The Ultimate Family Guide to the Iguazu Falls Argentinian Side
Visiting the Iguazu Falls Argentinian side was the undeniable highlight of our annual family trip during the British summer holiday in August. As one of the new Seven Wonders of Nature, these marvellous cascades offer a completely different, up-close experience compared to the Brazilian side. However, navigating the border logistics and park trails with a family of five requires some careful planning. Consequently, we have put together our exact itinerary and honest lessons learned. If you want to experience the sheer power of nature while avoiding common travel pitfalls, here is our complete guide.
Planning the Border Crossing and Logistics
First of all, our multi-stop journey began when we flew from London Heathrow to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. After spending a few days exploring Rio, we took a local flight to the south of Brazil to visit Santa Catarina State and Paraná State. Specifically, we flew from Florianópolis to Foz do Iguaçu Airport using Azul Airlines, which was surprisingly excellent. The flight took exactly 1 hour and 30 minutes, landing us safely in the early afternoon.
Furthermore, we explicitly decided not to hire a car for this leg of the adventure. Because there is a mountain of bureaucracy and strict rules regarding crossing the border from Brazil to Argentina, driving yourself can be a nightmare. As a matter of fact, private cars frequently wait over 3 hours in the border queues. Instead, we relied entirely on local taxis and public buses to save time.
We took a pre-arranged taxi straight from the Brazilian airport across the border to Puerto Iguazú in Argentina. We paid around US$ 65.00 for all five of us, and our driver was incredibly friendly. Even though the border was quite busy, our taxi queue moved much faster, and the entire journey took just 1 hour and 45 minutes. The driver dropped us directly at the Jasy Hotel, which we booked via Booking.com for a very reasonable US$ 80.00 per night, including breakfast for the whole family.
The Crucial Cash Warning for Argentina
The following morning, we encountered our biggest travel hurdle before even reaching the Iguazu Falls Argentinian side. After an early breakfast, we headed straight to the town’s central bus station. However, the ticket booth was strictly cash-only. We tried to withdraw Argentine Pesos from the local ATMs, but none of our British bank cards would work.
There is an immense amount of financial bureaucracy in Argentina that can be quite upsetting for tourists. Therefore, always take plenty of physical cash with you if you travel here, as many places do not accept international cards. Luckily, we managed to source enough cash for our transport and park entrance fees. From there, we boarded the regular Rio Uruguay public bus straight to the national park gates. The smooth and tranquil journey lasted roughly 30 minutes, and we purchased our foreigner entrance tickets directly at the park gates.
Exploring the Three Epic Hiking Circuits
Because the Iguazu Falls Argentinian side is absolutely massive, you must allocate a full day to explore it properly. There are multiple distinct circuits to choose from, all providing vastly different views.
- The Devil’s Throat (Garganta del Diablo): To beat the midday heat, we started with the park’s crown jewel. First, we walked 600 metres along the Sendero Verde (Green Trail) to the central train station. Next, we boarded the free internal ecological jungle train from Central Station to Devil’s Throat Station. Taking the train saves a massive amount of walking for children and lets you spot local wildlife. From the station, you walk along a stunning 1.1km catwalk over the river. Along the way, we were surrounded by colourful butterflies and beautiful birds. The viewpoint at the end places you right at the mouth of the massive abyss. The view is completely breathtaking, but the water is so powerful that you will get soaking wet. Make sure to pack a reliable raincoat!
- The Upper Circuit (Circuito Superior): After spending 2 hours at the main fall, we took the jungle train back down to the Upper Circuit. This 1.5km trail takes about 2.5 hours to walk comfortably with stops for photos. The magic of this trail is that you are literally walking on catwalks directly on top of the rushing water, looking straight down over the edges of the falls.
- The Lower Circuit (Circuito Inferior): Finally, after stopping for a quick snack, we tackled the last route. The Lower Circuit is a 1.4km path that takes you deep into the forest. It takes another 2.5 hours to complete, leading you down to the base of the canyon so you can look up at the towering walls of water.
Essential Packing List for Families
What makes the Argentine side so deeply special is the complete immersion in pure nature. As you walk through the rainforest, you will be entirely surrounded by wild monkeys and dozens of curious coatis (quatis). To keep your family comfortable during a full day in the park, ensure you pack these exact items:
- Water and Food: Take plenty of water and your own snacks. There are very few food options inside the park, and we found the quality to be quite poor and disappointing.
- Strong Insect Repellent: Apply this constantly to avoid nasty mosquito bites. Despite applying ours, we still got a few unpleasant bites through the jungle.
- Sturdy Footwear: Wear high-quality, non-slippery walking shoes, as the mist makes the metal catwalks incredibly slick.
- Sun Protection: Pack sunglasses, sun cream, and sun hats to combat the intense South American heat.
Conclusion:
We literally spent the entire day exploring the national park. As the sun began to set, we caught the very last bus from the park back to the Puerto Iguazú bus station. From there, we immediately boarded another local bus to cross back over the border to Foz do Iguaçu so we could prepare to visit the Brazilian side. Visiting the Iguazu Falls Argentinian side was an incredibly peaceful, special, and bonding experience for our family. If this natural wonder is currently sitting on your travel bucket list, do not hesitate – go and visit!
