The scenery here is absolutely stunning! Even with all the people and the tourist infrastructure, it felt like we had stepped back in time somehow. If a dinosaur casually strolled into view, not only would I not be surprised, but *I* am the one who would feel out of place!
Iguazu Falls from the Brazilian side
When we were originally planning our trip, it looked like we would only be able to spend 24 hours in Iguazu. So we asked a bunch of people who had been to both sides which they would choose if they only had 24 hours. To a man (or woman!) they gave us the diplomatic answer that "both sides are nice".
While this proved to be perfectly true, I found it really frustrating at the time, as it didn't help us make our decision! Lonely Planet, Trip Advisor and the rest of the internet also made it hard to choose.
Now that I have been there, I have more sympathy for our friends (and Lonely Planet). Each side has something truly special and unique to offer. So if you have the time, it's a no-brainer: go to both. But if you don't have the time, here's how I would answer the question of "which side would you choose?"
| If you... | I recommend... |
|---|---|
| only have 3-4 hours | Brazil |
| like walking | Argentina |
| want to see wildlife | Argentina |
| want to go on a boat ride | Both |
| want to go on a helicopter ride | Brazil |
| want to go for a swim | Argentina |
Views of the Main Falls
The boardwalk on the Brazilian side of the falls will give you the best panoramic views of the main falls. But the boardwalk on the Argentinian side will get you closer to the water. I think we got a better sense of the power of the falls from the Argentinian side, but a better overall view from the Brazilian side.
Iguazu Falls from the Argentinian side
I could have happily spent all day in the mist-zone on either side of the falls. In the hot, humid weather, it was wonderfully refreshing!
Trails
Nick and I love hiking, so we tried to explore as many of the trails as we could. Unfortunately, due to a slow start on the day we were going to Argentina, we missed out on two of the paths there. But the way I see it, we now have an excellent reason to come back!
Not counting access to the main falls, here's how the rest of the trails rate in my book...
| My Rating | Trail | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nice | Poco Preto (Brazil) |
9km | This trail is only accessible as part of a guided tour that includes kayaking on the river. We loved the kayaking part, but the walk was a little disappointing.
We learned a lot about the different trees and vegetation from our knowledgeable guide, which was great. But we didn't see any wildlife other than some (very pretty) butterflies. I'm not sure if it was just bad luck or if there's something different about this side of the river, but we saw way more wildlife on the Upper and Lower circuit trails in Argentina that we did on this walk through the jungle. |
| Nicer | Paseo Superior (Argentina) |
650m | You see many of the same waterfalls that are visible from the early part of the "Path to the Falls" trail in Brazil. But you get a lot closer than you can on the Brazilian side. |
| Awesome | Circuito Inferior (Argentina) |
1.5km | 
Double rainbow on the Lower Circuit!
We saw tons of wildlife on this particular trial. Not more than 2 meters above us, Nick spotted a beautiful toucan. Then near the cafe, we saw a whole family of monkeys (don't remember what kind) and a couple of coatis. I'm sure coatis are as common as raccoon sightings in N. America, but they were exciting and exotic to us! |
| Tied for Awesome | Path to the Falls (Brazil) |
1.2km | We really loved the way the views on this trail just kept getting better and better until you are blown away by the beauty of the main falls.
The picture of the waterfall in my blog banner was taken on this trail |
| Awesomest | Isla San Martin (Argentina) |
700m | This was, without doubt, my favourite trail.
I loved how close and intimate it felt. And since you need to take a (free) boat to get to the island, it was less crowded than other trails! Maybe that's why the big lizards felt comfortable hanging out in the middle of the path!  I think we got a better view of San Martin Falls than the jet-boaters!But what earns this hike top billing in my books is the small, but picturesque swimming area on the island. A perfect place to relax and cool off! |
Misc Notes
We didn't bother with a guidebook since we were going to be with our Brazilian friends for all but 3 days. But apparently, that's more than enough time to get tripped up by the little things. Specifically...
- The Argentinian side of the falls is cash-only. There is an ATM, but it is inside the park gates and it was broken when we were there. Fortunately, there is a currency exchange desk at the gate and we were able to convert some of our backup American dollars to get in.
- Although the boat to San Martin Island is free, you do need to get a ticket from the little booth on the way down. The booth is easy to miss and we made the mistake of getting in line without a number. Doh! Nick was sweet enough to run back up to get our tickets though, and we made it onto the second last boat of the day.
- The maps you get with your park admission are not to scale. When we were coming back from the Garganta del Diablo trail (on the Argentinian side), we *just* missed the last train and were told it was 30+ minutes for the next one. Nick and I weren't too keen on just sitting around in a cafe for 30 minutes, so we asked around and found that that we could actually walk from Garganta del Diablo to the Cataratas Station. I don't remember the exact distance, but it took us about 30 minutes, and we beat the train by a good 10 minutes.
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