Logistics For Iguazu Falls, Argentina Side
Sep 23, 2019, 1:54 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 127
Logistics For Iguazu Falls, Argentina Side
My husband and I will be staying in Puerto Iguazu for three nights in January, 2020. Our goal is to visit the Brazil side of Iguazu Falls one day, and the Argentina side the other day. I have a question about visiting the Argentina side.
We are staying at the St. George Hotel, which is near the bus station, I believe. However, we would like to take a taxi to the falls and back. We have the entire day to spend there. I am having trouble getting a handle on how best to visit. I understand that there is a tram that makes three stops, and it's best to get there early, and see Devil's Throat first. I have also read about timed tickets, but what is the ticket for? I have also read about walking, rather than taking the tram from the lowest stop back to the entrance.
I am a detail oriented person, so if someone can describe exactly what to do, I would be most grateful. Breakfast at the hotel starts at 6 AM, so we can start super early if necessary. Also, please include approximate costs of taxi, and if we should have a driver come back and meet us at the end of the day, or just get a new one. Please also include the exact name of all the tram stops.
BTW, we are pretty good walkers.
Thanks so much.
We are staying at the St. George Hotel, which is near the bus station, I believe. However, we would like to take a taxi to the falls and back. We have the entire day to spend there. I am having trouble getting a handle on how best to visit. I understand that there is a tram that makes three stops, and it's best to get there early, and see Devil's Throat first. I have also read about timed tickets, but what is the ticket for? I have also read about walking, rather than taking the tram from the lowest stop back to the entrance.
I am a detail oriented person, so if someone can describe exactly what to do, I would be most grateful. Breakfast at the hotel starts at 6 AM, so we can start super early if necessary. Also, please include approximate costs of taxi, and if we should have a driver come back and meet us at the end of the day, or just get a new one. Please also include the exact name of all the tram stops.
BTW, we are pretty good walkers.
Thanks so much.
Sep 23, 2019, 3:55 pm
#2
Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 184
I would urge you to skip Devil's Throat and take the walk instead. It's gloriously quiet and the views are spectacular.
Devil's Throat is an anti-climax. It's also at the end of long narrow walk where you will be stuck behind every slow moving group.
When you get there, it's a nightmare of selfie takers. The far end of the Brazil side is much more impressive.
On the Brazil side, you can buy tickets at multi-lingual self-serve machines then take the bus to the 3rd stop then walk. Take the bus back from the end.
On both sides., staff all spoke good English, maps and directions and signs and timetables were very good, it was easy and very good value. No doubt your hotel can provide timetables and suggest departure times for taxis etc, because it's what every guest does.
On the Argentine side, trams run at intervals. Tickets are sold for the next one, until they're sold out. Then you can buy a ticket for the following tram and you'd have to wait.
People staying inside the park eg at Melia can get in first so you'll never be first to the Devil's Throat, and if you join the scrum and the crowds it's not worth it, and the walk is so much better.
I had a driver meet me at the airport, take me to the Brazil side, pick me up hours later, and take me to the hotel, including handling all the border crossing formalities and it was 4300 pesos which is about 75USD. That was organised by the Melia hotel, so you can probably get it cheaper, but I was happy and the driver was very good.
Same driver charged me 12 USD for the ride to the airport.
It's an amazing place, and the best parts were the far end of the Brazil side and the walk on the Argentine side. If I went again I would not bother going anywhere near Devil's Throat - it's a stressful anti-climax. The walk, early morning, pretty much by yourselves, is truly memorable and enjoyable.
Here's what it's like at Devil's Throat, early/mid-morning (in case it's not obvious, this is to show how utterly awful it is. Push your way to the front and the view is not as good as it is on the walk or on the Brazil side. It's just a load of people pushing)
For contrast, here's what the walking route looks like first thing.
If you want to see photos of the stunning views you'll get along the way, here's my blog. But you may not want to spoil the surprise!
Iguazu Falls, Argentina ? To See The World
Iguazu Falls, Brazil ? To See The World
Devil's Throat is an anti-climax. It's also at the end of long narrow walk where you will be stuck behind every slow moving group.
When you get there, it's a nightmare of selfie takers. The far end of the Brazil side is much more impressive.
On the Brazil side, you can buy tickets at multi-lingual self-serve machines then take the bus to the 3rd stop then walk. Take the bus back from the end.
On both sides., staff all spoke good English, maps and directions and signs and timetables were very good, it was easy and very good value. No doubt your hotel can provide timetables and suggest departure times for taxis etc, because it's what every guest does.
On the Argentine side, trams run at intervals. Tickets are sold for the next one, until they're sold out. Then you can buy a ticket for the following tram and you'd have to wait.
People staying inside the park eg at Melia can get in first so you'll never be first to the Devil's Throat, and if you join the scrum and the crowds it's not worth it, and the walk is so much better.
I had a driver meet me at the airport, take me to the Brazil side, pick me up hours later, and take me to the hotel, including handling all the border crossing formalities and it was 4300 pesos which is about 75USD. That was organised by the Melia hotel, so you can probably get it cheaper, but I was happy and the driver was very good.
Same driver charged me 12 USD for the ride to the airport.
It's an amazing place, and the best parts were the far end of the Brazil side and the walk on the Argentine side. If I went again I would not bother going anywhere near Devil's Throat - it's a stressful anti-climax. The walk, early morning, pretty much by yourselves, is truly memorable and enjoyable.
Here's what it's like at Devil's Throat, early/mid-morning (in case it's not obvious, this is to show how utterly awful it is. Push your way to the front and the view is not as good as it is on the walk or on the Brazil side. It's just a load of people pushing)
For contrast, here's what the walking route looks like first thing.
If you want to see photos of the stunning views you'll get along the way, here's my blog. But you may not want to spoil the surprise!
Iguazu Falls, Argentina ? To See The World
Iguazu Falls, Brazil ? To See The World
Last edited by todderz; Sep 23, 2019 at 4:01 pm
Sep 23, 2019, 4:02 pm
#3
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IMO the places to eat lunch inside the parks (on both sides) are bleak with the exception of the Belmond hotel (inside the park on the Brazil side), so you might want to bring snacks and of course water. Expect to get wet in places and dress accordingly, although you can buy/rent plastic raincoats.
Sep 23, 2019, 4:09 pm
#4
Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 184
Yes, raincoat and snacks are essentials.
By the way, do take the tram / mini-train back from the Devil's Throat end. You could easily walk back the way you walked in, but the tram is quite good fun and a different perspective.
Expect it to be crowded though. And cramped to the point of unwanted intimacy with strangers. The guy sitting opposite me remarked that he felt like he ought to at least have bought me dinner before getting so close...
By the way, do take the tram / mini-train back from the Devil's Throat end. You could easily walk back the way you walked in, but the tram is quite good fun and a different perspective.
Expect it to be crowded though. And cramped to the point of unwanted intimacy with strangers. The guy sitting opposite me remarked that he felt like he ought to at least have bought me dinner before getting so close...
Sep 24, 2019, 2:34 am
#6
Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 184
I think that must be the tram tickets. You buy a ticket for a specific train, eg the 10:30. When it's full, you'll only be able to buy a ticket for the next one, eg the 11:00.
Depends on luck of timing when you get there. I just missed a train and so had no trouble getting tickets for the very next one. More and more people arrived and got their tickets, then I saw others arrive later and be told there were no tickets left, so they had to wait.
The trams are quite regular though so it's not a problem.
Alternatively it could be at the park entrance on the Brazil side where you queue up for the bus, and there are different queues according to a number on your ticket so that people who bought tickets first get on the bus first. There are loads of buses, so it only means waiting 5 minutes, and it just depends how busy it is when you arrive.
Or it could be tickets for the boat rides, which I didn't do.
That's all I saw that might be have a "time" - just queue management. And everything was clearly signposted and explained, and buses or trams are frequent.
Depends on luck of timing when you get there. I just missed a train and so had no trouble getting tickets for the very next one. More and more people arrived and got their tickets, then I saw others arrive later and be told there were no tickets left, so they had to wait.
The trams are quite regular though so it's not a problem.
Alternatively it could be at the park entrance on the Brazil side where you queue up for the bus, and there are different queues according to a number on your ticket so that people who bought tickets first get on the bus first. There are loads of buses, so it only means waiting 5 minutes, and it just depends how busy it is when you arrive.
Or it could be tickets for the boat rides, which I didn't do.
That's all I saw that might be have a "time" - just queue management. And everything was clearly signposted and explained, and buses or trams are frequent.
Sep 24, 2019, 6:29 pm
#9
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 797
My experience to reach the Devil’s Throat was differently of OP’s negative one. I was fortunate because a reasonable amount of visitations did not bother. I could even imagine who gets to Iguazú would consider skip the Devil’s Throat.
Make your decision; I bet you’ll get to see it.
Make your decision; I bet you’ll get to see it.