Iguazú Falls to San Ignacío

After the long bus journey from Buenos Aires we finally arrived in Puerto Iguazú to a loud thunderstorm, huge flashes of lightening and torrential rain. Locals seemed non-plussed by the storm, continuing about their daily business, whilst we took shelter under the corrugated iron roof of our hostel. We worried that after such a long journey the weather would ruin our trip into the Iguazú National Park to see the famous waterfalls. 

However, a few hours after our arrival the storm passed and the clouds cleared, all evidence of it having disappeared. Even trees which has been victims of the storm, were cleared from roads almost immediately. The sudden downpour of rain explaining Argentina’s lush greenery. So we set out to explore the town, stumbling across a youth-club performance of Capoeira a Brazilian martial art in the town square! 

Puerto Iguazú is a small town just a few kilometres from the Iguazú falls and the borders of both Brazil and Paraguay. The hostels are filled with backpackers, the parrillas with locals enjoying sizzling hot plates of meat and the bars filled with Brazilian’s crossing the border for the nightlife. 

The following day we travelled into the park, opting to see the Iguazu falls from the Argentinean side. I’d spent a lot of time researching and deliberating as to which side offered the best views. The Argentinean side holds 80% of the waterfalls and gives you the chance to get up close to them, whilst the Brazilian side was said to offer better panoramic views. If you have time, I would cross the Border and see both sides so you can compare – and you can let me know which you think is best! 

The Iguazú falls is one of the largest waterfalls in the world, with more than 270 falls. It contends with both the Victoria Falls in Africa on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe, and the Niagara Falls bordering Canada and United States. Of the three, Niagara Falls has the greatest flow of water, Victoria Falls is the tallest and Iguazú Falls is by far the widest.  

There are several walking trails in the National Park and an abundance of wildlife, we saw a variety of different birds, huge spiders spinning webs over the rivers and waterways, lizards, monkeys, wild butterflies, a crocodile and coatis (a raccoon-like animal). In a run in with one of these coatis, Simon had his empanada stolen from his hands, and any previous awe or affection for them disappeared! 

We started with the lower circuit which offered impressive views of individual waterfalls and panoramic views of the falls, including the San Martín island in the centre and the Brazilian section of the waterfall. We then climbed up to the superior circuit to look down over the top of the waterfalls and get up close to the gushing water! 

The most popular section of the park is the Devil’s Throat where walkways take you above the largest section of the waterfalls to the 80-metre canyon. Here as the cascading water and spray catch the rays of sunshine you can see a beautiful rainbow.  

We left the park feeling happier and re-energised, perhaps thanks to the negative ions emitted by the waterfalls! 

The following day we ventured across to Brazil (another stamp in the passport!) to visit Parque des Aves, a bird sanctuary and conservation park. The park works to conserve endangered species of birds from the Atlantic Rainforest, and is the only institution focusing on conservation of this region. With only 8% of the Atlantic rainforest surviving, here they are working to reverse the effects of deforestation, as well as the effects poaching and black-market trade on hundreds of different species. The park was set up in 1995 by a couple inspired by their grey parrot, and today they have more than 1,300 birds, of about 130 species. The park supports numerous projects to protect birds such as Toucans, Macaws, and different types of Parrots.  

Visiting this park you walk through the rainforest which they have preserved, and with the chance to walk through the aviaries you can see hundreds of different species of birds up close. My particular favourite were the colourful Macaws, here Scarlet, Blue-and-gold and Hyacinth Macaws bemused tourists as they playfully socialised.  

After our few days recuperating in Puerto Iguazú it was time to get back on the bus and continue our journey. We travelled South along the border between Argentina and Paraguay to a very sleepy town called San Ignacío Miní famous for its Jesuit ruins. Here the highway became rusty coloured dirt tracks, and there were only a few hotels or restaurants to cater to the small number of tourists making the trip. After the busy touristy streets of Puerto Iguazú it was a welcome relief, the locals were friendly and it was the first time our limited Spanish came under scrutiny! 

That afternoon following a cooling swim in the pool, we walked the dusty dirt roads to the museum and ruins in the centre of town. San Ignacío was established in 1696 as the Jesuit section of the Catholic Church travelled from Spain to South America to spread the word of God (and unfortunately also the Spanish influenza). The museum shows what the settlement would have resembled before the Jesuits were forced to flee and the mission ruined, along with other missions in the area. Declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1984, the red sandstone ruins are well preserved and you can explore the old plaza with its intricately carved walls as well as the large town hall and church.  

Despite feeling we didn’t want to leave the idyllic San Ignacío the vineyards of Mendoza were calling. 

How many wine tastings and tours make a sommelier? 

Lots of love,  

Xav  

xxx