Iguazú Falls 3-day itinerary

Arrive at Parque Nacional Iguazú (ARS 28,000 for foreigners) at 8am. The Argentine side has 275 individual waterfalls spread across 2.7km of the Iguazú River — more than any other waterfall system on Earth. Walk the Circuito Superior (1.7km) for top-down views, then descend the Circuito Inferior (1.4km) for close-up encounters with the cascades. The Salto Bossetti viewpoint puts you directly in the spray of a massive curtain of water.

Take the park train to Garganta del Diablo — the 1.1km boardwalk over the river to the falls' most powerful point where water thunders into an 82-metre abyss creating a permanent cloud of mist. The sound vibrates in your chest. Afterwards, take the free boat to Isla San Martín (when water levels allow) — a rocky island in the middle of the falls with a secret beach and viewpoints back at the cascades. Few visitors make it here.

Dinner in Puerto Iguazú — Aqva Restaurant (ARS 14,000–22,000) serves creative river fish dishes and Patagonian lamb in a garden setting. For budget, La Dama Juana has enormous empanadas and milanesas (ARS 6,000–10,000). Walk to the Hito Tres Fronteras viewpoint for the sunset over the triple border. The Feirinha (craft market) near the bus terminal sells locally made crafts and gemstones.

Cross the border to the Brazilian side (taxi or bus from Puerto Iguazú, ARS 5,000–10,000). The Parque Nacional do Iguaçu (R$ 95 for foreigners) offers the panoramic perspective — where Argentina puts you inside the falls, Brazil gives you the full frontal view. The 1.5km boardwalk follows the canyon rim with the entire horseshoe of 275 waterfalls spread before you. The scale is only visible from this side.

The Brazilian boardwalk extends to a platform directly over the Devil's Throat — closer and more visceral than the Argentine viewpoint. You feel the earth vibrate beneath your feet. Afterwards, visit Parque das Aves (R$ 75) — a conservation centre and bird park right outside the national park entrance. Walk through immersive aviaries with toucans, macaws, and harpy eagles — the largest collection of Atlantic Forest birds in the world.

If staying on the Brazilian side, Foz do Iguaçu city has more nightlife than Puerto Iguazú. Dinner at Capitão Bar (R$ 60–100 mains) for Brazilian picanha steak and live music, or Bufalo Branco churrascaria (R$ 120 all-you-can-eat) for the full rodízio experience — waiters carve different cuts of meat at your table endlessly. Otherwise, cross back to Argentina for a quieter evening.

Take the Gran Aventura (ARS 35,000–50,000) — a zodiac boat ride that charges directly into the base of the falls. The boat navigates upriver through rapids before driving straight under several cascades, drenching everyone completely. The adrenaline and the close-up power of the water are extraordinary. You emerge soaked, laughing, and utterly exhilarated. The experience includes a jungle 4x4 drive through the subtropical forest.

Walk the Sendero Macuco (7km return, 3 hours) — a peaceful jungle trail through the Atlantic Forest with howler monkeys, coatis, toucans, and butterflies. The trail is flat and shaded, ending at the Salto Arrechea — a hidden 23-metre waterfall with a natural pool for swimming. This trail is free and uncrowded — most visitors stick to the main circuits. The biodiversity here is staggering — Iguazú protects one of the last remnants of the Interior Atlantic Forest.

Final dinner at La Rueda (ARS 12,000–18,000) for grilled surubí and a cold Quilmes, or splurge at De La Fonte Restaurante (ARS 18,000–28,000) for the best cooking in Puerto Iguazú. Watch the sunset from the Hito Tres Fronteras one last time — the meeting of three nations at the confluence of two great rivers. Pick up amethyst and agate jewellery from the Feirinha as souvenirs — the region sits on the world's largest geode field.