Suppose you’re organizing a trip to Iguazu Falls, one of the most incredible places you can visit on earth (and believe me, that is not exaggerated).
In that case, you will see that it’s a place that can be visited from both sides: the Argentinean side and the Brazilian side.
And here the question arises, which is the best side? Keep reading to learn more about this place.
How many sides does Iguazu Falls have?
Iguazu Falls have two sides. You can visit the Brazilian side from Foz do Iguaçu and the Argentinian Side from Puerto Iguazu. Both are amazing!
Which side of Iguazu Falls is better?
These are two visits that everyone must do because each side has its particular characteristics. On the Brazilian side, you will enjoy a panoramic view of the falls, a panoramic elevator, and a terrace from which you can appreciate the landscape. Meanwhile, on the Argentine side, you will feel immersed in that magical water and jungle vegetation landscape.
Iguazu Falls, the Brazilian side
The visit from the Brazilian side is shorter.
Usually, the basic visit is done in half a day. However, you can add interesting extensions to your visit to make it a full day.
The traditional visit includes a panoramic bus tour through the jungle, with interesting information from the audio system in multiple languages. The tour serves as an instruction to understand a bit of the history, geography, fauna, and flora.
Once you arrive at the main site, you can go through a 1500-meter walkway to enjoy a unique panoramic view of the waterfalls on the Argentine side. In the end, a scenic elevator will allow you to go up to the terrace and enjoy the surroundings.
During the visit to the Brazilian side of the falls, you can have lunch at the local restaurant Puerto Canoas, take adventure activities such as the Macuco Safari, which combines a walk through the jungle and river navigation, take a fly over the falls in a helicopter ride, biking through the jungle, or skydiving.
You can also complement the visit to the Brazilian side of the falls by adding a visit to Parque Das Aves or the famous Itaipu Dam.
This way, you can make the Brazilian side visit to make it a memorable day.
Iguazu Falls, Argentinian Side
As I mentioned before, while the visit to the Brazilian side of the falls focuses on the panoramic view of the landscape, on the Argentine side, you will feel immersed in the landscape.
The Iguazu National Park, located on the Argentine side, offers up to 8 km of travel in three main circuits: the Upper Circuit, the Lower Circuit, and the Devil’s Throat Circuit.
An ecological train runs through the jungle and will take you from one point to another to facilitate the journey.
Both the upper and lower circuits are amazing. They are circuits with stairs that wind through the thick Misiones jungle and the landscape full of waterfalls and wonderful views of the Iguazu Falls.
The lower circuit runs through the park’s lower part and takes approximately 2 hours. The upper one is the highest part, from where you can see the jumps fall vertiginously. It is a unique and unrepeatable spectacle that nature can offer. It’s shorter and can be visited in 1:15 hs approx.
The amazing Devil’s Throat is probably the best part of the park. You can reach the Devil’s Throat through the train to the walkway’s entrance. The visit will take 1:30 hs, and as it has no stairs, it’s good for people with a disability.
You can also add some activities here. The Gran Aventura is an amazing combination of a 4×4 ride in the jungle with boat navigation to see the falls from the river and go directly under the water. You can have lunch in the local El Fortin restaurant and add biking tours, birdwatching activities, and more.
Which is the best side of Iguazu Falls?
After 22 years of uninterrupted work in the tourism industry, I think the Argentinian side is the best side of the falls.
I have some good reasons to support what I say:
- It is a more extensive park with a greater number of circuits and routes
- Being immersed in the landscape and traversing it from different points is a huge advantage.
- The Devil’s Throat walkway is wonderful because what you see when you reach the final balcony cannot be seen in the same way on the Brazilian side.
That said, and hoping my Brazilian friends don’t get mad, I strongly recommend visiting both sides to have the full experience at Iguazu Falls.
They are, without a doubt, a wonderful and unique place you must visit. You cannot come to South America and not visit Iguazu Falls. Please take note of this; I’m sure you’ll thank me.
