Cataratas do Iguaçú - Paraná

This natural wonder is situated in the west extreme of Paraná, in the frontier with Argentina and Paraguay.

The word "Iguazu" comes from The Tupi Guarani Language, it means "big water".

These waterfalls begin in The Iguazu River. This river comes from the mountains that are located in the coast of Paraná and Serra do Mar (Santa Catarina). The river flows to the west by traversing 1.320 kilometres of rainforest before becoming bigger (4.800 meters).

When the river arrives in the high part of The National Park of Iguazu, in the frontier with Argentina and Paraguay, it falls down, noisily, into a huge precipice. During its way, the river forms staggering waterfalls with more than three kilometres wide and 80 meters high.

The falls descend from a medium altitude of 60 meters, through an extension of 2.700 meters.

The number of falls varies from 150 until 275. It depends on the volume of the river.

In The National Park of Iguazu, several paths, enclosed by subtropical flora, lead visitors to the gangways, from where, it is possible to observe this natural wonder.

This is the major waterfall of the world.

As it was pointed before, the best time of the year to visit the waterfalls is from August to November, when the access to the gangways is out of the risk of a flow.

The most part of the waterfalls is placed in the territory of Argentina, but all its beautifulness can be admired from the Brazilian side.

It is also possible to take a trip by ship (The Macuco Safari) through the rapids that are closed to the waterfalls.

A hike through a 1.5 kilometre gangway, in between vegetation and precipices, goes to many other gangways and the famous Garganta del Diablo (The Devil's Throat), a cascade that has a horseshoe shape.

Wonderful rainbows give colour to the fog (a consequence of the constant falls). And, behind this liquid curtain, above the rocks, hundreds of swallows fly.