Day 9
Iguaçu, the Brazilian bank
Morning
Iguaçu National Park, the falls trail
Some 275 waterfalls spread over a front of nearly three kilometres, on the border between Brazil and Argentina, listed as a World Heritage Site. The Brazilian bank offers the panoramic view: a 1.2 km trail runs along the top of the canyon, each bend revealing a new tier of cascades. It is the overall view that the Argentine bank, more immersive, does not give.
Garganta do Diabo walkway
At the end of the trail, a metal walkway juts out into the spray, facing the chasm into which most of the flow plunges. You arrive soaked and deafened: it is the high point of the Brazilian bank, and the time of day when the morning light casts the rainbow over the falls.
Afternoon
Macuco Safari
The only operator authorised to take boats up the Iguaçu to the foot of the falls, from inside the park. The excursion starts with a ride in an electric vehicle through the forest, continues along a short trail to the landing stage, then heads up the river right under the curtains of water, which the boat enters head-on. Waterproof protection is provided for cameras and phones.
Parque das Aves
Right opposite the entrance to the national park, a private conservation centre for Atlantic Forest birds, where you walk through large immersive aviaries: toucans, macaws, harpy eagles, ibises. Most of the residents are animals seized from traffickers or injured. An hour and a half is enough; it is the logical complement to the day.
Good to know
National park tickets should be bought online in advance, as entry is by time slot. Inside, you get around on double-decker panoramic buses, included in the ticket. The Macuco Safari is sold separately: book it for the afternoon, when the sun lights the falls better from the water. Bring a windbreaker, a dry bag and a change of clothes.
