Iguazu: 10 more experiences to see and do besides the waterfalls
Situated in the northeast of Argentina, Puerto Iguazú City is 300 km away from the Capital City of the Province – Posadas City – and is the city that borders on Brazil and Paraguay through the concourse of Paraná and Iguazú Rivers.
This beautiful scenery made up of exuberant vegetation, surrounds great rivers, a red-colored land and the untouched jungle covered by prominent trees and full of extraordinary flora and fauna.
The main attraction in the region are of course the great Iguazu Falls – Great Waters, in Guarani Language. They are a unique and imposing wonder that exceed the senses and lie beyond our understanding and conforms one of the highlights in the country, but there are other interesting attractions around in case you are having a longer stay in the area, such as:
1- Backstage Experience (within the Bird’s Park, in the Brazilian side of Iguazu)
The Birds Park is an internationally recognised rescue and conservation centre for birds, located in the middle of the rich and exuberant Atlantic Rainforest, neighbour of the Iguaçu National Park. The Backstage Experience is your opportunity to have a look inside of our work. It includes access to restricted areas and the privileged contact with some birds, featuring feeding of toucans and other species and the opportunity to better understand the conservation and rescue programs at the park.
We recommend the first tour at 7:30, as it happens while the park is still closed to the public, allowing the participants of a Backstage Experience in total tranquility.
2- Immersion programs in the Subtropical Jungle (in the Argentinean side)
We suggest staying 2 or 3 nights in one of the lodges in the area that include activities, experiences and local gastronomy, such as Yacutinga Lodge and Puerto Bemberg.
3- Bike tour “Yaguareté Road” (Argentina)
Ride a mountain bike along a red soil wild trail inside the Iguazu National Park. Starting early in the morning so there are more chance to see wild animals as small mammals, birds and butterflies.
The beginning of the tour is at the Guard Station on the National Route 101. We’ll go riding this route for about 2 kilometers. Then we turn to the left to get into the Yaguarete Trail, where we’ll ride for 3 km more, ending at the Iguazu River shore. If you are willing, we can continue pedaling.
We’ll make a few interpretation stops on the way to recognize wildlife and then we come back to the Station.
4- Birdwatching
The jungle of the Iguazú National Park and other adjacent areas shelters over than 400 bird species, nearly half of all the birds present in Argentina.
We depart from the Puerto Iguazú hotels very early in the morning and visit different areas and environments within the Iguazú National Park, endeavouring to find and observe the greatest diversity of bird species possible.
The time spent birdwatching on these regular excursions is of four hours, while the whole outing will last up to an approximate total of five hours.
5- “The Argentine Experience” (in Puerto Iguazu, Argentina)
This unique dinner party’s concept is to teach you the fundamentals of what being an Argentine is all about, whilst simply having more fun than is available anywhere else. Learn how to close your own empanada using the ‘repulgue’ technique, to order steak your way in Spanish, and to prepare your own ‘mate’ drink.
6- Catamaran sailings in the Iguazu River (Argentina side)
Daily sails, accompanied by our bilingual guide, to discover the details and characteristics of the area, and relive the history and geography of this wonderful corner of the world. Live international music show.
The tour begins at the local port, sailing towards the Three Borders, where the Iguazú River empties into the immense Parana River. After staying there to visualize the Milestones of the three countries: Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, we set sail upstream, passing under the Tancredo Neves International Bridge to continue towards the Iryapu Jungle shore and reach the height of “El Santuario”, limit of the Iguazú National Park, about 12 km from the Cataratas.
7- The Jesuit Missions
The Jesuit missions, also called Jesuit Reductions, were towns founded and created by the Catholic religious order named The Society of Jesus around the 17th and the 18th centuries. The main aim was to evangelize and protect the natives (Guaraníes) that lived not only in the actual Argentinean provinces of Misiones and Corrientes, but also in Paraguay and the south of Brazil, in the heart of the subtropical jungle.
Some of these Jesuit missions were declared Cultural World Heritage by the UNESCO because of their importance to the South American history.
8- Wanda Gemstones Site
Wanda is an Argentinean town located in Misiones Province, about 40 km (25 miles) from the Iguazú Falls.
Resting on the plentiful Paraná River, it lets visitors appreciate a singular attraction in the open air. Referred to as “open pit mine”, this is a deposit where the minerals are found near the surface, containing quartz crystals, amethysts, agates and topazes, to name a few varieties
In this town, it is also common to find “yerba mate” plantations (herb used to prepare the “mate” drink).
9- Moconá Falls
An unusual feature of the Uruguay River is a submerged canyon. This canyon formed during the Ice Age, when the climate was drier and the river was narrower. Its depth is up to 100 m below the bottom of the river channel and it is 1/8 to 1/3 as wide as the river. The canyon is only visible in two places, one of which is the Moconá Falls (also called the Yucumã Falls). However, the falls are not visible for 150 days per year and become more like rapids when they are not visible. Unlike most waterfalls, the Moconá Falls are parallel to the river, not perpendicular. The falls are 10 metres (33 ft) to 12 metres (39 ft) high and between 1,800 metres (5,900 ft) and 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) wide.
10- Iberá Marshes
The Iberá Wetlands (Spanish: Esteros del Iberá, from Guaraní ý berá: “bright water”) are a mix of swamps, bogs, stagnant lakes, lagoons, natural slough and courses of water in the center and center-north of the province of Corrientes, Argentina.
The Iberá Reserve and National Park, is one of the most important freshwater reservoirs in the continent and the second-largest wetland in the world after Pantanal in Brazil. It is of pluvial origin, with a total area of 15,000–20,000 km2 (5,800–7,700 sq mi).
