Hello again,
We flew to Iguazú from Salta — about a two-hour flight. The airport is tiny, so baggage collection was quick and smooth. At the exit, a driver was already waiting for us and took us to the Gran Meliá Iguazú Hotel — the only hotel on the Argentine side located inside the national park, which means special permits are required to enter.
The first view — through the massive glass wall in the hotel lobby — literally left us speechless. One of the staff members, seeing our reaction, smiled and said: “This is nothing — wait until you see the view from your room.” 🙂
At that point, we didn’t want anything else — just to sit on the balcony with a glass of wine (a welcome gift waiting in our room) and stare straight at the Brazilian side of the waterfalls. That view felt like meditation… or maybe it’s just the effect water has on me — the ocean, the waves… and now these waterfalls.
A curious detail — during check-in, we were warned to always lock the balcony doors. We were, after all, in the jungle, and monkeys feel completely at home here. They love strolling along balconies at dawn and dusk. Apparently, they can slide doors open and empty an entire minibar — even opening cans.
We didn’t have to wait long — around 5 p.m., the monkeys started their evening walk. They behaved as if they owned the place, completely used to hotel guests. Some of them were carrying baby monkeys on their backs, looking for opportunities to sneak into rooms. Around the same time, parrots became active too — flying everywhere and screaming loudly. Toucans also appeared, though they carried themselves with much more dignity and calm.
Victor managed to jump into the infinity pool overlooking the waterfalls, while Bartek wanted to fly his drone — but only for a moment, as hotel staff quickly informed him that drones are not allowed within the park.
The next morning, our driver took us to the Brazilian side of the waterfalls. We had to formally cross the border, but our guide handled everything brilliantly — using some kind of VIP crossing and taking care of all formalities in about 45 minutes. I suspect that doing it independently would take much longer.
The views were absolutely spectacular — one of those places you simply have to see with your own eyes. The sound of the water, the scale, the mist rising from the falls — none of it can be captured in photos or videos.
After about a 2 km walk, another surprise was waiting for us — a helicopter flight over the waterfalls. The flight itself was incredible — offering a full perspective of the falls, as well as the Iguazú River cutting through the jungle before cascading down and merging with the Paraná River. Unfortunately, it lasted only about 15 minutes, which left us wanting more — but that’s how it goes in highly touristic places.
We then returned to the Argentine side, where several trails can be explored. Some allow you to see the waterfalls from below, others from above. We managed to visit the trail leading to Devil’s Throat — the largest waterfall, shaped like a U, about 150 meters long and 80 meters high.
We made it back just in time — a tropical downpour suddenly broke out, and we returned to the hotel completely soaked… but very happy.
The next day, we woke up early. The park on the Argentine side opens to visitors at 9 a.m., but as hotel guests, we had access from 8. We decided to take advantage of this and walk the lower trails as early as possible.
It turned out to be a perfect decision. We had the trails almost entirely to ourselves (apart from a few hotel guests), surrounded by nature that we could truly absorb — without crowds.
A beautiful place. We only regretted not staying a bit longer. Another destination worth returning to? The list keeps growing with every trip…
Next stop: the magical Buenos Aires…
Best,
Kasia