Visit the Iguazu Falls - Argentina side
The day after the visit to the Brazilian side, it is from Argentina that I will contemplate the majestic waterfalls. And it is much more successful and interesting!
Crossing customs is quite easy. As for Brazil (since June 2019), it does not require a visa to enter the country of Evita. I cross (obviously) by bike but many buses commute every day.
On the Argentinian side, it is Puerto Iguazu Holiday Rentals that it is necessary to remain. It is excessively less developed than on the Brazilian side, but whatever, we are not really there for the village. Whether there or anywhere else in Argentina, it can be more difficult to get money out of ATMs. Restaurants or hotels more often than not take debit or credit cards either. So I always bring American money with me, which is often easily exchanged even directly in hotels. With the huge inflation in the country, many people are taking refuge in this more stable foreign currency.
Easier and more options
Iguazu Falls are on this side about 17 km from the city. This time I'm going by bike.
There is no shoulder for the majority of the trip, and all traffic is heading in the same direction. But the people are courteous and I don't feel in danger. The round-trip bus would have cost 320 Argentine pesos (around 7 CAD). You have to take the latter at a specific terminal, which also involves walking.
On site, the difference with my Brazilian experience the day before is immediate. There are several possible circuits, and especially the entry on the site is excessively faster. The wait is almost non-existent compared to the Brazilian system (10 minutes compared to a few hours!), And once you enter the site, the visit can start directly without having to take an additional bus.
Price list in Argentine pesos (end of December 2019).
The trail options are much more numerous than on the Brazilian side.
With all of these trail options, the visit lasts at least twice as long as the day before. I will stay 6 hours there. It is also possible to buy a half-price ticket for the next day if you want to come back and explore all the trails.
Seen from above
Generally speaking, it is said that the Argentine visit allows you to see the falls from above, while on the Brazilian side we are at the base of the latter. This is especially true for the most impressive and popular vantage point: that of the Devil's Throat.
The Devil's Throat, the area's most popular viewpoint.
However, there are several trails and walkways that allow you to see several viewpoints and waterfalls of different sizes. You could almost swear that a new fall is discovered at every turn.
On the way to get there, and then during the long visit, the sounds of animals are very present. We can also see several small monkeys. The insects hidden in the dense vegetation particularly emit powerful sound vibrations which only add to the ambience of the visit.
The coatis
But the most remarkable animals are undoubtedly the red coatis. These little mammals that look like raccoons are everywhere in the park. Far from being frightened, the coatis walk between the legs of tourists and climb the tables in search of free food.
Baby coatis play bickering in the forest just feet from the cement and restaurants. Some even roll over to humans who are looking at them, phone in hand, to take as many pictures as possible. I hear a lady say that they are "more interesting than the falls"!
The boat
As for the brazilian side, we see several boats full of tourists going to the base of the falls. As I did not take the latter, however, I cannot give my opinion. But I only heard good comments from people who had paid a little more for this close visit.
Best side
Without a doubt, the Argentine visit far exceeds that of the Brazilian side. 80% of the waterfalls are on this side, it's bigger, better organized, and we have much less the impression of being pounded on our feet despite the thousands of tourists present.
There are also more viewpoints, more trails, more walkways, more restaurants. And even several fountains and showers where it is possible to cool off for free. There is also a small train that goes almost from the entrance to the Devil's Throat, where you can decide to walk the small kilometer that follows the rails.
The visit still requires a lot of walking but with so many beautiful landscapes, we do not realize that the hours are advancing.
The busiest point by far: Devil's Throat, or Gargantua Falls.
In conclusion, I am generally not a fan of incredibly touristy places. For this reason, I would give my visit to the Brazilian side 6/10, but definitely 8.5 / 10 to the Argentinian side. I also noticed that there were a lot more Brazilians on the Argentinian side, than Argentines on the Brazilian side. Perhaps for economic reasons, but also certainly for the more interesting visit on this side. It's touristy, yes, but for good reasons.
A small detour to incredible waterfalls in southern Brazil.