Iguazu Falls: the natural wonder of South America

This post is also available in: Deutsch 日本語

The Iguazú Falls are located along the border between Brazil and Argentina. These waterfalls are formed by the river of the same name, which creates one of the natural wonders of planet Earth. The Brazilian part of the falls is located in the Brazilian state of Paraná. While the Argentine one is in the province of Misiones.

The Iguazú falls are formed by about 275 jumps on a front of 2,700 meters, the height of the jumps varies between 60 meters and 82 meters. The most impressive area of the falls is the so-called Garganta del Diablo (better visible from the Argentine side) where the falls form a horseshoe-shaped jump 82 meters high on a total front of 700 meters.

The waterfalls were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984 (Argentine side) and 1986 (Brazilian side) and are without a doubt one of the most shocking spectacles of nature. The falls are rightly considered among the natural wonders of the world.

The area of the falls has a very humid climate (on average the relative humidity is 80%) with average temperatures of 15º C in winter and 30º C in summer. Especially during the summer it is good to bring an anti-mosquito repellent.

Iguazu Falls, Brazil-Argentina. Author Marco Ramerini.

THE BIG WATER

The name Iguazù derives from the words Guaranì: “y” (water) and “guasu” (big), never a name was more appropriate. The Iguazú River, which forms the waterfalls, has a total length of 1,320 km from its sources to its confluences in the Rio Paraná, 23 km after the waterfalls.

The average width of the river varies between 500 and 1,000 meters. While near the waterfalls, where it makes a wide U-turn, it reaches 1,500 meters wide.

At the waterfalls the river, which has an average flow rate of 1,500 cubic meters per second, forms two large arches for a total of 2,700 meters of extension. The amount of jumps varies depending on the flow of the river between 160 and 260 jumps. The highest, most spectacular and most impressive waterfall is the Garganta del Diablo, where the waters plummet from a height of about 80 meters.

Iguazu Falls, Brazil-Argentina. Author Marco Ramerini.

The Iguazú Falls in 1984 were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The entire area of the falls is included in the two Argentine (Parque Nacional Iguazú) and Brazilian (Parque Nacional do Iguaçu) national parks. Most of the waterfalls are in the Argentine territory. While from Brazilian territory you have a wider view of the front of the falls.

The falls were discovered by the Spanish explorer Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca in January 1542.

Climate of the Iguacu Falls

The Argentine side of Iguazu Falls