Iguazu Falls - Majestic Natural Display

After getting a waterfall tease in Paraguay, it was now time to go and check out the famous Iguazu Falls. It is possible to see them from both the Argentinean and Brazilian side and since I was still in Argentina, I was going to do that side first.

The night before, I met a few other travellers in my hostel and we decided to go together. So we woke up early-ish in the morning and took the bus to the falls. There are essentially three paths to see the falls from various angles and we were told to take the one that is furthest first. A small, but very slow, train took us to that first viewpoint, called ‚La Garganta del Diablo‘ or Devil's Throat.

After getting off the train and taking a short walk, we arrived at the point where the Iguazu Falls essentially start, i.e. where the river at the top 'falls' into the river at the bottom. And oh my was that impressive. A completely different level to the Saltos de Monday yesterday. The sheer volume and force of the water that is fed by the river and creates the waterfall is just stunning. There is no chance you stay dry as the water splashes high up in the air - this much force and volume it generates. It is truly spectacular. And yeah, we did get soaked for sure, but it was 100% worth it. Luckily, it was a hot and sunny day, so we dried very quickly.

Stunned and grateful that we could experience that spectacle with our own eyes, we took the train back to the station and decided to walk the lower pathway of the Iguazu Falls next. This path starts at the opposite end of the falls (think of the falls like a canyon with Devil‘s Throat in the front) and is just a 40 minute or so loop, but the views are incredibly beautiful. It's maybe not as ‚spectacular‘ as the Devil's Throat, but the views are marvelous. From the bottom, we looked at a wall of tens of waterfalls to our right and straight up ahead, with the green jungle as a nice backdrop. I've been to the Niagara Falls in Canada and Victoria Falls in Zambia, but to me the Iguazu Falls are the most stunning. The views, scenery and surroundings are just insanely beautiful.

Lastly, we went on the upper path to see the waterfalls from the top - still at the opposite end of Devil's Throat. Again, we were just amazed how nature can create something this majestic. The way the river constantly feeds the tens of waterfalls that then drop tens of meters is stunning. It's difficult to describe and one has to see it with their own eyes to fully understand the beauty of this place.

That was it for the Argentinean side. The next day, I was heading over to Brazil and booked myself a helicopter ride to see the falls from the top. To this day, I regret not having done that at the Victoria Falls, as it provides a totally different perspective to see some of the most famous waterfalls from a bird's eye view.

So the following day, I took the local bus to the helicopter terminal and was very lucky that I got the heli seat next to the pilot and not in the back. This meant I had the falls in front of me the entire time. Once we set off, it was just a short 3-4 minute ride to the falls. We could see the thundering water cloud from afar, but once we were over the falls, I was speechless. Only now could I appreciate the sheer scale and beauty of the Iguazu Falls. The way it is set in a jungle, to see the length of the canyon starting with the Devil's Throat, the walls of waterfalls I saw two days prior, the upper and lower river. The way the water feeds the Iguazu Falls!

This view will stay with me for the rest of my life for sure. It really is nothing like I have ever seen before. And to top it off, for one moment the heli also flew sideways, which gave all of us a little adrenaline rush and rounded up a perfect ride.

Iguazu Falls, I mean, wow. The word ‚spectacular‘ could've been invented for you, so awesome has it been to look at you with my own eyes. 10/10 experience for sure! Ah, I am so glad I came here. Now the rest of my time in Brazil can begin!Read more