Iguazú Falls: The Borderland Spectacle Between Brazil and Argentina

Iguazú Falls (Portuguese: Cataratas do Iguaçu; Spanish: Cataratas del Iguazú) straddles the border between the Brazilian state of Paraná and the Argentine province of Misiones. The Iguazú River plunges over a basalt escarpment in a semicircular amphitheater of 275 individual falls spanning 1.7 miles (2.7 km), with heights up to 269 ft (82 m).

The falls are the centerpiece of two national parks—Iguaçu National Park (Brazil, UNESCO 1986) and Iguazú National Park (Argentina, UNESCO 1984)—protecting the surrounding Atlantic Forest biome, home to jaguars, tapirs, toucans, and 2,000+ plant species.

Visitors access the falls via walkways on both sides: Brazil offers panoramic vistas; Argentina provides immersive catwalks leading to the Garganta del Diablo (Devil's Throat), the most powerful cascade. A joint visit reveals the full grandeur of one of Earth's most spectacular waterfalls.