Iguazu Falls, Iguazu National Park, Argentina - What a Place

Danny Catt — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 12:47:52 -0800

Iguazu Falls, Iguazu National Park, Argentina

If someone asked you to list the names of the most famous waterfalls in the world what names would you come up with? For me, some of my choices would include: Niagara Falls (on the border between Ontario and New York State), Victoria Falls (on the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia in Africa), Virginia Falls (the famous waterfall in Nahanni National Park in Canada’s Northwest Territories) and perhaps Angel Falls in Venezuela. But… one that will most certainly be on my list from this day forward is Iguaza Falls on the border between Argentina and Brazil. If you want to find it on a map, pull out a map of South America and put your finger at the southern tip of Paraguay where it meets Argentina and Brazil… and there you will find Iguazu.

Iguazu Falls, Iguazu National Park, Brazil

At the moment I am sitting caked in mud, with a few scrapes and bruises on my shins as well as a few thorns stuck in my ankles. I am a happy camper though. I have to thank BikeHike Adventures in Vancouver for helping put together a number of unique ways of exploring and experiencing Iguazu National Park (on both the Brazilian side of the river and the Argentinean side too).

Many visitors to Iguazu fly in for a very short visit… some arriving at the airport, zipping over to see the falls and then flying out the very same day. Luckily though, our experiences in Iguazu were not as described. We took full advantage of our visit and viewed the falls from both the Argentinean and Brazilian sides and also spent time hiking & mountain biking the park’s trails. We also had an opportunity to repel down a major rock face opposite Iguaza Falls which was a fantastic experience (and a tad scary!).

Iguazu Falls, Iguazu National Park, Brazil

There is more to Iguazu that the hundreds of falls or ‘cataracts’ (between 270 and 300 depending on what you read). There are protected lands (national parks) on both sides of the river – in Argentina and Brazil. The parks protect an extensive chuck of Atlantic rainforest where jaguars, puma, capybara, agouti and dozens of reptiles and amphibians can be found. In fact as we were hiking on one of the park trails we came across the paw print of a jaguar!

Jaguar Paw Print, Iguazu National Park, Argentina

The bird list for the park is extensive and includes everything from toucans (Fruit Loops Birds) to parrots to peregrine falcons! For its international conservation importance Iguazu was declared a World Heritage Site. To find out more check out:

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/303

Jose Calo, Park Ranger, Iguazu National Park, Argentina

We had the great pleasure of spending time with Jose Calo, a park ranger in Argentina’s Iguazu National Park. I felt very fortunate to spend time with such a knowledgeable and experienced fellow. Similar to Canada, Argentina has a system of national parks as well as provincial parks. Examples of their national parks include ‘Los Glaciers’ in Argentina’s Patagonia and Iguazu, perhaps Argentina’s most visited national park. One of Argentina’s most famous provincial parks is Aconcagua. This park was established to protect the highest mountain in South America, Aconcagua, as well as the surrounding landscapes.

Jose has worked in a number of Argentina’s national parks including Lihue Calel, Perito Moreno and Rio Pilcomayo, but seems to have made Iguazu his home. You will be able to read more about Jose on the Conservation in Action page soon! Keep posted.

Catt-Trax 2 - Iguazu National Park

Iguazu Falls, Iguazu National Park, Argentina - What a Place