In Portuguese, they are called Cataratas do Iguacu, pronounced as 'kata-ratez-du-igwa-su'. In Spanish, they are known as Cataratas del Iguazu, pronounced as 'kata-ratas-del-igwa-su'.
Foz do Iguassu Hotels offer you the opportunity to stay in this beautiful destination and, to explore it to its fullest, we suggest that you experience one of the many Foz do Iguassu tours.
Legend goes that a supernatural being fell in love with a beautiful native girl, Naipi and wanted to marry her. However, she ran away with her lover Taroba in a canoe. In anger, the deity cut the river, which formed the waterfalls, and condemned them to death in their waters. On the Argentinean side, two waterfalls are named after the two Europeans who discovered them. The first one was the Spanish Conquistador Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca who discovered the falls in 1541. The waterfalls were rediscovered in the late nineteenth century by Boselli.
The waterfalls, totalling 275 in number, stretch for 2.7 km or 1.67 miles along the Iguazu River. (The waterfalls are located at Latitude (DMS): 25o 40' 60 S and Longitude (DMS): 54o 25' 60 W). Around 900m of this total length does not have any water flowing over its edge. A majority of the waterfalls are around 64m in height, although some of them are as high as 82m.
The most impressive falls, which also mark the border between Brazil and Argentina, are the Garganta del Diablo (also known as the Devil's Throat in English and Garganta do Diabo in Portuguese). This is a 150m wide and 700m long U-shaped cliff, two thirds of which is within the territory of Argentina. The edge of the basalt cap recedes at the rate of 3 mm every year! The water of the lower Iguazu drains out into the Rio Parana in Argentina after collecting in a gorge.
On seeing Iguazu, which is significantly larger than the Niagara Falls of North America, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt reportedly remarked, "Poor Niagara!" Iguazu is rivaled only by the Victoria Falls of Southern Africa which segregate Zambia and Zimbabwe. While Iguazu is wider because it is split into around 270 distinct falls and islands, Victoria has the largest curtain of water in the world at over 1600m in width and 100m in height.
In peak flow, the water falling from Iguazu has a surface area of around 40 Ha (1.3 million ft2) as compared to over 55 Ha (1.8 million ft2) in the case of Victoria and under 18.3 Ha (600,000 ft2) of Niagara Falls. Victoria's annual peak flow at 9100 m3/s is also bigger than Iguazu's peak flow of 6500 m3/s. However, during times of extreme flood, the two have recorded a similar maximum water discharge, which exceeds 12000 m3/s. In contrast, Niagara's annual peak flow is only around 2800 m3/s. Victoria and Igauzu oscillate to a great extent in their flow rate. The mist at Iguazu's Garganta do Diabo rises from 30 to150m as compared to over 300m above Victoria.
Iguazu allows better views and walkways than Victoria and its shape provides spectacular vistas. The Garganta do Diabo has water pouring over it from three sides and at a particular spot a person can experience being surrounded by 260 degrees of water falling! In addition, because Iguazu is split into numerous smaller waterfalls, you can view these as separate sections, which is not the case with Victoria Falls. Victoria is essentially one waterfall which goes into a gorge and is too colossal to be appreciated at once, except by an aerial view.
On July 24, 2006 a severe drought hit South America and caused the river waters that feed Iguassu Falls to dry up. This reduced the amount of water flowing over the falls from the normal flow of 1,300 m3/s-1,500 m3/s to 300 m3 per second. According to tourists visiting the area, the flow was normal again by early December, which was not unusual since dry spells last only a few weeks.
The Iguazu National Park - whose main attraction is the Iguassu Falls - was added to the list of World Heritage Sites on the Argentinean side. This was primarily done for two reasons - its spectacular natural beauty and the fact that this park is home to a number of rare and endangered species of animals. The Brazilian side of the park is also a World Heritage Site. The park measures 49,200 ha on the Argentinean side. The waterfalls on both sides combined measure over 2700 m in width and 80 m in height. Iguazu is derived from the indigenous Tupi-Guarani language meaning 'Great Waters'.
Those who visit Foz do Iguaçu, on the border between Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina, will be surprised with the culture from more than 70 ethnic groups that compose the local population. With lots to see and do in Foz do Iguassu, this region is an example of pacific living between peoples of different customs and nationalities. The cultural variety reflects in the peculiar habits, religion, clothes, eating and languages, only found in this area. It's common to hear the famous Good Morning in at least three different languages. International tourism has brought foreign professionals to Iguassu and the region who work in several areas of services. It is easy to find Argentinean dancers who dance in the shows, foreign owners of travel agencies, French booksellers and Hotels Owned by Portuguese.
To get a better understanding of Foz do Iguassu take a look at our Map of this area, if you are looking for more general information regarding Brazil you will find our Brazil Guide very helpful.
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Nice to meet you! We are Fabio and Josiane, your local connection in Foz do Iguaçu! Tourism became our passion, a passion for our destination. Come and see for yourself, a place that's considered one of the Natural Wonders of the world. We enjoy passing our knowledge on to the varied nationalities that visit us during the year. Our team is made up of local people who grew up here with their families and has a special interest in maintaining it for future generations.
