iguazu Falls (or Iguaçu Falls if you’re Argentian or Foz do Iguaçu if you’re Brazillian). I will be completely honest, I thought these would be mildly impressive but likely nothing to knock my socks off. Let me tell you… my socks were obliterated. If I had to rank this UNESCO Heritage site in my list of the most magical places my traveling eyeballs have beheld… it definitely lands within the top 3. That being said, I can’t emphasize the experience of point number two below enough! That boat experience was a key player in moving this trip to the top of my rankings.
After spending two days exploring the Iguazu Falls National Park, here are my tips for you ahead of your visit.
Both Sides are Worth it But…
If I had to pick one, you get more bang for your buck on the Argentina side, in my opinion. That being said, I highly recommend a visit to both if you can swing it - aka if you’re planning to visit, why not stretch to an extra day to visit both? I explored the Brazil side first and would recommend that as it’s smaller and a good way to get your feet wet (see what I did there?) ahead of a full day exploring in Argentina.
Get on the Boat
I cannot say enough about this boat ride. I was highly overthinking that it wouldn’t be worth the expense but let me tell you, if you do nothing but this boat ride, it will be 1000% worth it. When I say I felt like I was in a Lucky Charms commercial (but in the most magical and un-lame of ways), I am not exaggerating. I have literally never seen so many rainbows and waterfalls in one fell swoop. I genuinely kept pinching myself to make sure I wasn’t in a dream. The boat I rode on had a top section closer to the captain, I’d highly recommend sitting up here (and on a railing seat) for the best views.
This being said, I took the boat ride from the Argentina side. I checked the price the day before in Brazil but it was more expensive (and I did hear it wasn’t as good of a ride, though I cannot confirm). Make sure you head to the boat sign-up as soon as you enter the park - to my understanding if you are an individual you can’t book in advance - because tickets sell fast and it was SUCK if you missed it. I literally entered the park and then booked it to the nearest Gran Adventura ticket office (which sent me to another office but hey, I got myself sorted).
Have a Wet Clothes Plan
If you don’t take the boat ride you’re not going to end up saturated but going to a park filled with waterfalls… some moisture is unavoidable. Bare minimum, pack spare shoes but at most bring a change of clothes post-boat ride. The captain will drive you under the waterfalls so… getting completely drenched is a guarantee (don’t worry they give you waterproof bags for your things). I wore quick dry clothing (still can’t say enough about these hiking pants) and brought a spare set of shoes along with a quick dry towel and a poncho, and then parked myself in a sunny spot after my lucky charms experience.
Prepare for Food in Advance
The park food looked bleak, though it’s there if you need it. There are some convenience store-type set-ups where you could grab some snacks but I would recommend loading up your pack with some picnic-style food and lots of water, before heading to the bus that morning. I mean, I don’t ever need an excuse to load down with chipas.
Puerto Iguazu is a Convenient Snooze
I stayed in Puerto Iguazu for three nights while I visited the Falls. It’s relatively small, though I’d highly recommend staying within walking distance to either the main bus station or near a bus stop that heads toward the park, as you can. On my final morning, I had some time to spare before heading to the airport so I walked to the Hito Tres Fronteras. Now I can say I witnessed three countries at once: Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay!
Explore the Park Strategically
This was a key part of my experience and one someone tipped me off on ahead of time, so I’m sharing the wisdom with you. When visiting the Argentina side, you’ll notice there are a few sections around the park for exploring. My advice? Start at the bottom. Most people are going to enter and immediately get on the train (or trail) and head right for the Devil’s Throat viewpoint. If you start at the inferior circuit, you’ll likely have the place to yourself before the tour groups catch up to you. Then you can catch the train or hike up to the top (where there are likely always going to be crowds so why rush it eh?).
Ask Your Hosts About Transportation
This is a two-parter. If you fly in to visit this park of water-blasting wonders, you will likely be staying a bit away from the airport you arrive and depart through. Regardless of whether you choose to stay in Brazil or Argentina, I recommend speaking with your host about any transportation offerings they might have to and from the airport. There were taxi options in Puerto Iguazu but my host ended up having a slightly cheaper and more convenient option for me.
Secondly, one of the reasons I do love a hostel stay or a shared space is the ability to pick your hosts brain. Even though I didn’t end up loving my hostel in Puerto Iguazu (so I won’t link it here) the hosts did offer a wealth of information in the form of transports and tips for the park and around their little town.
Bug Spray and Sunscreen are your BFFs
Like in Machu Picchu, this is a steamy, jungly climate - I do love using proper English, don’t you? I’m not someone typically prone to bites but taking into account the humidity, especially in a park filled with waterfalls, as well as the odds of you getting wet and washing off what you started the day with (very high odds btw), you’re gonna need to apply and reapply throughout the day. To remind you of something obvious… water is reflective, which can catch up to you with sneaky sunburn.
Don’t Forget Your Passport
If you plan to visit both the Argentina and Brazil sides of the park but you are only staying in one country for the duration of your trip, the bus will take you through border patrol on your way to the other country's entrance. Make sure you have your passport on you, otherwise you won’t be able to enter the country (which would be hilarious for anyone around you but not for you).
Your Bus Might Change at the Border
I almost missed my bus after I went through the border patrol going from Argentina to Brazil on my first day. Luckily, a kind semi-English speaking stranger from my original bus saw me get on and came over and asked me if I was going to the Iguazu Falls because if so, I needed to get on a different bus. I won’t lie - my stranger danger radar was questioning this but turns out he was right. If you can, keep an ear and eye out for people getting on your first bus who say they are going to the Falls, and notice the bus they get on after customs. Since I don’t speak Spanish or Portuguese well I missed that note from the first driver but thank the universe for kind strangers!
This place is magic, take all the pictures and videos but also… take the experience in with your eyeballs. While I wish I had captured more steller content on the boat ride just for my reminiscing later on, I have zero regrets about drooling over the sites in front of me in real-time and completely forgetting about (slash being afraid of ruining in the waterfalls) my phone and camera.
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