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The Smithsonian Life List28 Places to See Before You Die |
"Muggers you won't have to worry about" advised the concierge at Hotel das Cataratas in Brazil. "Nobody ever goes down there at night. Just watch out for snakes on the trail."
Nobody is more snake-phobic than I am, but I couldn't resist seeing Iguazu Falls by the light of a full moon. Iguazu is a series of more than 200 separate waterfalls strung along 230-foot-high cliffs on both sides of a narrow gorge. At my side I could see and feel several falls right next to me. Across the gorge, in the illuminated night, a few dozen more emerged and faded into the mist like apparitions.
Only Victoria Falls, between Zambia and Zimbabwe in southern Africa, rivals Iguazu in grandeur. But the sheer variety of vistas at Iguazu—located near where Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina meet—give these falls a special edge.
January through March, when the river is high, is the best time to appreciate the wonders of Iguazu Falls. Nowadays, however, nighttime access to the trails is mostly restricted, except for organized group walks on full-moon nights. Boat tours and an extensive system of walkways and viewing platforms offer a wealth of views. Even veteran travelers gape at the sight. "I was awestruck," says Mara Vorhees, a co-author of Lonely Planet's forthcoming guide to Brazil. "You're nearly completely surrounded by enormous thundering water. Above there was a rainbow—a rain ring, really, since it nearly formed a circle. I couldn't stop looking."
Comments
Anybody happen to know the likelihood of encountering a snake while walking on the trails at the falls during the daytime?
Posted by willis mcghee on December 23,2007 | 10:03AM
It's worth to note that Two thirds of the falls are within Argentine territory. The falls can be reached from the two main towns on either side of the falls: Foz do Iguaçu in the Brazilian state of Paraná, and Puerto Iguazú in the Argentine province of Misiones as well as from Ciudad del Este (Paraguay)
Posted by Laura Morales on January 18,2008 | 09:51AM
willis mcghee wrote: Anybody happen to know the likelihood of encountering a snake while walking on the trails at the falls during the daytime? Reply: Funny you should ask that. I just returned from the falls and while walking on the Green Trail I encountered a red, black and yellow-white snake right by the trail. I asked the park information what it was and they looked a little surprised and told me that it could "kill you within six hours." From my online searching I'm pretty sure it was a type of coral snake which is extremely venomous. From what I've read, if you stay on the trails and just avoid the snakes when you see them they leave you alone. It's pretty cool to see the wildlife in Iguazu because, except for the coati, they seem to avoid humans. If you're very phobic about snakes, I'd avoid the Macuco trail since it's less-travelled than some of the others.
Posted by Acecombs on April 17,2008 | 03:19PM
I'm sure there are thousands of snakes in Iguazú but I have been there more than twenty times - always in Summer when Nature is at its utmost - and fortnately I have never ever seen a single one. And for everybody, folks, try to plan your trip when there is a full moon, it's something surreal, allucinating that nobody should miss. An ordinary bus takes you there (it is necessary to make reservations at any local travel agency) and after, ordinary busses will be there waiting for you at the time the night tours end. Of course, they will take you to the Argentine town, Puerto Iguazú. There it's possible to take another bus to the Brazilian side if you are staying there. The comment of the concierge of the Brazilian hotel is a noughty and interested one, nobody wants in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, that tourists visit the Argentine side that by far is much more interesting and exciting. The best thing worth visiting on the Brazilian side of the park is the Parque das Aves (Birds Park), it's quite remarkable and worth while but it'll take between two and four hours. It's huge and full of wonderful birds of all kinds.
Posted by Graciela Zubasti on July 29,2008 | 01:07PM