Geocaching in Iguazu - City, Tripoint and the Iguazu Falls

Iguazu as a destination has been offering cacher trips for many years. Tours to the APE cache in Brazil and to the waterfalls in Iguazu are offered almost every year, sometimes even twice a year. So it has to be something special, a destination that is interesting for geocachers.

On the one hand, this is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, on the other hand, 3 country points can be reached here in one day.

Where is Iguazu located?

Iguazu itself actually refers to a city in the border triangle of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay.

A distinction is made between Puerto Iguazu in the Argentine province of Misiones and Foz do Iguazu in the Brazilian state of Paraná.

The Iguazu Falls are often equated with Iguazu. These are both on the Brazilian and on the Argentine side.

The Falls

In total, more than 270 waterfalls of the Iguazu River fall over a width of 2700 meters. The border between Brazil and Argentina runs lengthwise through the falls.

What makes Iguazu so special?

You are in the middle of the densely overgrown jungle and you can hear a deafening noise from many meters away. The river Iguazu falls with its huge masses of water over large edges. There are a total of 255 smaller and 20 larger waterfalls that fall down here. They are the largest waterfalls in the world. Iguazu Falls is taller than Niagara Falls at up to 80 meters high and wider than Victoria Falls at over 2700 meters. It is an incredibly impressive natural spectacle in the world and has not been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site for nothing.

Sightseeing opportunities

You can visit the Iguazu Falls from the Brazilian and/or Argentinian side. If you only have a short amount of time (1 day), you should choose the Argentine side. If you have more time (1.5 days), then a visit to the Brazilian side should be on the agenda first, followed by the Argentinian side the next day.

The Brazilian side of the falls

On the Brazilian side, the impression is minimal (!!!) less spectacular. But there is more action to enjoy here and the geocaches from IguazuFrancis make the stay on this side even more beautiful.

Entry to this site costs 70 Brazilian Reals, approximately EUR 17.50. At the entrance to the park you can pay the entrance fee by credit card or cash. Also nearby (but outside of the park) is the Iguazu Bird Park and Helicopter Site. For around EUR 220 you can fly over the waterfalls for 10 minutes. This is only possible in "good weather", the helicopters do not fly in rain or fog. The helicopters don't go down into the canyon, but fly "over it".

Once you have passed the entrance, you get on one of the park's own buses and are driven a few kilometers further. Not much to see in those kilometers either. Half way is the boat station. Here you can also choose a wet or dry boat trip to the falls. At around EUR 60, the boat trip is not exactly cheap, but it is an unforgettable experience. Changing rooms (for afterwards), toilets and lockers are available at the boat station. During the "wet boat trip" you should lock everything here in the locker. Everywhere at the waterfalls, including here, you can buy ponchos.

The buses stop at the level of the hotel and you can walk to the end of the path at the caches of IguazuFrancis and on the footpath along the falls.

On the way you will pass sufficient food and drink stands, sufficient toilets are available.

After every curve you have a new, spectacular view of the falls. When you think it can't get any bigger, more spectacular, better, then the next curve comes and then you're amazed... A beautiful wooden footbridge was built at the "eye" of the waterfall, on which you can approach the waterfall with wet feet can. The masses of water whirl up and create a fine mist of water, i.e. you get wet here too. In the warm weather, however, this is perfectly fine. The wooden walkway sometimes leads very close to the falls.

If you have thoroughly enjoyed the eye, you can stroll back up onto the street via the souvenir stand, photo shop and food and drink stand - or you can use the elevator in comfort. At the top of the street you will find the buses that take guests to the front of the park entrance. But don't get in without enjoying the view from the large, open café at the end of the path.

Geocaches by IguassubyFrancis

Geocaching in Iguazu is closely related to Owner IguassubyFrancis. Lined up like a chain on the interesting route along the Brazilian side of the falls, you will find a number of IguassubyFrancis geocaches. There is a letterbox, several Tradis and a bonus. One of the caches is in the bird park outside the waterfall area. For this you have to say the entrance to the bird park. However, if you want to visit the bonus, you need all the caches beforehand - or you ask the owner for friendly advice, then the bonus will also work.

And if you ever meet Owern, say hello to him from Cacher-Reisen. And asks him with a smile for his best T5 cache. If he didn't run away then you have a special adventure ahead of you!

The Argentine side of the falls

Locals say Argentina has the falls and Brazil has the view. and thats the way it is. You should plan at least two days on site to enjoy both sides. A well-signposted network of paths brings visitors close to the water masses, such as the gigantic Devil's Throat.

First you have to get from Foz do Iguassu to the Argentine side to Puerto Iguazu and then enter the national park. The border crossing Brazil - Argentina is not quite as easy as Brazil - Paraguay. For the way to the Argentinian side we take a guide, which has always turned out to be a good choice. If you come to the border by rental car, taxi or public bus, you still have to leave the vehicle on the Brazilian side. You cross the border on foot and are then allowed to transfer to Argentinian vehicles. There will be a separate blog post on the border formalities in the tri-border region, as one would certainly be grateful for some information here. So we had a guide take us comfortably to the entrance of the Argentinian side of the falls.

Here, too, it is necessary to buy an admission ticket, sufficient counters are manned. Here Spanish is the official language, which makes it a little easier for us than the Portuguese on the Brazilian side. With English you only get very limited. Admission here also costs the equivalent of around 18 EUR. Here you can also pay by credit card, but no higher sums, which makes it difficult to buy a group ticket.

Iguazu Falls is one of the "New 7 wonders of nature", as indicated by many signs in the park.

There is also a lot to experience on this side of the falls. On the one hand there is the Upper Way and the Lower Way, which lead past the waterfalls on a circular hiking trail. We were impressed by the route - once you stand at the bottom and see the water coming down. Then you stand in the middle and have water from above and below. Here you can almost touch the waterfall with your hands. And then you stand at the top of the falls, where the river calmly collects the water before it tumbles down over the edge. These different angles of view of the falls make up the Argentine side of Iguazu Falls. But you can take a little train to the highest point or get off at the intermediate station on the way. Or you can walk through the park all day and take the train from the upper point back to the entrance in the afternoon. You have to get a ticket for the little train at the respective station, but this is free of charge.

You can also take part in a truck ride through the rainforest on this site.

A small, quiet boat takes visitors to the island of St. Martin, where, after a short climb, you also have a new view of one of the waterfalls. This boat is free and if you have a day on site, then you should treat yourself to this crossing.

Not to forget the numerous geocaches that are hidden here in the national park. There is even a Where I Go and of course Earthcaches.

Tiere an den Wasserfällen

Curious coatis, rare sooty swifts, jaguars and caimans inhabit the sanctuary. A kind of capuchin monkey can also be observed playing again and again. Bigger monkeys are probably there too, but hidden in the treetops.

It is the coatis in particular that stand out. They are present at each of the food stands and never miss an opportunity to steal biscuits or coffee from visitors. And it's so fast! On the one hand very cute to look at, but the park rangers keep scaring the animals away with noise.

Favorable travel time for the Iguazu Falls

Iguazu Falls is worth a visit any time of the year, but it can get very crowded during the South American summer holidays between December and January. Visitors can also expect pleasant temperatures and an impressive water level in the months of April and May as well as August and September. 

Geocaching in Iguazu: the border triangle

Of course, Paraguay also belongs to the topic of geocaching in the border triangle near Iguazu. This country does not border on the waterfalls, we will soon tell you in another blog post how we conquered the Paraguay country point.

The town of Foz do Iguazu

Iguazu nur und auschließlich mit den Wasserfällen gleichzusetzen tut der Stadt unrecht. In der Stadt gibt es zwar nicht viel geschichtliches zu besichtigen, einige schöne Straßen und Häuser gibt es allerdings. Und Restaurants!

We stay at the Hotel Mirante, which is quite centrally located in the city. The bus station is just a few meters around the corner from the hotel. The Hotel Mirante is quite suitable for a cacher stay. The rooms are simple, but have air conditioning and a bathroom with a shower and toilet. Even if you come with a larger group, you can book enough rooms here. However, there is no airport shuttle that can be booked through the hotel. The breakfast is sufficient and varied.

AND: The Churrascaria Gaucho is located right next to the Hotel Mirante. It offers an inexpensive, delicious and adorable way to eat dinner. For the equivalent of EUR 10, you can help yourself to a buffet with salads and side dishes, while the waiters come to the table almost every minute with meat skewers. They scrape a piece of meat onto an extra plate that each guest has with them. There's pork, beef, garlicky steak, lamb, chicken and grilled pineapple. And here in this restaurant so quickly that you sometimes have to refuse because you haven't eaten the plate yet. We knew that from other places also differently. Here at the Gaucho we saw waiters who enjoyed their job. We especially recommend the chicken stuffed with Parmesan and of course the grilled pineapple. Sound strange? The best thing to do is to try it out for yourself! Cacher-Reisen will take you to Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay again in 2020! https://www.cacher-reisen.com/Afterwards we can talk about which side of the falls you liked better and what the best kind of meat was!