{"id":20597,"date":"2017-06-17T10:31:45","date_gmt":"2017-06-17T00:31:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/?p=20597"},"modified":"2025-07-17T02:33:43","modified_gmt":"2025-07-16T16:33:43","slug":"argentina-brazil-iguazu-falls-visit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/argentina-brazil-iguazu-falls-visit\/","title":{"rendered":"Argentina vs Brazil: Which side of the Iguazu Falls should you travel to?"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s no secret we all love a good waterfall. From the frosty rapids of Iceland<\/a> to the aqua torrents of Croatia<\/a>, there\u2019s just something about huge volumes of water plummeting to the ground that makes us gape in wonder.<\/p>\n

There are an endless stream of waterfalls triggering severe wanderlust across the globe,\u00a0but your bucket list wouldn\u2019t be complete without a visit to South America\u2019s<\/a> Iguazu Falls.<\/p>\n

A magnificent display of over 250 cascading drops, The Iguazu Falls has certainly earned its stripes as one of the New Natural Seven Wonders of the World. Spanning almost 3km across the borders of Argentina and Brazil, the Cataratas del Iguaz\u00fa<\/em> (in Spanish)\u00a0or Foz do Iguacu<\/em> (in Portuguese) make a splash as the largest waterfall system on the planet. Step aside, Niagara.<\/p>\n

\"Waterfall

There are over 250 individual cascades in the Iguazu Falls<\/p><\/div>\n

Naturally, a spectacle of this size comes with many a viewpoint and The Iguazu Falls can be taken in by air, land or sea. It can also be observed and explored from the two different countries it calls home. But which is better? We\u2019ve floated the best features of each below, to save you drowning in indecision.<\/p>\n

The Argentinian Side<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Argentina\u2019s Cataratas del Iguaz\u00fa <\/em>offers a multi-faceted and truly visceral experience. With bragging rights over almost two-thirds of the falls, it\u2019s easy to spend a full day or two exploring all it has to offer.<\/p>\n

Whether you want to go wildlife-spotting in the Iguazu National Park or take the Tren de la Selva<\/em> to the top of the falls, there are plenty of ways to get up close and personal with the UNESCO-listed site.<\/p>\n

Best features<\/h3>\n

1. \u00a0The opportunity to walk on water, sort of. A network of boardwalks allow you to wander along the Devil\u2019s Throat, a horseshoe-shaped curtain of waterfalls with 14 magnificent cascades.<\/p>\n

\"Iguazu

A network of boardwalks takes visitors right up to the action<\/p><\/div>\n

2. The best viewpoint for arguably the most magnificent fall of all, the Garganta del Diablo<\/em>. A breathtaking walkway takes you right to the mouth of this thunderous torrent. Be sure to pack a waterproof jacket.<\/p>\n

3. The option to make a splash. Speedboat rides take you right underneath the falls before cruising down the rapids and finishing with a wildlife safari.\u00a0Waterproof jackets are provided for this one.<\/p>\n

The Brazilian Side<\/strong><\/h2>\n

What Foz do Iguacu <\/em>lacks in size compared to its Argentinian counterpart, it makes up for with fantastic observational opportunities. A glass lift takes you from the top viewing deck to the boardwalk, where you can walk along the edge of the panoramic pours.<\/p>\n

The city is also further structurally developed than Puerto Iguazu, with more accommodation options and easy airport accessibility.<\/p>\n

Best features<\/h3>\n

1. Killer photo opportunities. The walkway doesn\u2019t take you as close to the action, which means the water spray is minimal and it\u2019s safe to get the camera out. Being further back also allows you to get more of the falls in the shot.<\/p>\n

2. The option to take flight. It\u2019s difficult to fully grasp the enormity of the falls from ground level, but the helicopter rides (only available from the Brazilian side) will render you speechless and make you feel almost as small as these places do.<\/p>\n

\"Iguazu

The magnificent sight can be taken in by land, air and sea.<\/p><\/div>\n

3. You can see incredible wildlife, largely of the bird variety. Sitting directly across the road from the helicopter pad, the Parques das Aves <\/em>is an attraction in its own right. Set within the sub-tropical rainforest, it provides shelter for over 150 species of birds \u2013 toucans, flamingos and eagles included. It\u2019s also on the way to the Foz de Iguacu<\/em><\/p>\n

Por que no los dos?<\/h2>\n

Of course, if you want to soak up all The Iguazu Falls has to offer, or you\u2019re just too indecisive, you can always see both sides on Intrepid\u2019s Iguazu Falls tour<\/a>. In fact, most of our small groups trips in Argentina and Brazil take in both sides of the falls. Just make sure you do your visa and immigration research for both countries.<\/p>\n

The requirements vary for each nationality. For Argentina, typically only a reciprocity fee is charged but for Brazil you\u2019ll likely have to organise a visa well in advance. Unfortunately these don\u2019t come cheap, but they will help you justify a visit to the country\u2019s many other attractions, like the bustling and brilliant Rio de Janeiro, for example. Any excuse, right?<\/p>\n

Check out our 2-day Iguazu Falls tour, or our full range of adventures through Brazil<\/a> and Argentina<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The spectacular Falls can be admired from both Brazil and Argentina. So which side is better? (Good news: turns out you don\u2019t have to pick a side. This isn\u2019t soccer, after all.) <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15945,"featured_media":20600,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[455],"tags":[97,96,38,1337],"class_list":["post-20597","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature","tag-argentina","tag-brazil","tag-south-america","tag-waterfalls","ipf_region-argentina","ipf_region-brazil"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nArgentina vs Brazil: Which side of the Iguazu Falls should you travel to? | Intrepid Travel Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The bucket list wouldn\u2019t be complete without a visit to South America\u2019s Iguazu Falls, but which country should you see them from?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/argentina-brazil-iguazu-falls-visit\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Argentina vs Brazil: Which side of the Iguazu Falls should you travel to? 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