Iguazu
A land of rainbows and butterflies, Iguazú Falls is one of those powerful places that make you realize how truly grand Mother Nature is. Stretching across a 1.7 mile-wide cliff and straddling the borders of Argentina and Brazil, Iguazú means “big water” in Guaraní and boasts 275 individual terraced falls.
Argentina boasts eighty percent of the falls, including the most impressive drop of the U-shaped gorge known as Garganta del Diablo, Devil’s Throat. Brazil takes the remaining twenty percent and let’s you get up close to them, so it’s worth visiting both sides.
Beyond the falls, the beautiful province of Misiones is a land of lakes, rivers, and orange earth surrounded by the subtropical rainforest that teems with over 2,000 species of plants and animals. To the south lie the Jesuit missions, where the province draws its name, and it’s worth a visit to a Guarani reservation to connect with the local tribes and understand their unique culture.
Ingredients
One of the major draws of Iguazú Falls is its accessibility to experience the 275 falls from close up via a series of walkways over two circuits on both the Argentinean and Brazilian side of the Falls. Comprising the upper and lower circuits and the famous Garganta del Diablo, it’s worth at least a couple days of exploration and time to savor this beauty. While in the park, expect to be greeted by millions of butterflies, the coati mob squad (the raccoon-like residents of the park), and enjoy the silence of the forest in the early morning, our favorite time to visit.
Things We Love
Fiery Sunsets: Misiones must have the most spectacular sunsets we have witnessed in Argentina. Every night the sun drops into the open western horizon in an orange, fiery ball that seems to melt away leaving the sky tinged with tones of red and fuschia. Our favorite way to take in sunset is with a dusk hike in the Falls, or on a boat after a hard afternoon of paddleboarding–gin and tonic in hand,of course.
Dipping Under a Waterfall: Besides Iguazú Falls themselves, Misiones is a province of many lakes, rivers, streams, and mini-waterfalls. While visiting, there’s nothing more sublime than wading into a crystalline lagoon to bathe under a gently falling waterfall. The sound of the falling water is nothing sort of meditative; it’s as if Mother Nature is embracing you. You emerge feeling cleansed, renewed, and awed.
Rainbows & Butterflies: Butterflies and rainbows appear at every turn in Iguazú. They produce a certain kind of giddy happiness as they flutter by: swallows, monarchs and the resident “88”, which appears to have that number tattooed on it’s black and white wings. While the warm climate and permanent mist make a perfect natural habitat, we can’t help but muse at their symbolism of renewal and transformation which make Iguazú a very spiritual destination.
and the meaningful
Hotels
Awasi Iguazú
Just twenty minutes from the falls, Awasi is a true hideout in the Atlantic rainforest. The standalone villas are set on stilts high in the treetops with a private terrace and plunge pool overlooking the jungle canopy. The open plan living room and bedroom are decorated with traditional Guaraní textiles and modern furnishings. The cuisine is elemental with ingredients plucked straight from the jungle and transformed into delicate dishes. Head off to explore with your private guides and you quickly realize that Iguazú is so much more than the Falls. Its ecosystem, local culture, and history are quite simply mind-blowing.
