What are the pros and cons of visiting the Iguazu Falls from the Argentinian side or Brazilian side only?
related: Visiting Iguazu waterfalls on both sides
We are planning a short weekend trip from the US to the Iguazu Falls, but don't really want to bother with customs and visas for two countries. It is a short trip, so we won't be visiting anywhere else, only the falls.
In a ballpoint, what are the pros and cons of visiting the falls from one side only?
What would I miss if I skip either one of the sides?
Best Answer
I just recently visited both and they are quite different. The Argentinian side is much bigger with many viewpoints on the falls including 3 or 4 pleasant trails that can easily fill a day.
The Brazillian side is beautiful too, I wouldn't say it's less beautiful as some say it's more intense and concentrated in one main area and you feel the strength of the waterfalls around you. I didn't have visa issues but I though visiting both sides was 100% worht it. The Brazillian side can be visited in a couple hours though.
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Is Iguazu Falls better from Brazil or Argentina?
Which side of Iguazu Falls did we prefer? The Brazil side may have given us the best shot from the entire trip, but our vote is for the experience with Argentina. The Argentinian side had a lot more to offer \u2014 comfortable trails, different viewing points and numerous activities to choose from.Why is Iguazu Falls a good place to visit?
The Iguazu Falls has its own microclimate. Amongst them you'll find exotic orchids, and towering trees. Plants will blanket the ground. It feels quite adventurous to be walking through a rainforest, and then on top of this you'll see the falls, which together with the almost semi permanent rainbows there is incredible.What is special about Iguazu Falls in Argentina?
Straddling the border of Argentina and Brazil, Iguazu Falls became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. In 2011, it was selected as one of the winners of the New Seven Wonders of Nature competition. It's easy to see why it's piling up awards and accolades.Is it worth visiting Iguazu Falls?
A visit to the falls is an absolute must-do on any South America itinerary. It's one of the most incredible natural sights in the world and is the perfect place to marvel at Mother Nature. You'll feel like you're a world a way from the concrete jungle of S\xe3o Paulo and other South American cities.Argentina vs. Brazil: Which Side of Iguazu Falls is Better?
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Answer 2
To not rush, and to be able to really take in the spectacle, you should consider taking a large part of a day to visit Iguazu Falls, on either side. With this, I'm saying that you shouldn't try to visit both sides on the same day.
But, visiting the falls on the other side is very easy. You can take one of the many regular public buses that travel between the two towns on either side and go from there.
The real difference between the two sides isn't that big: On the Argentine side, you get very close to the top of the falls, on the Brazilian side, you end up on a platform that's pretty much surrounded by walls of waterfalls. Both are impressive.
When pressed, some tourists, who have visited both sides, think the Argentine side might be a bit more impressive, but, from my experience, those that visit both sides, more often than not, start on the Argentine side.
However, there's another reason that might make you want to visit the Argentine side, if you only want to do one side: With the struggling Argentine peso, exchanging USD in cash can get you a huge discount in practice. I'm not sure what the current 'blue rate' of the USD is, but, last year, the difference was as much as 40%, meaning that if you brought cash USD into Argentina, you basically got a 40% discount on everything (if you were willing to change your USD on the street).
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Images: Karolina Grabowska, Tim Samuel, ArtHouse Studio, Erik Mclean