Where We Be
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
| Iguazu hits all of your senses full force. You'll not only see the falls but also feel the spritz on your skin, smell and taste the soaked air, and hear the endless roar. |
| Iguazu Falls, Brazil |
There simply are no other falls in the world like
Iguazu. Whichever side you see them from, this
place deserves its designation as one of the
seven natural wonders of the world. Exploring
them is easy too. A park bus takes you from the
visitor center to Cataract Trail, which is less
than a mile long and almost all downhill. You
walk the trail one way from the first overlook,
where there are beautiful but distant views, to
the final catwalk, where you're sure to get wet.
We worried we might be disappointed after
having seen the falls from the Argentinian side,
but the worry was needless. The closer we got,
the more jaw-dropping the views became. I
think we got wetter on the Brazilian side than
the Argentinian! Lots of mist and outright rain,
especially as you step onto that final catwalk,
which is perched right out in the middle of the
frothing water. Kids and adults alike shout with
exhilaration and can still barely be heard above
the roar of the falls. Look around at your fellow
travelers and you'll see it's nearly impossible
not to have a big smile on your face as you
stand out in the middle of this thundering
miracle of nature.
Iguazu. Whichever side you see them from, this
place deserves its designation as one of the
seven natural wonders of the world. Exploring
them is easy too. A park bus takes you from the
visitor center to Cataract Trail, which is less
than a mile long and almost all downhill. You
walk the trail one way from the first overlook,
where there are beautiful but distant views, to
the final catwalk, where you're sure to get wet.
We worried we might be disappointed after
having seen the falls from the Argentinian side,
but the worry was needless. The closer we got,
the more jaw-dropping the views became. I
think we got wetter on the Brazilian side than
the Argentinian! Lots of mist and outright rain,
especially as you step onto that final catwalk,
which is perched right out in the middle of the
frothing water. Kids and adults alike shout with
exhilaration and can still barely be heard above
the roar of the falls. Look around at your fellow
travelers and you'll see it's nearly impossible
not to have a big smile on your face as you
stand out in the middle of this thundering
miracle of nature.
| Congratulations, you made it! |
| We were able to simply walk to the park entrance from our Iguassu Eco Hostel, which we loved. The entry fee is R$ 56 (~$14 US) each, including bus transport through the park. |
| It's a long walk to the falls. Just about everyone takes the bus from the visitor center through the subtropical forest since it's included in your fee. |
| This is the stop you want -- the start of Cataracts Trail. The 1200 meters is about 0.75 mile and it's almost all downhill. |
| Your first view! Not bad, knowing even bigger and better is to come. |
| Even the early overlooks offer terrific vistas |
| The loads of mist coming down the valley from the Devil's Throat can sometimes make it hard to see |
| Midway along the trail you get your first glimpse of the catwalk that's going to take you right into the midst of the falls |
| What a perch! |
| Looking up towards Devil's Throat. We wore swimsuits and brought a baggie for our camera. Others donned cheap plastic raingear. Whatever you wear, prepare to get wet. |
| View from the catwalk looking downstream from Devil's Throat |
| Mist rainbows add even more beauty to the scene |
| Amazingly, you can get even closer to the Devil's Throat at this overlook -- if you don't mind standing in a rainstorm. You'll find yourself laughing at the unbelievable sound and fury going on all around you. |
| The final treat is a lookout tower that offers astonishing views from above. This is the Devil's Throat as seen from the tower. |
| One of the best things we did was order an espresso right at the edge of this thundering torrent. We’ll never have coffee at a more interesting place than this! |
| We loved seeing the expressions on people's faces as they ventured closer to the maelstrom |
| Here you get the big picture -- the Devil's Throat beside you, and below, the catwalk and lower valley with falls on all sides |
| It's really quite hard to believe it's safe to stand out on that catwalk! |
| View from the rest area above the falls. Here you can see the mist rising from the Devil's Throat while drying off in the sunshine. |
| You'll see quite a few coati up close on the trail. Think twice about walking with snacks in your hand or you might get more attention than you desire. |
| Inside the visitor center, murals illustrate all of the native species that call this protected park home |
| They grow their lizards big down here |
