The Cataratas del Iguazú is the largest waterfall system in the world with 275 individual falls. As a waterfall lover, I had this on my bucket list for a long time. Recently named one of the seven natural wonders of the world, Iguazu Falls is taller than Niagara Falls and even wider than Victoria Falls stretching for over 2.7 kilometers with a height of 80 meters. We checked off Victoria Falls in Africa for our 10-year wedding anniversary and saw the largest European waterfall Gullfoss (by volume) in Iceland earlier this year. When our plans started coming together to be in Argentina, a quick trip to this isolated place to see the largest waterfall in the world was a must-do.
Unfortunately, the curse of the Spanish-speaking countries has continued (See CUSCO: PERU HATES THE LOVGRENS and NORTHERN SPAIN: THE NOT-SO-EPIC ROAD TRIP, if you don’t know what I am talking about). For the newest episode, let me try to make a long, frustrating, somewhat unexplainable story short so that we can get to the good stuff. My foot started to hurt in Costa Rica, got worse to the point of limping with lots of pain in Buenos Aires, and now requires crutches to heal. Mad at the doctor for prescribing crutches and not a walking boot, I was determined to prove that I could still hike the five trails in Iguazu National Park. For reasons that are a long story that needs to be saved for another day, I went 1.5 miles as fast as I could on crutches on my very first day with them. Exhausted with welts under my arms and sore lats, pecs, shoulders, and calf, I realized that, not only were my crutches ill-fitted (thanks Ortho store that sold and “fit” them to me for sucking at your job), but crutching through the whole national park was not going to happen. I was devastated. My dream of seeing Iguazu in all its glory seemed to be slipping away.
However, after talking to our bed-and-breakfast host and rangers at the national park, we began to realize that maybe I could see more of this one-of-a-kind waterfall than we realized. The park was actually designed to be handicapped and wheelchair accessible. We were so impressed with the infrastructure and the kindness of the staff to help us. The majority of the trails were not dirt paths over tree roots and rickety bridges, like I imagined. Instead, 80% of the trails were well-constructed metal bridges that zig-zagged over the river and between the islands that make up this enormous waterfall system.
To get to the main set of trails, I was taken in a cart to the train station, and then a cute little train takes visitors to the different trailheads.
At the trailheads, wheelchairs are available. Had I not been stubborn and already tried to crutch fast and furious the day before, I probably could have done the trails slowly on crutches. But, since I was already ridiculously sore and bruised, I set my ego aside and went for the wheelchair option. We had a few miles ahead of us, and I wanted to be able to enjoy every minute and see as much of this colossal curtain of water as I could. Jimmy was a trouper, agreeing to push me around the majority of the park in the John Deer wheelchair.
Our first taste of Iguazu Falls was one of its most striking features, Garganta del Diablo (Devil’s Throat). This U-shaped waterfall is the highest of them all and about half the water in the river funnels through this narrow passage. As you get closer, the murmur from the distance gradually builds to a deafening roar.
Near one edge of the platform, the water swirls around as it tries to rush down the narrow gorge, and periodically huge clouds of spray and mist explode into the air creating gorgeous rainbows.
In the middle of the platform, you can stand directly over one section of the waterfall where the water is plummeting to the depths below.
We took lots of pictures from this spot because the mist combined with the perfect rays of sunshine created spectacular rainbows.
On the other side of the platform, you can see a bunch of smaller waterfalls that have been separated by little green islands.
The immense power of this waterfall can really be felt, heard, and seen at the awe-inspiring Garganta del Diablo. Most of the time, the cataractagenitus (the cloud formed from the mist created by the waterfall) made it difficult to see across the water to the Brazil side of the falls. Such a captivating place! We could have hung out here for hours.
Iguazu Falls consists of two grand winding arcs that spread out over 2.7 kilometers. Devil’s Throat makes up part of one arc, and the second arc can be seen from the Upper Circuit trail. Here, multiple waterfalls are separated by little green islands. The trail weaves along this upper ridge offering many platforms with fantastic panoramic views as well as outlooks directly over the waterfalls. We spent a long time slowly wandering the path and soaking in the beauty around us.
After the Upper Circuit, I was determined to also go on the Lower Circuit when I saw all the people below us getting up-close to the bottom of the falls and completely drenched. I knew there was one unpaved trail to a swimming hole and waterfall that we couldn’t do, so I didn’t want to miss out on both opportunities to cool off underneath the falls. In addition, a highly-recommended boat ride docked on the Lower Circuit takes you along the river and underneath one of the tallest and most powerful sections of the falls (you can see the tiny boat in the pic below).
We talked to one of the rangers, and he gave us the disappointing news that I would have to crutch down 150 wet, rocky, uneven steps to get to the boat ride. However, he could offer a car ride past a portion of the steps so that I could follow part of the Lower Circuit to a waterfall called Dos Hermanas (Two Sisters). No wheelchairs were available there, so I would have to use my crutches. Luckily, I had rested all day with Jimmy pushing me around, so I was ready to tackle the Lower Circuit on crutches. I could not leave the largest waterfall in the world without getting wet.
My whole body ached as we had to go up and down some inclines to make it to Dos Hermanas, but the beautiful double cascade was worth the effort.
Unfortunately, the waterfall that the ranger recommended was not the one where we saw people getting soaking wet. I was not going to turn back now. Multiple signs warned of slippery, wet trail, but I was determined to see how far I could make it. We slowly made our way along the trail through thick rainforest and over the flowing river to come to a lookout that definitely made going further worth it. Here, the dense vegetation opens up to reveal the magnificent falls surrounded in a mist filled with brilliant rainbows.
But, the question still remained, could I make it underneath the falls? A ramp zig-zagged down and out of sight. At this point, the trail was completely wet for as far as the eye could see. Wet metal trail, downward ramp, and crutches are not a good combination. A few times, I felt my crutch slip out from under me but was able to stay balanced. I sent Jimmy ahead to figure out if it was worth the risk to inch my way down the ramp. We were close to our goal destination, so I kept on going and was so relieved when I made it safely.
Now, time to feel the power of the waterfall and get soaked!
As the water crashed all around us, I was satisfied and felt our journey to Iguazu Falls was complete. I may not have been able to ride the boat under one of the larger falls, but I made it to a wonderful spot to get a taste of its immense power. No trip to the largest waterfall in the world would be complete without a thorough soaking.
After an exhausting day for both of us, we made our way back to one of the best bed-and-breakfast accommodations we could have asked for, The Secret Garden Iguazu. Our host, John, greeted us with a smile and a delicious Caipirinha in his hidden rainforest garden. Tasty appetizers were laid out in front of us as we enjoyed the smooth sounds of jazz and some country music. Relaxing with a couple drinks in the glow of John’s special crystal lamps was the perfect way to end a long day.
We were fortunate to have one perfect, sunny day at Iguazu because the next days were torrential downpours. Luckily, we could relax in the beautiful rainforest setting at the Secret Garden. We enjoyed breakfast on the porch including John’s homemade banana bread as we watched hummingbirds dart in and out of the trees in the garden.
In the evening, the rain cleared for us to be able to go to dinner at a restaurant on the Triple Frontier. At this point, the Iguazu and the Parana Rivers converge creating a natural boundary between the countries. We enjoyed a bottle of wine and a local, freshwater fish straight from the river while looking over Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina.
We had a lot of doubts when we arrived given the condition of my foot. But, our trip to Iguazu Falls ended up being a fun, memorable one. Waterfalls are one of those geographical formations that never fail to impress. The sight of tons of water dramatically spilling over the edge of a cliff is a natural phenomenon I will strive to see time and time again, and I can now check off the largest in the world from my bucket list.
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