Iguazu Falls

Sure Fire Candidate For The Eighth Wonder of the World.

The Iguazú Falls are located on the triple frontier of Argentina, Brazil & Paraguay. 275 separate waterfalls make up this astounding complex of cascades in a 4 km-wide horseshoe shape across the Iguazú River. The Devil'’s Throat is probably the most spectacular of the waterfalls, here the resounding roar of water thundering down the 90-metre drop is one of the most impressive sights in Argentina.

There are many different ways to view the Iguazu Falls and experience their might. There are networks of walkways on both the Argentine and Brazilian sides, with thrilling views above and below the falls. You can also experience them up close on an exhilarating boat safari or from the air on a helicopter ride of a lifetime. 

The Area

The Iguazu River forms the border between Argentina and Brazil. The main town on the Argentine side is Puerto Iguazu, which is a small town with easy access to the falls. Most people choose to stay in one of the lodges in the surrounding rainforest area. The main town on the Brazilian side is Foz do Iguacu which is a larger city with easy access to the falls.

One of the main towns in the area is Puerto Iguazu. This simple town has an almost bohemian feel to it with a mixture of artisan shops, restaurants, backpacker lodges and a few hotels. The town does have quite limited facilities and most people choose to stay in one of the larger hotels or lodges located outside of the main town in the surrounding areas. Due to a good road network, wherever you stay you will have good connections to the Falls themselves.

There are a couple of jungle lodges in the surrounding rainforest too which are very popular. These lodges give you the opportunity to immerse yourself in the surrounding nature and experience a few days in a relaxing retreat a great experience to include in your holiday to Argentina.

Best Time to Go

Iguazu remains warm and humid all year round. The Falls are at their fullest from December to March as you get some rains during this period.

If you would like to begin creating your perfect Argentina holiday, Simply complete the enquiry form to get in touch.

Alternatively call our Travel Specialists on 020 8546 6222.

Iguazu Falls

As one of the main reasons for coming to the area, you simply cannot miss a visit to the Falls whilst staying here. It is possible to view the falls from the Argentinian side as well as the Brazilian side.

It is said that the Brazilian side offers the best vistas over the Falls as a whole, while the Argentinian side gets you the closest to the falls. You can combine both sides in a day but we would recommend taking your time and visiting each side one day at a time.

Itaipu Dam

the Itaipu Dam is currently the world's largest hydro electric power plant. It measures 8kms wide and 200 metres high and was a joint effort by Brazil and Paraguay. The dam currently supplies 25 percent of Brazil's and 78 percent of Paraguay's entire electricity. An amazing feat of engineering, the dam cost US$18 billion dollars and its sheer monumentality is undeniably impressive. There are a range of tours that visit the dam or combine it with Iguazu Falls. Ask your Latin Routes Travel Specialist for more details.

San Ignacio Ruins

The Jesuit Ruins of San Ignacio Miní were declared a World Heritage Site in 1984 and it is one of the flagship Jesuit sites in South America. The excellent preservation of the Ruins today allows to see how the project of converting the Guarani Indians operated. The powerful religious beliefs and history of the community can be observed in the artwork and archeologist work. There are a variety of tours to this area and a professional guide will give you a fascinating insight to the Jesuit communities.

If you would like to begin creating your perfect Argentina holiday, Simply complete the enquiry form to get in touch.

Alternatively call our Travel Specialists on 020 8546 6222.

Adventure Activities in Iguazu

All of these activities and experiences can be enjoyed on a holiday to Iguazu Falls and the surrounding area

• Iguazu Falls
• Powerboat rides
• Scenic flights
• Horse trekking
• Eco-tourism lodges
• Jungle lodges
• Trekking
• Canopy walks
• Jesuit Ruins

If you would like to begin creating your perfect Argentina holiday, Simply complete the enquiry form to get in touch.

Alternatively call our Travel Specialists on 020 8546 6222.

The Jesuit Communities

One of the main parts to the history of this area is that of the Jesuit Communities. The Society of Jesuits was set up to be a religious order of energetic, well-educated young men as roving missionaries to preach and administer the sacraments wherever there was the hope of accomplishing the greater good.

It was not long before they established themselves in Brazil, Peru and Paraguay, which included Argentina, Uruguay, parts of Bolivia, Chile and the south of Brazil. They rapidly organised the small tribes of native Indians into Reductions or communities to be evangelized, setting up schools and carefully shaping their social and cultural development, all the while respecting their innate rights.

The system worked largely because the relationship between the Jesuits and the Indians was pacific and mutually respectful in nature and the communities were far from Spanish and Portuguese settlements which tended to clash with a civilization so different from their own. In their heyday, over 140,000 native Indians lived in some 30 Jesuit communities, of which 11 were in the surrounding area known as the province of Misiones.

However, the Reductions soon came under the threat of Portuguese slave traders in the 1620s who carried out violent raids on the communities in search of men and women to be sold as slaves to the Fazendas and estates on the Atlantic coast.  Finally, the Jesuit fathers decided to move southwards to the Yabebirí River where they re-founded San Ignacio Miní and Loreto, followed by Santa María La Mayor on the coast of the river Uruguay and Santa Ana deep in the thickets of the rainforest, all of which have been restored to a greater or lesser degree and may be visited today.

The Jesuits exemplary task of evangelization and education which continued unhindered until the mid-18th century was not without its detractors and critics, particularly as the missionaries also excelled at trade with all sectors of society. The advance of the Enlightenment and the growing influence of the Freemasons in Europe encouraged ideological opposition to the Catholic Church and more particularly to the Society of Jesus, finally leading to the expulsion of the Jesuits from Portuguese territory in 1757 and from Spanish territory just 10 years later. Once the priests had left, the Spanish could not find a way to get on with these religiously-organized villages and so these disbanded. The glorious mission buildings gradually fell into disuse and decay as the guaraní communities drifted away into social structures of a different kind, died or crept back into the jungle.

There are a number of these ruins throughout the region that can be visited and more of their fascinating history can be learnt.

If you would like to begin creating your perfect Argentina holiday, Simply complete the enquiry form to get in touch.

Alternatively call our Travel Specialists on 020 8546 6222.