Iguazu Falls Site Features

Devil's Throat

The falls' centerpiece is the Garganta del Diablo (Devil's Throat), a U-shaped chasm about 82 meters high and 150 meters wide where roughly half the Iguazu River's total flow plunges over the edge at once. The volume of water produces a roar audible from a distance and a permanent cloud of mist that rises well above the falls -- most visitors consider it the single most dramatic viewpoint in the entire system.

275 individual falls

Iguazu isn't a single waterfall but a system of roughly 275 individual cascades spread across a 2.7-kilometer stretch of the river, straddling the border between Argentina and Brazil. Trails and walkways on both sides offer different vantage points -- the Argentine side gets visitors closer to individual falls and up to the edge of Devil's Throat itself, while the Brazilian side offers a more panoramic view of the whole system at once.

Rainforest and wildlife

The falls sit inside a combined expanse of protected subtropical rainforest -- Iguazú National Park in Argentina and Iguaçu National Park in Brazil -- home to roughly 2,000 plant species and 400 bird species. Toco toucans are a common sight along the forest trails, especially in the early morning, and great dusky swifts nest directly on the rock faces behind the falling water, including behind the curtain at Devil's Throat itself.