Why you need to visit Iguazú Falls from Brazil *and* Argentina & how to make the most of your time at the world's prettiest waterfalls

The collection of waterfalls known as Iguazú Falls remains one of my favourite experiences and a highlight of my four months in South America. After spending a few days in the Pantanal of Brazil, I chose to head south and spend time on both the Brazilian and Argentinian sides of the falls since both offer a totally different perspective but are equally impressive. If you have time, I’d recommend seeing Iguazú Falls from Brazil first; it’s from here that you get the most incredible overview.

Iguazú Falls as seen from Brazil

Visiting Iguazú Falls from Brazil

I spent two nights in the Brazilian city of Foz do Iguaçu, from where it’s an easy bus or taxi ride to the national park entrance. Open everyday from 9am to 5pm it's easy to pick up a ticket on the day of your visit, and once inside, it's simple to navigate the park since there is an abundance of walkways and pathways leading to different look-out points. The panorama of the falls is one of the most beautiful scenes I’ve ever witnessed during all my years of travel and I was lucky enough to visit after a period of intense rain meaning that what is usually one million litres crashing over the edge every second, had jumped to an incredible six million litres a second, due to heavy rainfall in the weeks beforehand. The increased water flow made the falls even more impressive and a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Hidden in the surrounding rainforest, you'll likely spot iridescent lizards bathing in sun spots, black butterflies with white spiral patterns, and cute coatis trailing their long, bushy tails after them as they hunt for food.

Long-snouted coatis roam the pathways around Iguazú Falls

Eventually, at the furthest point on the Brazilian side, I found myself standing right by the edge of the top of the falls, hypnotised by the intense sound of the crashing water and soaked by the relentless spray in the air. I once read that negative ions are more abundant in and around waterfalls and that it's these ions that give us calm and happy feelings. I don’t know if there’s any truth to it, but I’ve never felt more euphoric than the days I spent exploring the magnificent Iguazú Falls.

A couple take a moment to appreciate the scenery around Iguazú Falls

Near the exit of the national park, it's worth stopping to check out the photographic exhibition featuring old black and white photographs depicting the falls from over a hundred years ago; the images of young boys holding old-fashioned butterfly nets are particularly arresting. Back in Foz do Iguaçu, it's easy to hop on a public bus over the border into Argentina, from where the jumping-off point to visit the falls from Argentina is Puerto Iguazú. I based myself in Puerto Iguazú for a further three nights so I could visit the national park slowly, taking a bus from the town to the Argentina entrance just like in Brazil. On this side, the park is open from 8am until 6pm every single day of the year. 

Visiting Iguazú Falls from Argentina

It's on the Argentinian side, where you can get really close to the falls. It's worth hopping on the mini train that takes you towards the biggest section where you can walk along wooden pathways that wind right over the thundering water. At the Devil’s Throat (the main and heaviest part of the falls), I was overwhelmed by the sound, with thundering crashes of water sounding almost monstrous—I even felt a little scared, but suddenly the world dropped away and I was standing right on top of it, millions of litres of water disappearing just below my feet. It was one of the most incredible moments of my life. 

Getting a closer look at Iguazú Falls from Argentina

Wherever you wander in the Argentinian side of the park, hundreds of delicate, bright yellow butterflies dance around amongst the water spray like a scene from a magical Disney movie. I really enjoyed walking along some of the less crowded hidden footpaths where I got to witness smaller, much gentler falls as beams of sunlight broke through the leafy canopy above. 

A section of Iguazú Falls from Argentina

Eventually, if you make it to the bottom of the falls, you can take a boat right up to where the water hits the river below. Although at points I could barely open my eyes since the spray was so powerful, it was incredible to see the water crashing down from a different perspective. Amazingly, little birds fly in and out from behind the water as it falls, as they build nests on the rocks inside. When on this side of the falls, I’d recommend visiting the national park a couple of times as there is so much to see and the atmosphere is pure magic—it's really worth taking it all in slowly and in the moment.