We landed at the Aeropuerto Internacional Cataratas Del Iguazú for a short overnight visit to the falls. You take a small train into the national park (that’s the easy part), and then head off on the boardwalk towards the Garganta del Diablo (Devil’s Throat) trail to see the highest falls. They said it was the season for low water while we were there; but in any case, the falls were spectacular. These are not the highest falls in the world but are the widest with a flow rate similar to Niagara. There are 275 falls that are part of this magnificent system. The trail system is very well laid-out and easy to walk. We saw Dos Hermanos, Mbigua, Chico, and Ramirez, each with its own unique beauty.
There were wonderful vistas and plenty of spots for great photos. I wish I had brought along a better camera, although feel sure no pictures ever really do it justice. The areas to sit and rest or just contemplate the beauty of the falls were very welcome, particularly for my senior mother. We saw coatis (a member of the raccoon family) everywhere; the scamps grab any available food they can find. Of course, we saw birds of all types, including thrush-crested jays and flocks of parakeets, as well as butterflies, lizards, and fish.
I arranged a guide so we would be as efficient as possible, and due to the limited time we had and my Mother’s age, I would recommend the same. The park is between Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay, and our guide, Clarice, was Brazilian. It was very easy for me to leave Mom resting at a scenic overlook and then head off on another trail myself. The boardwalk system is great, but there are stairs everywhere, and I give my Mom a lot of credit for managing hours of trails and stairs.
We stayed at the Sheraton Iguazú and it was delightful in the late afternoon to relax on our balcony and watch a pair of toucans playing, flitting from tree to tree, all with the backdrop of the spectacular falls. We even had a rainbow – it was perfect.