Visiting the Iguazú Falls

Stop number two on the trip were the infamous Iguazu Waterfalls! One of the seven Natural Wonders of the World and it wasn't a place that was originally on my to-visit list. However, after chattting with a few people who had already been that way, and after doing a bit more research, I booked my ticket!

Getting there

In case you've accidentally stumbled on this blog and you're actually looking for informative advice about how to get there, let me cut to the chase. Family and friends - feel free to skip this part!

First of all, I stayed on the Brazilian side of the border and only used public transport. If you're looking for information on guided tours, this is not the right blog!

Visiting the Brazilian side from Foz do Iguaçu

This is so easy, I beg you not to take a tour. It's just one bus, and it takes you directly to the ticket office of the park.

To find the bus, it is easiest to head to the bus terminal. This is called the "Terminal de Transporte Urbano" and it's on Avenida Juscelino Kubitscheck. All of the bus stops within the terminal have a green sign next to them, announcing the direction of travel. You just need to look for the one where it says "Cataratas Iguacu" (Iguazu Waterfalls). The bus that you need is the 120, but it will have "Parque Nacional" written on the front. You then just hop on and ask for a "bilhete" from the driver. As of September 2023, this costs 5rs (or roughly 1€).

The drive does take about 40 minutes from the terminal to the park, but as it is the end of the route, you don't need to worry about missing your stop. Moreover, the bus does stop at various hotels on the way. I found that Google Maps didn't work well for public transport in Foz, so it's worth asking those in the hostel if the bus stop is close. Once you've arrived at the park, everything is in English (as well as Portuguese and Spanish) and you can take it from there!

Visiting the Argentinean side of the falls

To be honest, visiting the Argentinean Iguazú falls with public transport is more time consuming. So, if you're really pressed for time, taking a guide could be an option. I, however, still advocate for this self guided mode of transport!

This time, you'll need to get the bus from outside the bus terminal. The street is behind the row of small shops just outside the station. There's only one bus stop on this rode, and only one bus service that serves it. You'll know youre in the right place, as it says on the bus stop "International Connections" or something similar. This route is served by Rio Uruguay, who come every 30 minutes and who will take you through Argentinean immigration, wait for you there, and then onwards to the town of Puerto Iguazú. As of September 2023, a return ticket costs 20rs. I recommend you get this and keep the ticket.

DO NOTE. The bus drivers will not automatically take you to the Brazilian immigration and will in fact tell you that it's not necessary for same-day trips. For anyone who isn't Argentinean or Brazilian, this isn't actually true and can cause complications further down the line. I opted to be on the same side and requested the driver to drop me off on the Brazilian side. Be aware! The drivers speak Spanish, and will not wait for you here. To be honest, I ended up waiting an hour for the next bus to come by, and the same length of time on the way back. For me it was worth it, but you can decide for yourself!

Once in Puerto Iguazú, you'll be pretty much shuttled onto the bus directly to the park by the workers there. A return ticket can be bought with pesos or reais, and also costs 20rs return. This bus journey is shorter at only about 30 minutes, and once again takes you right to the ticket office of the market.

My experience

The places

The city itself

Foz do Iguacu isn't much to write home about, so let's skip to the interesting stuff!

Argentinean side

Along with two French guys that I picked up at Brazilian immigration (yes, Dad, am making friends!) and another guy that we found on the way (shout out to you Nando), we explored all the trails. There's four trails, plus a train ride over to the Garganta del Diabo. Definitely the slowest train ride I've ever taken, but the most punctual train I've ridden in years.

The Argentinean side was beautiful, and with each trail you get to see the waterfalls from another angle. Our final trail was appropriately the most beautiful and we finished it, just as the park was beginning to close down!

Us at the Garganta del DIabo

Me and Nando then waved goodbye to the French guys, who were continuing into Argentina. Promise I do know their names, I just have no idea how to spell them hahaha so forgive me guys!

I had to go back through immigration, which once again left me waiting for a bus for an hour, but at least I got some more stamps in my passport.

But no, the day didn't end there. I ended up getting feijão and bife cebolada for the first time, but more of that later!

Brazilian side

Day two was time for the Brazilian side. I appropriately filled up at the breakfast buffet with not one, not two, not three, but four plates. Hehe. This actually ended up being a smart move though, because my next food intake was not until 3pm.

The tour here was much quicker (and more expensive!). THere is really just one trail, which took about two hours to complete with photos and things. I actually super enjoyed this, because you can see the sheer enormity of the falls and the length that they go on for. It was also v fun getting up close and personal with them. Not pictured, but if you look at the image below, there's a deck actually extending out into the river, just off the right-hand edge of the photo.

The activities

Aside from the waterfalls, the only activity I managed to do was watch Netflix. I stayed two nights in Foz, but after an aborted attempt to go to the Brazilian side (it was raining so much, there were waterfalls flowing in the streets. I didn't see the need to then pay to see more), I returned to the hostel and the luxury of my double bed. Perfect.

The food

I horrifically have NO photos of the food I ate. So you're just gonna have to trust me on these.

Esfiha (or apparently in English, sfiha)

According to the woman from my hotel, Arabic food is a must-try when in Foz. There is quite a pronounced Arabic-heritage population in Foz, along one with of the biggest mosques in Brazil. I tried googling to find out what might have driven migration to this area, but I couldn't find anything. So if you know, please write in the comments!

I went to "Esfiha Beirut", which was a recommendation. Go for a small Esfiha, which is a filled flatbread, and a shawarma. I got a za'atar and cheese esfiha, which mostly just tasted of za'atar (not a bad thing!), but have just been informed by Google that lamb and parsely is the most traditional combination. So, do better than me. I found them both good, especially with the hot sauce provided. Oh my god, I am becoming such a sucker for hot sauce, I'm literally dousing everything with it. If I continuing burning off my tastebuds at this rate, these food reviews may no longer be quite so reliable!!

Feijão

Mmmmm, I literally ate this in a random restuarant I walked past but yum it was so good. Like a black bean sauce/stew, served with a cut of meat with caramelized opinions, and rice and chips. YUM. Basic fare, but hearty. Loved it.

Enfim

The city was a flop, but the Cataratas were a top. Definitely got to be visited, but I was also v happy to hop onto a bus to the next destination.

Side note for the family who rang me concerned after reading about the Dutch guy - everyone I met in Foz was super friendly and super fab. From the French guys at the border, to Nando from the hostel, right down to the taxi driver who chatted to me about his activities in retirement, to the old man in the bus station who chatted to me about his bi-annual trip to the waterfalls (they were great, but not twice a year great!) and then asked me for my number (lol), to the woman in the bus station who gave me recommendations for Curitiba. A wholesome couple of days.