Argentina's Iguazu Falls (Cataratas del Iguazú) of the port of Cataratas do IIguaçu is a giant complex of 275 spectacular waterfalls at the mouth of the Iguazu River (23 km). It is located in the province of Misiones on the territory of the Argentine-Brazilian Iguazu National Park and near the border with Brazil. It is surrounded by three cities, of which Puerto Iguazu is on the Argentine side, Foz do Iguazu is on the Brazilian side, and Ciudad del Este is on the territory of Paraguay.
Visually, it is a zigzag cliff 150 m wide and 700 m long. Its total height is 82 m, but the largest number of its mini-waterfalls reach a height of about 60 m. The width of the main stream is 2700 m, and the volume of water passing through varies from 1500 m³/s to 6000 m³/s.
History and Legends of the Iguazu Falls
The Iguazu Falls complex in Argentina is one of the seven natural wonders of the world. It outshines the world-famous Victoria and Niagara with its beauty and grandeur. It was formed as a result of the erosion of soil by the waters of the local Parana River, which is the border "blue strip" between Argentina and Brazil. Since the islets and basalt barriers did not succumb to their action, "carved channels" three kilometers long were formed naturally. They gave way and "indicated" the trajectory of movement of 275 channels.
According to one of the legends of the local Indians, the snake god M'Boy desired the beautiful Naipi. Her heart belonged to the warrior Tarobu. The lovers decided to run away and set off on a journey that lay across the river. Having learned about this, the enraged monster with a blow of his tail collapsed the river bottom, separating the two lovers forever. The young man was turned into a tall palm tree and remained on one bank, and the girl into a rock - on the opposite bank. From then on, loving hearts could touch each other only with the help of a rainbow.
Interesting sights of Iguazu
The first thing you should see with your own eyes is the breathtaking waterfall "Devil's Throat". Then, to enhance the effect of what you saw, you can travel to the waterfalls that will impress you with both their beauty and the poetry of their names - "Flower's Leap" / "Salto Floriano", "Adam and Eve", "Ramirez", "Two Sisters", "Three Musketeers". A walk along the bridges between the islands, panoramic views from the observation decks, riding in rubber boats, tour - helicopter flights - will allow you to enjoy the beauty of pristine nature to your heart's content.
