We decided to take a quick family trip over the Easter break to Iguazu Falls and to visit both the Argentina and Brazilian sides of the falls. We found a deal ($298.21 each x6 for $1,789.24 total) on some round trip flights from Santiago, Chile to Foz do Iguazu, Brazil and we booked 4 nights at the Sheraton Iguazu (on the Argentina side of the border) using 12,000 SPG points per night (48,000 points total for the 4 nights). We had to cross from Brazil to Argentina in a taxi, but this was relatively easy, especially since we arrived into Foz do Iguazu at nearly midnight and there was literally no traffic or queues to get through. The Sheraton Iguazu is the only hotel that is actually inside the national park. There are many others at the nearby towns of Puerto Iguazu (in Argentina) or Foz do Iguazu (in Brazil). Staying at the Sheraton definitely had its benefits as we had a view of the falls from our balcony room and were able to walk from the hotel to the falls on the Argentina side very easily and at our convenience and had quick access to the upper circuit, lower circuit, and the train station that takes you to the devil's throat (La Garganta del Diablo). Getting to Puerto Iguazu was not too challenging...it was about a 25 minute taxi ride and relatively inexpensive. It was also relatively easy to cross the border in taxi to the Brazilian side of the falls as long as you didn't try to go during rush hour (we found out one night coming back from Brazil to Argentina that you can be stuck in traffic for more than 2 hours at the border crossing).
The Argentina side of the falls is all about being up close and personal with the falls. You definitely will get wet. The falls are so powerful and the spray and mist that comes off of them is plentiful. There is a great setup with steel platforms for an upper circuit (basically looking at the falls from above) and a lower circuit (basically being below the falls and being able to see them from beneath). Each one of these circuits is easy to walk (and nicely accessible from the Sheraton) and takes about 1.5-2 hours each (taking your time to take pictures and enjoy). There is a train station nearby that takes trips back and forth to the "main attraction" La Garganta del Diablo (translated Devils Throat), which is a fitting name for where the rivers come from multiple directions and dump a huge amount of water over the falls.
One of the cool things about Iguazu is the wildlife you are able to see. We ran into dozens of coati (that look like a mix of a raccoon and an anteater), saw dozens of monkeys (they literally were crawling up the side of the hotel, on our balcony, and even tried to open our balcony door), and saw some amazing, colorful birds.
Eating some amazing Argentine carne asada at a great restaurant we found in Puerto Iguazu...La Dama Juana.
Eliza and the kids at the river where the border of Argentina (where we are standing), Brazil (top right), and Paraguay (top left) meet.
Ryder and Nash getting sprayed by the mist of one of the many waterfalls in Iguazu (Argentina side).
A view of a portion of Iguazu Falls from the Argentina side.
Iguazu Falls.
More panoramic view of Iguazu from the Argentina side.
The kids by one of the smaller falls at Iguazu.
A new animal for us, the coati...these things were walking around all over the place.
Coati, looking for food.
A view of Iguazu Falls from our balcony at the Sheraton Iguazu.
Monkeys would crawl all over the hotel and try to open the doors of the balcony every morning looking for food at the Sheraton Iguazu.
We thought this sign in the hotel room at the balcony door was a joke until the next morning we found dozens of monkeys on the balcony.
Monkeys claiming up the side of the Sheraton Iguazu.
The kids, looking through the glass of our balcony at the monkeys with Iguazu Falls in the distance at the Sheraton Iguazu.
The kids, enjoying the train ride up to the devil's throat (La Garganta del Diablo) at Iguazu Falls.
The devil's throat (La Garganta del Diablo).
We got soaked just standing on the platform looking down into La Garganta del Diablo.
Amazing amounts of water and mist at La Garganta del Diablo.
Iguazu Falls, Argentina side.
Iguazu Falls, Argentina side.
Cody with the kids at Iguazu Falls, Argentina side.
The kids, looking out over Iguazu Falls from above on the Argentina side.
The kids above Iguazu Falls.
Cody, from above the falls on the Argentina side.
View from the top of the falls on the Argentina side.
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