The hook
A wall of water nearly three kilometres wide where hundreds of waterfalls thunder over the jungle in clouds of spray, so overwhelming that a visiting first lady reportedly gasped "poor Niagara."
01Why it's worth it
Iguaçu (Iguazú on the Argentine side) is one of the greatest waterfall systems on Earth, where the Iguaçu River, just before joining the Paraná, tumbles over a vast horseshoe escarpment in a chain of hundreds of individual falls stretching nearly three kilometres, far wider than Niagara and, for many, more spectacular, set amid subtropical rainforest full of toucans, coatis, and butterflies. Its climax is the Devil's Throat, a colossal U-shaped chasm where the greatest volume of water plunges in a roaring, permanent cloud of spray. The falls straddle the Brazil–Argentina border, and the two sides offer complementary experiences: the Brazilian side gives the grand, sweeping panorama of the whole falls in one breathtaking view, while the Argentine side puts you right among and above them on extensive walkways, including a catwalk to the very lip of the Devil's Throat, plus boat rides that roar right under the cascades. Seeing both is ideal. However you do it, standing before such an immense, thundering spectacle is unforgettable, and the surrounding national parks add rainforest wildlife.
02How to experience it
See both sides if you can: the Brazilian side for the panoramic overview (a shorter visit), the Argentine side for the immersive walkways and the Devil's Throat catwalk (a full day). Take a boat ride under the falls for the drenching thrill. Wildlife abounds in the parks, so linger. Flow peaks in the wet summer months.