Iguazu Falls

The spectacular South American Iguazu Falls, which are located along the border of Brazil and Argentina, are considered a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site. These falls are much taller (or longer, however you want to look at it) than Niagara Falls and are nearly four times as wide, with an impressive 275 different cascades and individual waterfalls plunging about 270 feet into the gorge below. The falls stretch out along a vast, crescent-shaped cliff for two and a half miles along the Iguazu River. 

If you visit Iguazu Falls—which formed from a volcanic eruption leaving a massive crack in the earth—during South America's rainy season (between November and March), you'll be lucky enough to watch the water flowing over the falls at a rate of up to a whopping 450,000 cubic feet per second; that's a lot of water flowing down very quickly! Normally, the water plummets downward at a rate slightly above 550 cubic feet per second, which is still a sight awe-inspiring and stunning to behold.

However, this description and these details really do nothing to encapsulate the amazing vision, sound, and experience of actually visiting the famous Iguazu Falls for yourself. As mentioned, there are nearly 300 different cascades and waterfalls separated by several 'islands' that comprise Iguazu Falls, most notably Gargantua del Diablo, known as the Devil's Throat, best viewed from the Brazilian side of the falls, which features a very high, 100-foot spray continuously shooting up over its falls, along with a striking rainbow. Other very popular falls within Iguazu Falls include Bernabe Mendez, Bossetti, and San Martin, among many others.

Indiana Jones Filming Location Scene

The breathtaking waterfall scene with Harrison Ford, Shia LeBeouf, and Cate Blanchett in the latest Indiana Jones movie, The Kingdom of Crystal Skull, directed by Steven Spielberg, has been made with film shots of the Iguazu Falls.

The Most Majestic Waterfalls

If you think the Niagara Falls, which borders both the United States (in New York) and Canada (in Ontario), are magnificent (and they are), wait until you capture the breathtaking essence of the Iguazu Falls—you will likely be rendered both speechless and breathless. In fact, Iguazu Falls are famous for being visited by Eleanor Roosevelt, the wife of Franklin D. Roosevelt, who, upon gazing on these falls for the first time, reportedly remarked, 'Poor Niagara.'

Poor Niagara, indeed. If you ever get the amazing opportunity to visit South America, particularly the exciting, tropical countries of and Brazil, a nice, lengthy stop at the fantastic Iguazu Waterfalls, situated right on the Argentinean-Brazilian border, is a must. Not only is the sight of these beautiful and strong falls a vision to behold, but you can actually hear the thundering roar and pounding from miles away!

As vast and immense as these awesome falls are, they are actually a part of something much larger: a unique and largely unspoiled jungle ecosystem surrounded by the protection of national parks—both Brazilian and Argentinean—on all sides of the falls. For example, on Argentina's side, which holds two-thirds of Iguazu Falls, you'll find the sensational Iguazu National Park, which offers unparalleled beauty, scenery, and landscapes, which a vast assortment of jungle hiking trails, bird-watching opportunities and trails, and a plethora of wildlife plants, flowers, vegetation, and animals. In fact, you can easily spend one entire day of your Argentinean vacation checking out a full two-thirds of the splendor of Iguazu Falls and also spending time in the great Iguazu National Park.

There is so much to see and do that it's highly recommended that you dedicate a minimum of a full day to this experience—you won't regret it. If you check out the remainder of the falls on the Brazilian side, you most certainly will not be disappointed. Although the Brazilian side of Iguazu Waterfalls only comprises one-third of the entire falls, you'll find the view from this side to be much more panoramic than the view from the Argentinean side. Further, you can actually catch an exciting helicopter ride to view the falls from on high, accessed from Brazil's famous Foz do Iguazu.

Guaraní origins and the legend of Naipi

The Guaraní people had lived in the region for thousands of years before any European saw the falls, and it's their language that gives Iguazu its name -- "y" for water and "guasu" for big or great. A Guaraní legend tells of a river god, M'boy, who wished to marry a woman named Naipi; when she fled downriver by canoe with her lover Tarobá, the enraged god sliced the riverbed apart, creating the falls and condemning the two lovers to fall forever.

European encounter

The Spanish conquistador Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca is generally credited as the first European to see the falls, in 1541, initially naming them Santa María Falls before the Guaraní name Iguazú took hold in the years after.

How the falls were formed

The falls owe their existence to volcanic activity roughly 120 million years ago, when massive eruptions spread thick basalt flows across what's now the Paraná Basin, covering parts of present-day Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. Over millions of years, the Iguazu River has worn away softer rock beneath this hard basalt layer, undercutting it to create the horseshoe-shaped series of drops that make up the falls today.

Devil's Throat

The falls' centerpiece is the Garganta del Diablo (Devil's Throat), a U-shaped chasm about 82 meters high and 150 meters wide where roughly half the Iguazu River's total flow plunges over the edge at once. The volume of water produces a roar audible from a distance and a permanent cloud of mist that rises well above the falls -- most visitors consider it the single most dramatic viewpoint in the entire system.

275 individual falls

Iguazu isn't a single waterfall but a system of roughly 275 individual cascades spread across a 2.7-kilometer stretch of the river, straddling the border between Argentina and Brazil. Trails and walkways on both sides offer different vantage points -- the Argentine side gets visitors closer to individual falls and up to the edge of Devil's Throat itself, while the Brazilian side offers a more panoramic view of the whole system at once.

Rainforest and wildlife

The falls sit inside a combined expanse of protected subtropical rainforest -- Iguazú National Park in Argentina and Iguaçu National Park in Brazil -- home to roughly 2,000 plant species and 400 bird species. Toco toucans are a common sight along the forest trails, especially in the early morning, and great dusky swifts nest directly on the rock faces behind the falling water, including behind the curtain at Devil's Throat itself.

The time of year in which you choose to visit Iguazu Falls is entirely up to you. Many tourists prefer the spring and fall, when it is not too hot and humid (as the summer months are) and when the water levels are not too low (as in winter). Although November through March is the rainy season, it is also the time of year when the falls flow the fastest.

The Iguazu Falls landscape makes for a perfect vacation destination for couples on their honeymoons, couples celebrating an anniversary or a romantic getaway, groups of traveling friends and buddies, and entire families—at any time of year. Book your vacation to Iguazu WaterFalls today—you'll certainly enjoy an experience of a lifetime.

If you want to see the entire Iguazu Falls (both the Argentinean side and the Brazilian side), you'll enjoy your experience much more if you aim to spend at least two days to soak in all the beauty and enjoy all that Iguazu Falls has to offer you as a tourist, guest, or visitor to the area.

But how do you access the falls to view their majesty and splendor? Iguazu Falls are, fortunately, quite accessible to the public, for both tourists and locals alike. If you're flying to either Brazil or Argentina, check out the flights available that provide connections to the Iguazu Falls. You can also see if you can rent a car from a nearby city or town (depending on where you're staying) and drive up to the falls, park, and hike up to the cliff to behold the spectacular vision. Further, consider taking a helicopter ride over the falls, or even take a thrilling boat ride out to the falls.