The Iguazú Falls are waterfalls of the Iguazú River located on the border of the Brazilian state of Parana (in the Southern Region) and the Argentine Province of Misiones.

It consists of about 270 falls, with heights of up to 82 meters along 2.7 km of the Iguazu River. The Garganta del Diablo ("Devil's Throat"), a U shaped 150 meters wide and 700 meters long cliff, is the most striking of all and marks the border line between Argentina and Brazil.

The Falls are shared by the Iguazú National Park (Argentina) and Iguaçu National Park (Brazil). It was discovered in 1541 by Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca and designated one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1984 and 1986.

The name Iguazú comes from the Guarani words y (water) and guasu (big). The legend says that a god pretended to marry a beautiful aborigine named Naipú, who escaped with her mortal lover in a canoe. In anger, the god sliced the river creating the waterfalls, condemning the lovers to an eternal fall.

There is a footbridge, where you can walk around the trails or go by a train. There are two circuits: an upper path and a lower path. The lower path leads to the base of the falls. Here you may take a boat to Isla San Martín.

From the upper path you find panoramic views, a breathtaking experience.

In addition to the waterfalls, the jungle presents a series of options together with a wide variety of animals and plants.

The ones who love adventure have access to more extreme circuits.

Some meters from the Research Center you find Macuco Trail, a 3 km. walking pathway through the jungle and it presents different degrees of difficulty. It takes two hours to Salto Arrechea.

There are other intrepid alternatives. For example, driving in a 4x4 vehicle 8 km. through the jungle to the coast of the lower part of Iguazú river you will find semi-rigid rafts.

Another alternative is to take a rowing boat in the lower part of Iguazú river and see the animals and plants in this delta, water tortoises or yacares sunbathing on the coast.

On either side of the Iguazú Falls, there are two main towns: Foz do Iguaçu in the Brazilian state of Paraná, and Puerto Iguazú in the Argentine province of Misiones, 300 km from Posadas, the capital town of the province. Other important tourist places near the falls include the Itapu hydroelectric power plant and the Jesuit Missions of the Guaranis in Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil.