Of the world’s three biggest waterfalls (Niagara and Victoria being the other two) Iguassu Falls is regularly considered to be the most impressive. Set deep within a remote subtropical nature reserve and national park that straddles both Brazil and Argentina, these gargantuan falls were created from a geological fault, with 275 thundering cascades tumbling over a vast curved precipice to stunning effect.
Iguassu National Park is comprised of 185,000 hectares of protected forest land and in 1986 UNESCO granted the park the title of 'Humankind Natural Heritage' setting it apart as a protected zone from the surrounding parkland. The park has an impressive range of biodiversity, with 257 species of butterfly, 18 species of fish, 12 species of amphibian, 41 snake species, 8 species of lizard and 45 mammals. The animals you may encounter include puma, tapir, deer and some more elusive and endangered animals such as jaguars, cayman, giant otters and giant anteaters. The symbol of Foz do Iguassu, the coati, is a protected species also seen within the park’s land. Amongst the 348 bird species in the park, you may see hummingbirds, toucans and macaws, parrots, harpy eagles and great dusky swifts - water birds that build their nests behind the falls.
The biggest attraction, and some would say the most overwhelming, of the falls in Brazil is the Devil's Throat or ‘Garganta del Diablo’ which is the U-shaped start.
Measuring 82 metres in height, 150 metres in width and 700 metres in length, the Devil’s Throat offers the most impressive scale.
Arguably, Brazil had the better hotels on its side of the national park, compared to Argentina, and certainly the vegetation surrounding the walkways and viewpoints is most lush and filled with birds and mammals here. The main accommodation option here is the Hotel das Cataratas, which is an Orient-Express hotel and the only hotel that is set within the park itself, allowing guests exclusive access to the park after day visitors have left.
Contact one of our Destination Specialists to start planning your journey.