Puerto Iguazú

Puerto Iguazú is a tourist city in the northeast of Argentina at the Triborder with Paraguay and Brazil. It mainly serves the needs of the tourists visiting the Iguaçu Falls close-by.

Iguaçu Falls near Puerto Iguazú

Get in

By train

The train is not operating.

By plane

• 🌍 Aeropuerto International Cataratas del Iguazu (Mayor Carlos Eduardo Krause Airport IGR  ^IATA) (is close to the waterfalls and to the city of Puerto Iguazu). There are several flights a day from Buenos Aires serviced by Aerolineas Argentinas and LATAM.  

Go from the airport to town:

• Taxi: AR$500. In the arrivals hall there is a desk for a transfer (remis) to any hotel in Puerto Iguazú (Jan 2018).
• Minibus: AR$200. Inside the terminal you can buy a ticket and catch the bus in the front of the airport to the bus terminal (Jan 2018).

Go from bus terminal to the airport:

• taxi: AR$400. You can ask the taxi desk at the terminal to call a taxi for you.
• minibus: you must ask at your hostel and reserve in advance.

Foz do Iguaçu International Airport (Brazil) (IGU ^IATA)is another way in but from Brazil. Some people travel to Foz do Iguaçu International Airport but stay on Puerto Iguazu (Argentina). There is an immigration point between Argentina and Brazil, so keep all the documents they give you at the airport and at immigration. The cost of going by taxi from Foz do Iguaçu International Airport in Brazil to Puerto Iguazu is around US$40. You can ask for a taxi inside the airport and pay cash or on credit card. Taxi drivers know the immigration regulations so they will walk you by the customs to enter Argentina. By taxi the drive is no more than half an hour, but sometimes there will be lots of people on the immigration point and at peak hour you can expect 45 minutes or an hour waiting lines.

By bus

Direct buses to Buenos Aires, Retiro (many companies)(18 hours), Salta (Andesmar/Flecha Bus), Mendoza, Cordoba (Mercobus, Cruzero del Norte), Posadas, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Curitiba and other places.

Access Puerto Iguazu from Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Brazil and other parts of Argentina by bus passes offered by the Green Toad Bus. They also offer bus tickets online from Buenos Aires, Salta, São Paulo, Florianopolis, and Rio de Janeiro to Puerto Iguazu. Long distance and local buses arrive to the Terminal de Autobuses on Av. Cordoba.

By ferry

From Paraguay

There is a ferry (balsa) between Puerto Iguazú and Presidente Franco, Paraguay (just outside Ciudad del Este). You can get there from Ciudad del Este by bus for PYG2,500 (as of October 2016): take the red Matiauda which says "3 Fronteras" and ask the driver to let you know when get out. It's about half an hour in bus, and then you have a 500-m walk downhill. The ferry costs PYG10,000 per person if you're on foot.

Get around

• A bus leaves twice hourly from the terminal to the entrance on the Argentine side of the falls (AR$260 return). Most hotels have the timetable. Tell the bus driver if you want to stop along the way.
• Frequent buses cross the border to Foz do Iguaçu where you can change to a bus to the Brazilian side of the falls
• Some buses cross to Ciudad del Este without stopping in Brazil (hence, no need for Brazilian im- and emigration)
• There is a ferry crossing directly to Paraguay (look for the sign on the corner Av. Missiones and Brasil). About twice hourly during daylight. 10 Pesos for foot passenger. On the Paraguayan side walk up to the main street and take any bus going to the right (don't believe "Taxi" drivers telling you there is no bus, they are just up to overcharging you). You can pay the ride in pesos (AR$2). When you arrive at the roundabout about half an hour later you are in the centre of Ciudad del Este, for the bus terminal you have to get off earlier.
• Taxis operate with fixed prices which makes the distance to both parks from your hotel irrelevant. A trip from your hotel in or near Puerto Iguazú to the Argentine park or vice versa costs AR$600. Round trips are advertised as double but most taxi drivers will do the trip for AR$1100 if asked. Do not be amazed if the very same driver waits for you for hours. Taxi drivers will store your luggage in their taxi while waiting. A round trip from your hotel to a supermarket in Puerto Iguazú costs AR$100. Taxis between Cataratas Iguazú Airport (IGR) and Puerto Iguazú cost AR$700 (as of November 2018).

See

Confluence of the Iguazú and Paraná Rivers, with the Triple Frontier in the background

• Three Frontiers Landmark (walk down Av. Tres Fronteras). Have a look at Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay all at a glimpse, while cargo freighters slowly make their way along the water. Free. 
• Iguaçu Falls . One of the great natural wonders of the world. 
• Güira Oga. 09:00-16:45 (winter); 08:30-18:30 (summer). Visit a refugee of animals such as the toucan, a caiman and a lot more! There is a bus that goes from the center. Ask your hostel or in the bus station. AR$35. 

Do

• 🌍 Jardin de los Picaflores (The Garden of Hummingbirds), Fray Luis Beltran 150. 09:00 - 18:00. Be sure to stop by this beautiful, peaceful little garden which is full of hummingbirds. Great photo opportunities abound. There are other birds, as well, but the different types of hummingbirds that come to feed, perch and just fly around is amazing. Being allowed to hold a feeder in the palm of your hand gives an up close encounter with birds landing on outstretched fingers. You won't be disappointed; it is a great place to sit and watch and reflect. Good things come in small packages! AR$40.  

Buy

• Souvenirs are sold in the street and in many shops
• There are two money changers on Av. V. Aguirre (downtown)

Eat

• La Rueda, Av. Cordoba. Excellent food, and probably the best restaurant in Puerto Iguazú esthetically. The Pollo al Diablo (Chicken Devil's Style) is delicious. English spoken. Accepts credit cards. 
• La Vitrina, Av. Victoria Auirre 773, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Go there for the Asado prepared on the big outdoor barbecue. They have good salads, pasta, empanadas, etc. But the bife de chorizo and asado de tira is what set La Vintrina apart from other places. 
• Aqva, Av. Córdoba y Carlos Thays, ☎ [phone]. Excellent food, many options of dishes with local river fish and Argentinian beef, of course. Extensive wine list. Reservations recommended on weekends. Opens everyday for lunch and dinner. Accepts major credit cards. 

Drink

• La Barranca, nice place near both rivers and the Three Frontiers Landmark (Marco das três fronteira), nice people and live music at weekends.

At the feria up from Av. Brasil there are many stalls to have a cheap drink.

• 🌍 Feirinha (La Feria), Av. Brasil. 16:00-late. A rather Brazilian market (expect a lot of Portuguese signs and menus and Brazilian food) of delicatessens that puts out tables around 16:00 and sells cheap beers (AR$70 for 1 L) and picadas (snack plates like salami, cheese, olives), with a few serving steaks, Brazilian grills, empanadas and similar. A cheap and cheerful way to watch the local nightlife. (updated Mar 2018)

Sleep

Budget

Beware that the hostels in Puerto Iguazú seem to be experiencing something of a bedbug epidemic. Check reviews on the web carefully before booking.

• 🌍 Poramba Hostel (El Urú 120, Puerto Iguazú,), ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Small, friendly and relaxed hostel, offering both shared and private rooms. In a very nice, tranquil and green part of town, only 300 m. from the bus terminal. Good kitchen. Swimming pool. 
• Hostel Irupe, Avenida Misiones Nº 80 (100 m from the bus terminal), ☎ [phone]. Check-out: 10:00. Cheap, but clean hostel, AR$30 per person for double with bathroom (May 2009); kitchen available, only a few steps away from the main bus terminal. Dorms for AR$30 p.p. One computer with internet but no Wi-Fi. 
• Hostel Inn Iguazu, Ruta 12 Km 5, Puerto Iguazú., ☎ [phone]. Dorms US$11 (members). Has a pool and tiki bar, air-conditioned rooms, a young, partying crowd, nightly events, daily sports games, free internet, free breakfast, bar and restaurant. You can get there by taking the bus that goes to the falls (leaving from the terminal). 
• Marcopolo Inn Iguazu, Av. Cordoba 158, 3370, Puerto Iguazu, Argentina. 20 m from the bus terminal and 2 blocks from the Commerce center of Puerto Iguazu. Internet access, kitchen, breakfast included from US$11 (dorms) and $15 (private). 
• Residencial Uno, Fray Luis Beltrán 116, Puerto Iguazú, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Warm and comfortable hostel in the heart of Puerto Iguazú. It offers private rooms, breakfast, free internet access & Wi-Fi area, swimming pool, air conditioner, BBQ area, Cable TV & DVD lounge, among others services. Two blocks from the bus station and less than 5 minutes from downtown. Dorms from AR$218. Doubles AR$1000. Minihostels.com members get 10% off.. (updated Jul 2017)
• Stop Hostel (Stop Hostel Iguazú), Av. Victoria Aguirre 304, Puerto Iguazú, Argentina, ☎ [phone]. Stop Hostel is 15 minutes away from the falls, bar, air conditioning and a pool. from USD10. 
• Garden Stone Hostel, Av. Córdoba Nº 441 - Puerto de Iguazú (Three blocks north from the bus terminal along Av. Córdoba), ☎ [phone]. Check-out: 10:00. Quite nice, peaceful, clean. There is a little garden and a kitchen. Includes Wi-Fi, large lockers in rooms, and breakfast. Dorms from US$9. 
• Hostel Bambu Club, Av. Córdoba Nº 445 - Puerto de Iguazú (2 minute walk from the bus terminal along Av. Córdoba). Check-out: 10:00. This is a party hostel with huge pool and bar area that packs in a crowd, plus very clean and friendly. Includes Wi-Fi, lockers, and breakfast. 

Mid-range

• Complejo Americano, ☎ [phone], [phone], [phone]. Ruta 12 Km 5, Puerto Iguazú. Used to be called El Viejo Americano. Hotel and camping (AR$26 per tent plus AR$26 per person). There are also bungalows and normal rooms. You can get there by taking the bus that goes to the falls (leaving from the terminal, AR$1.50). There are pools, a restaurant, convenience store and soccer fields, which are all very well maintained. Many fire pits for barbecues and other niceties. Bugs galore so bring plenty of repellent. 
• Hostería Los Helechos. Paulino Amarante 76, Puerto Iguazú. 03757-420338. Very centrally located hostel, two blocks from the bus station. Lots of facilities including swimming pool. 
• Hotel Tierra Colorada, El Urú 28, Puerto Iguazú. 03757-420649. Pleasant and friendly small hotel, comfortable rooms.
• Hotel Los Troncos, San Lorenzo 154, Puerto Iguazú, ☎ [phone]. Very good hotel. Wonderfully located on the edge of the city (about a 15-minute walk from the bus station). Gives you the feeling of staying in the middle of a tropical rain forest. The staff are extremely nice. The hotel is well facilitated: there is a nice pool, continental buffet breakfast and the "cabañas" have air conditioning, digital television and a balcony. Ask the staff for a trip to the Brazilian side of the falls: they have contacts with drivers who take you there, wait for you and bring you back to the hotel again for AR$140 in total (fixed price, no price per person). 

Splurge

• SecretGardenIguazu B&B - A three-room affair, in the town of Puerto Iguazu. High on concept, the Secret Garden is populated by tree ferns and other shade-loving plants salvaged from the slash and burn rural and logging activities decimating the surrounding rain-forest.

Connect

Cope

Consulate

• Vice Consulate of Brazil (Vice-Consulado em Puerto Iguazú), Av. Cordoba 264 C 3370, ☎ [phone], fax: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Brazilian visas can be obtained here. As of Jan 2012, you need a bank statement, proof of entry (flight/bus ticket) and exit (from the North/South American continent is OK, i.e. a flight out of New York is OK), printed online form and a photo. Processing in one day, 90-day multiple entry given. (AR$161 for Australians.) New Zealanders pay slightly less. (updated Sep 2017)

Go next

• You can visit the Itaipu Dam - one of the largest dams and the biggest hydroelectric powerplant in the world on either the Paraguayan side (Ciudad del Este) or the Brazilian side (Foz do Iguaçu).
• On the way to Posadas or Buenos Aires the red sandstone ruins of the Jesuit mission of San Ignacio Miní are well worth a visit.