In this post, I will tell you about our two-day visit to Foz do Iguaçu in the state of Paraná, Brazil.
We were on a trip in Brazil and so far, we had been to São Vicente (our base), Campos do Jordão and Sorocaba, all in the state of São Paulo. Next, we travelled to my brother’s house in Pontal do Paraná, in the state of Paraná.
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It was a long trip from Sorocaba, about 8 hours by car with a stop for lunch in one of the service stations on the motorway. But we finally arrived at the end of the afternoon and could relax in the company of family and friends.
We were travelling independently with a hired car as we are confident travellers and speak the language. However, if you prefer to be part of a tour and to have everything organised for you, I advise you to book a complete tour with Tourradar.
They have different kinds of tours that will fit your time and budget. If you book it via my links you can get a discount by using this code: RoseG50.
We spent the next day at my brother’s house, in the swimming pool, just relaxing a little. The following day, we had a flight booked from Curitiba to Foz do Iguaçu at 11 am.
We left Pontal early in the morning to ensure we had plenty of time to arrive at the airport in Curitiba (the Capital of Paraná state). This time, my Mum stayed with my brother, and only my daughter and I went on this trip.
The trip to Curitiba by car is about one and a half hours from Pontal. We parked the car in the airport car park before checking in and boarding the plane for Foz do Iguaçu.
The flight was swift, just about one hour, and we arrived in Foz at about 12 o’clock.
We had a transfer booked as a courtesy of our hotel from the airport, and the driver was already there waiting for us.
We stayed at Hotel Rafain Centro, in the centre of Foz do Iguaçu. That was a 3-star hotel, and it was not great, but clean and convenient, close to many restaurants in a good area of town. It was good value for money as well.
After check-in, we went out straight away and called an Uber to take us to the “Parque Nacional do Iguaçu” (This is the park where the falls are). The park is very close to the airport, so we went all the way back again; it takes about half an hour to get there from the centre of Foz.
Below is a map showing the places we went to on that day in Foz do Iguaçu:
Before I tell you about our afternoon in the park, let me tell you a little bit about Foz do Iguaçu.
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT FOZ DO IGUAÇU
Tucked into Brazil’s far west, on the tri-border with Argentina and Paraguay, Foz do Iguaçu is best known as home to the Iguaçu Falls, one of the most spectacular waterfall systems in the world.
With 275 individual drops stretching nearly 3 kilometres across the Iguaçu River, the falls combine massive scale with constant mist and rainbows, making them one of South America’s great natural spectacles.
But Foz do Iguaçu is more than just the falls. The city itself, with around 260,000 residents, has grown into a cultural crossroads. Its position on the border brings together Brazilian, Argentine, and Paraguayan influences, reflected in food, commerce, and daily life.
It also hosts one of Brazil’s largest immigrant communities of Lebanese origin, adding Middle Eastern flavours and traditions to the mix.
Another defining feature is the Itaipu Dam, one of the largest hydroelectric plants in the world. Completed in 1984, it straddles the Paraná River between Brazil and Paraguay, supplying energy to both nations and symbolising the region’s strategic importance.
Travellers often combine nature with culture: exploring the Parque Nacional do Iguaçu, visiting the Bird Park (Parque das Aves) with its tropical species, or crossing into Ciudad del Este in Paraguay for its chaotic markets. The city also has a Buddhist temple, a mosque, and varied cuisine that mirror its cosmopolitan character.
Foz do Iguaçu is, at its core, about meeting points: of rivers, nations, cultures, and natural forces. It’s a place where the raw power of water collides with human ambition and multicultural life, making it one of Brazil’s most compelling destinations.
VISITING FOZ DO IGUAÇU
Parque Nacional do Iguaçu
“Parque Nacional do Iguaçu” is Brazil’s side of the protected area that preserves the Iguaçu Falls and the surrounding Atlantic Forest.
The park was created in 1939, and it covers about 185,000 hectares in Paraná state. Along with Argentina’s “Parque Nacional Iguazú”, it forms a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1986).
It is dominated by subtropical Atlantic Forest, one of the world’s most threatened biomes, with high biodiversity and dense vegetation. The highlight is, of course, the Iguaçu Falls, with 275 cascades over a 2.7 km stretch of the river, with the most dramatic section known as the “Garganta do Diabo” (Devil’s Throat).
You will find jaguars, pumas, giant anteaters, tapirs, capybaras, toucans, and hundreds of butterfly species in this park. Birdlife is especially rich, making it a key site for conservation.
The Brazilian side offers panoramic views of the entire waterfall system, unlike the Argentine side, which brings visitors closer to individual falls. A trail leads along the cliffs to walkways at the base of the “Garganta do Diabo”, where the spray is constant.
Infrastructure includes shuttle buses, trails, and a visitor centre.
Beyond tourism, the park is central to preserving the remaining stretches of Paraná’s Atlantic Forest, protecting water sources, and maintaining ecological corridors.
Inside “Iguaçu National Park” (Brazilian side), the main sights and experiences are:
- Iguaçu Falls panoramic trail: A 1.5 km walkway along the river canyon, offering wide-angle views of nearly all 275 falls.
- Devil’s Throat viewpoint: A boardwalk leads right to the base of the park’s most powerful section, the “Garganta do Diabo”, where mist and roar surround you.
- Macuco Trail: A forest trail (about 3 km) through Atlantic rainforest, with chances to see capuchin monkeys, toucans, and coatis.
- Boat rides (Macuco Safari): Speedboats that take visitors directly under some of the falls for a close-up, soaking experience.
- Bird Park (Parque das Aves): Just outside the park entrance, a 16-hectare sanctuary for over 1,000 birds, including toucans, macaws, and harpy eagles.
- Helicopter flights: Offered near the entrance, giving aerial views of the falls and forest.
- Wildlife viewing: Coatis are common along trails; with luck, visitors may glimpse rarer species like tapirs or even jaguars.
- Visitor centre & exhibitions: Information on the park’s history, ecology, and conservation role.
This tour will take you to contemplate the beauty of the falls with a guide and you can be picked up at your hotel. It will also stop at a local chocolate factory before going to the falls. It includes skip the line tickets to the park.
When we arrived at the national park, we boarded a double-decker bus that took visitors to the falls inside the park. It is a large area, and the entrance to the park is very far from the falls themselves. I saw people cycling and jogging alongside the road inside the park. It can be done, but you need time for that, something we didn’t have ourselves. So, we boarded the bus.
The first stop of the bus was at “Macuco Safari”, the boat ride. We really wanted to do that, so we decided to get off the bus at that stop and do the boat ride first.
This tour includes the park’s skip the line tickets and Macuco Safari tickets. Book it HERE.
There was a long queue at the entrance, and we bought our tickets and joined the line. It took ages for us to get to the top of the queue, and when we finally did, we boarded a little train that took us through the forest for the “safari” first.
At a certain point, we stopped and continued on foot through the forest until we reached a viewpoint with stunning views of the river and falls.
After that, we joined another queue to take a cable car and go down to the banks of the river where the boats were. It took soooo long! If we knew it was going to take that long, we wouldn’t have stopped there at that time, but we didn’t know, and now it was too late to give up. We just had to wait patiently for our turn to board a boat.
We finally boarded a boat and left in the direction of the falls. After a few minutes on the boat, the boat broke down. We had to wait in the middle of the river for another boat to come in and change boats. This took a good half an hour or so, and after that, we finally got to the falls.
Just to clarify: The boats do not take too close to the falls; they stay a safe distance away, as it is not allowed to get near them. They will take you under the smaller ones, but not the big ones!
They are so big and impressive; they are just unbelievable! The boat goes under some of them, and yes, you do get soaked! Be prepared. We bought some plastic covers and a mobile cover as well, and even though we were well protected, we still got wet. But that is all part of the experience, and it’s fun!
By the time we returned from the boat ride, it was already late afternoon, and the park was going to close soon. There was no time to go and see the falls on that day.
We joined another queue and waited for the bus to return to the entrance and way out of the park. It took about an hour for a bus to come in, and by then the queue was enormous and not everybody could fit on that bus, but we did.
If you have more time than we did, I advise to take THIS TOUR that will last the whole day, but will take you to both sides, the Brazilian and the Argentinian sides. There is also an option to book an optional boat ride, helicopter flight or lunch at a “churrascaria” (Barbecue restaurant).
We took another Uber back to our hotel, and after a shower and some rest, we went out for dinner.
We walked to a bar/restaurant near the hotel called Rafain Chopp. It was a more relaxed place with live music and good food.
We ordered a “Prancha Mista” which was pieces of barbecued beef, chicken, sausage, fried manioc and French fries to share between my daughter and me. That was plenty of food for two, and we ate very well, and some was still left. It was a good dinner, and I can recommend it.
Below is a reel from The Travelling Surveyor Instagram account about our day in the park. Check it out and follow me on Instagram as well:
After dinner, we just walked back to our hotel and went to bed as we were quite tired of queuing the whole afternoon at the safari. We would return to the falls the following morning, and I will tell you all about it in my next post.
I hope this post will give you some idea of what can be done in a day in Foz do Iguaçu and will help you plan your own visit there.
HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR VISIT TO FOZ DO IGUAÇU
Below you will find a list of what to visit, where to stay and where to eat around Foz do Iguaçu. I classified each place as follows:
BOLD – Visited, tried and recommended
NOT BOLD – Not visited or tried, but planning to visit or try and heard very good reviews
RED – Visited and tried but do not recommend, avoid or be cautious
*** – Excellent
** – Good
* – OK
£££ – Expensive
££ – Fair and affordable
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£ – Cheap
PLEASE NOTE: Every hotel, restaurants and attractions I mention on my blogs are not sponsored reviews and we always paid the full price when visiting. We give our own opinion of the place and detail our experience, good or bad.
THINGS TO DO IN FOZ DO IGUAÇU – DAY 1
ATTRACTIONS
1 – Parque Nacional do Iguaçu – ***
WHERE TO STAY
ACCOMMODATION – Hotels in Foz do Iguaçu
1 – Hotel das Cataratas – 5* – £££
2 – Las Hotel Boutique – 5* – £££
3 – JL Hotel by Bourbon – 4* – £££
4 – Vivaz Cataratas Hotel Resort – 4* – £££
5 – Hotel Rafain Centro – 3* – ££
6 – Pietro Angelo Hotel – 3* – ££
If you prefer to look for your own accommodation, search and book via the below widget:
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BEST PLACES TO EAT
RESTAURANTS
1 – Rafain Chopp – *** – ££
2 – La Mafia Trattoria – ££
3 – Baru Gastronomia – ££
4 – Empório com Arte – ££
5 – Pátio Pomare – ££
6 – Restaurante Barracão – £
We only tried the ones in bold , the others are the result of my researches and ones that I would like to try. If you tried any of my recommendations above, please send me a message and tell me about your experience good or bad, so I can update the list accordingly. Thanks!
If you enjoyed reading this post you might also like to read:
On this visit to Brazil:
3 – Sorocaba
4 – Foz do Iguaçu – Day 1
5 – Foz do Iguaçu – Day 2 – Coming soon
6 – Curitiba – Coming soon
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