In this post, I will tell you about our two days in Foz do Iguaçu, the town in Paraná that hosts the most beautiful falls in the world, “Cataratas do Iguaçu” (Iguaçu Falls)
We arrived in town at midday the previous day and spent the afternoon at the park in the “Macuco Safari”, taking a tour in the forest and a boat ride to see the falls in close distance. Read my previous post here. It was great, but we did not have time to see the falls from the Devil’s Throat viewpoint, and a return to the park was necessary.
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.
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So, after breakfast at our hotel, we called an Uber and went to the park again. If you haven’t read my previous post, let me introduce you to the park:
Below is a map showing the places we visited on that day:
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.
VISITING FOZ DO IGUAÇU AND THE PARK
When we arrived at the park entrance and bought our tickets, we were offered a taxi to take us to the falls at the end of the park. As the bus tends to take a long time, we decided to accept the offer and take the taxi. The fare was very cheap, and it was worth it for saving time.
It is worth mentioning that when we passed in front of “Macuco Safari”, there was almost no one there. We were surprised and commented to the driver that on the previous day, we spent the whole afternoon there in queues. He told us that the it was a bank holiday in Uruguay and the town was packed with Uruguayan tourists. That explained the number of tourists who were there, and also in our hotel. If we knew that beforehand, we would have left to do the safari on that day, not the previous day.
We soon arrived at the bottom of the park, where the falls are. You still need to walk a good distance to actually get to the boardwalk and other areas, but it is a very nice walk, going down, and you don’t even feel it.
It is worth mentioning that “Hotel das Cataratas”, a beautiful 5-star hotel, is inside the park and in front of the entrance to the falls. Guests at this hotel will have the privilege to visit the falls after the park closes and have the falls all to themselves without the thousands of tourists that visit the park every day.
While going down the path, we were lucky to meet a group of coatis that were exploring the path. They were lovely and didn’t seem to be afraid of humans.
The boardwalk was very busy, full of tourists elbowing each other. This is something difficult to avoid unless you are a guest at the hotel mentioned above. We still managed to get to the end of the boardwalk and took wonderful pictures of the falls. The falls are magnificent and have the power to enchant you. You can’t take your eyes off them.
After taking lots of pictures and admiring the falls from different angles, it was time to go back up. They have an elevator, so the way back is not so bad!
There is a restaurant and a souvenir shop at the top, and we stopped to buy some beautiful jewellery we saw earlier and liked.
At the top, we took the bus to the way out as there was one leaving just at the time we arrived at the stop.
There is a very good tour that will last between 4/5 hours and that will include skip the line tickets to Iguaçu Falls Park on the Brazilian side. Book this tour HERE.
If you have enough time why not take a full day tour visiting both sides, the Brazilian and the Argentinian sides? You will enjoy stunning views and trails in the Atlantic Forest with an optional boat safari tour. Book this one HERE.
There is another park next to “Cataratas Park”. It is the “Parque das Aves” (Bird Park), showcasing more than 1000 birds. We walked there as it is very close.
Parque das Aves
“Bird Park”, located next to the entrance of “Iguaçu National Park” in Foz do Iguaçu, is one of Latin America’s leading bird sanctuaries.
Opened in 1994 by Dennis and Anna Croukamp, a South African couple, it was created as a conservation and rehabilitation centre for birds, especially those rescued from trafficking and mistreatment.
The park covers about 16 hectares of subtropical Atlantic Forest, allowing large walkthrough aviaries where visitors can enter and see birds up close in semi-natural environments.
It shelters more than 1,300 birds from 130 species, with a strong focus on South American fauna. Highlights include toucans, macaws, harpy eagles, flamingos, and parrots, many of them endangered.
Beyond exhibition, Parque das Aves participates in breeding programs for threatened species, environmental education, and rehabilitation of rescued wildlife. It also helps protect fragments of the Atlantic Forest biome.
Trails loop through immersive aviaries, butterfly houses, reptile sections, and viewpoints where visitors can interact with free-flying birds. Unlike a traditional zoo, the emphasis is on immersion and conservation storytelling.
It complements the natural wonder of Iguaçu Falls, making the area a combined destination for both landscape and biodiversity tourism.
We visited the park and stopped at their café for some lunch. Lunch there was not great, but OK. However, we enjoyed the visit to the Bird Park; it is a very well-planned and organised park, and the birds are just lovely!
There is a nice tour of the Birds Park in English that will pick you up at your hotel, take you to the park and take you back to your hotel. Book this tour HERE.
With the visit over, we called an Uber to take us to the “Itaipu Dam”, one of the largest hydroelectric plants in the world. It was on the other side of town, and it took us about 45 minutes to get there.
Usina Hidrelétrica de Itaipu
The Itaipu Dam, on the Paraná River between Brazil and Paraguay near Foz do Iguaçu, is one of the largest hydroelectric plants in the world.
It began in 1975, completed in 1984, as a joint venture between Brazil and Paraguay under the Itaipu Binational agreement. Tens of thousands of workers were involved, and entire towns were relocated. The massive Guaíra Falls (Sete Quedas), once among the world’s largest by flow, were submerged in the reservoir.
The dam stretches 7.9 km in length and rises 196 m at its highest point. Its reservoir covers about 1,350 km², straddling both nations.
With 20 generating units, it has an installed capacity of 14,000 MW, producing around 75 million MWh annually. For decades, it was the world leader in hydroelectric output (now rivalled by China’s Three Gorges Dam). Itaipu still supplies roughly 10% of Brazil’s electricity and about 90% of Paraguay’s.
A combination of concrete dam sections and earth-fill embankments. The spillway, capable of discharging 62,000 m³/s, is itself a spectacle when open.
Visitors can tour the dam, reservoir, and surrounding ecological reserves. The nighttime illumination of the dam wall is a major attraction.
With the construction, it displaced over 40,000 people, flooded forests, and erased the Guaíra Falls, but also created conservation areas and reforestation projects to compensate for the enormous damage to the environment.
The Dam offers visitors various options for visiting, including an option to visit it at night and look at it fully illuminated.
When we arrived there, the only option available at that time was the “Itaipu Panorâmica”. This is a tour of the dam in their tourist bus that takes you to various areas of the dam, viewpoints and up to the other side of the dam, which is already Paraguay. This tour only takes you on the outside, but there are more detailed tours that will also include the inside and will explain all the technical details of the dam.
The scale of the Dam is overwhelming. We were very impressed with it. The visit to the Dam is an indispensable visit when in Foz do Iguaçu.
We would have loved to visit the “Itaipu Refúgio Biológico”, but the tour finished quite late and there was no time for that.
Refúgio Biológico Bela Vista (RBV)
The “Refúgio Biológico Bela Vista” (RBV) is a conservation area created as part of the Itaipu Dam project in Foz do Iguaçu.
Established in the late 1970s–1980s during the construction of Itaipu, its goal was to rescue and protect wildlife displaced by the flooding of the Paraná River basin. Thousands of animals were relocated, many ending up in the refuge for rehabilitation.
The refuge spans about 1,800 hectares of protected Atlantic Forest and reforested areas, forming part of a wider network of ecological corridors around the Itaipu reservoir.
It shelters more than 960 species of plants and over 500 animal species, including jaguars, pumas, ocelots, tapirs, deer, toucans, and harpy eagles. Many are endangered, and the refuge serves both as a sanctuary and breeding ground.
- Functions:
- Conservation: Protects the biodiversity of the Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest.
- Research & breeding: Supports scientific studies and captive-breeding programs for species at risk.
- Education: Hosts guided tours, environmental education for schools, and awareness programs.
- Ecotourism: Trails, observation towers, and interpretive centres allow visitors to experience the forest and its fauna.
The RBV symbolises the ecological offset of the dam, mitigating environmental damage caused by the reservoir and contributing to regional sustainability.
You can book a tour to Itaipu Dam that includes the entrance ticket and enjoy panoramic views of the plant and learn details about this incredible renewable energy project. Book this tour HERE.
When we left the Dam, we took another Uber and asked to be taken to the “Três Fronteiras Bridge”, however, it was quite late and getting dark, so we couldn’t do much there. There was a Ferry Wheel there as well, but we didn’t go on it. After that, we asked the Uber to take us to our hotel.
We booked dinner at Rafain Churrascaria for that evening. Did you notice that the hotel we stayed in, the dinner on the previous night and tonight all have the same name? Rafain Hotel Centre, Rafain Chopp and Rafain Churrascaria? This is because it is a chain of hotels and restaurants that belong to the same family, and they have various hotels and restaurants in Foz do Iguaçu.
Rafain Churrascaria is very popular and a very large restaurant that, besides having a very good buffet, also provides a Latin show with acts from various countries in South America. There were acts representing Brazil, of course, but also Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia, Argentina and others.
It is a large dining room that, after 9 pm, transforms into an entertainment venue. The buffet area is also enormous, and it has a very large number of dishes to choose from.
When we arrived, we were given a table very far from the stage with many other tables in front of us, which we assumed were reserved. We had our dinner there, but by the time the show started, nobody had arrived at the tables in front closer to the stage, so I asked to be moved to a better place, and they did change our tables.
The food was spectacular, and we enjoyed it very much. One of the best buffets we’ve been to. The show was a bit underwhelming, too touristy, and it looked like they were trying very hard to please.
Later, we found out that we didn’t need to watch the show; we could have stayed in another area of the restaurant where we wouldn’t be able to watch the show, but would still be able to enjoy the delicious food from the same buffet. We also found it overpriced, maybe because of the show, but a bit too much for what it was. However, we still found it a nice experience to try once.
After the show was finished, we were taken back to our hotel by the same bus that collected us from the hotel as part of the package of the dinner show.
This is the tour we booked to go to Rafain Churrascaria. You can also book it HERE.
Below is a reel from the Travelling Surveyor Instagram account. Check it out and follow me on Instagram as well.
If you have an extra day in Foz do Iguaçu I would suggest this bike tour experiencing 3 countries in one day with a local guide. Book it HERE. Or I would spend the day crossing the boarder to Paraguay and shopping at “Ciudad del Este Commercial Centre” with a English speaking guide. This tour can be booked HERE.
This was the end of our visit to Foz do Iguaçu. We were going to fly back to Curitiba the next day and spend the rest of the day and the night at a friend’s house in Curitiba. That will be my next post: Curitiba.
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 – ***
2 – Parque das Aves – ***
3 – Itaipú Binacional – ***
4 – Três Fronteiras Bridge and Ferry Wheel – ***
5 – Cross the frontier to Paraguay for shopping
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 Churrascaria – £££ – ***
2 – Rafain Chopp – *** – ££
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
5 – Foz do Iguaçu – Day 2
6 – Curitiba – Coming soon
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