The Iguazu Falls belong to the new seven natural wonders of the world and can be visited from the Brazilian and Argentine sides. The Iguazu Falls in Argentina have more trails to explore the falls. They are very easy to reach from Puerto Iguazu by bus or taxi. The bus runs from Hito Tres Fronteras, the Argentinian border stone at the state triangle or from the bus terminal. You can also get on anywhere along the route. The bus is marked with Parque Nacional Iguazu or with Cataratas (Waterfalls in Spanisch).
You can find information about the entrance fee of the Iguazu Falls National Park here: https://iguazuargentina.com/en/parque-nacional-iguazu
If you register your ticket at the exit, you can go to the park for half the price the second day.
The park on the Argentine side is very large, but has an internal train that makes it easy to reach the entrance to the more distant Devil’s Trail. In the park there are also various animals to see. Coati, monkeys, butterflies in all colors and lizards in all sizes. There are also several species of birds to see, unfortunately I was only able to see the Tucan from very far away.
The park has 5 hiking trails, which I briefly describe below. Due to the park size and the different trails, it is recommended to plan 2 days for the Argentine side. If you only have one day, it is possible to go Lower Trail, Upper Trail and Devil’s Trail and thus see the waterfalls from all sides. If you have 2 days, you should go the Macacu with the Lower or Upper Trail one day and the others the other day.
Trails
Green trail
This is the shortest route and is rather a connecting route than a hiking trail. It leads from the first possible train station to the second and towards the Lower and Upper Trail. It meanders between the trees and gives the first little jungle feeling. If you’re lucky, you can see a few animals. I saw a small aligator in a little lake over which a small bridge runs.
Lower trail
The Lower Trail is, as the name suggests, a little lower. The path is a circular route and therefore runs mostly as a one-way street. At the beginning the metal paths goes through the rainforest before you get a first look at the waterfalls.
First you see the big waterfall on the Brazilian side. Shortly afterwards you walk over a bridge with a direct view of a smaller waterfall and, if the sun is in the right position, a rainbow. If you keep walking, you get a panoramic view of the Argentine and Brazilian side. As a highlight of the Lower Trail, you can get very close to a rather strong waterfall halfway up. From there, you go to two small waterfalls that fall into a small lagoon. Then it goes through the forest to the exit of the trail, which is just a few meters from the entrance.
Upper trail
The Upper Trail runs above the waterfalls and starts not far from the Lower Trail. This path is also designed as a circular route and is therefore a one-way street. After only a few minutes through the forest you can reach the waterfalls. The path offers a great panoramic view.
At the beginning you get very close to the waterfalls, as there are views to the left and right of a large waterfall. The contrast and calmness of the water are also beautiful when you are on a bridge above and a few meters before the edge of the waterfall. In the middle of the path, a branch leads to a great viewpoint with a roaring view of the Iguazu waterfalls. The second part of the trail, or the retrograde part, is less spectacular. Here it goes above calm water, surrounded by trees to the exit, which is not far from the entrance.
Devil’s Trail
The Devil’s Trail leads to the highlight of the Iguazu Falls in the Argentine side. To get to the start, you either take the park internal train (included in the entry) or you walk approx. 2-3km along a path next to the tracks to the start (you can do this if you have a 2 days, with only one day it would probably be too much walking and too time consuming).
This path leads along a great view over calm water above the falls. But the end of the way is crazy. Here is a viewing platform in the middle of the thundering Iguazu Falls. Depending on the wind, there is a very good chance that you will be showered here. In warm temperatures there are worse things than a cool shower. If you don’t want to get wet, take a poncho with you. The view and volume of the Iguazu Falls are breathtaking. When I was there, the spray level was so high that I decided to take pictures only with the GoPro. I had stowed the normal camera in the backpack and put on the rain protection.
At the Devil’s Trail you walk the same way out, that you walked in.
Macucu Trail
The Macucu Trail is the nature trail of the park. It goes straight through the rainforest before ending at a waterfall with a lagoon after 3km. There is a sign that swimming is not allowed, but it is probably used for legal protection. The lagoon was well filled with people.
The path is just over 3km (one-way) and you have to go out the same way as you go into the forest. It is mostly natural and you can hear loud chirps from everywhere. In general, the path is taken by relatively few people. This is because it is quite long and less spectacular. But if you want to enjoy nature and the rainforest without having to have other people in front of and behind you, you are in good hands here.
