Situated on the border between Brazil and Argentina in the state of Paraná, Iguaçu Falls (Cataratas do Iguaçu) is certainly one of the greatest natural wonders of Brazil, if not the whole world. It is surrounded by a national park of the same name, which is run by both countries. Unlike Niagara Falls, which consists mainly of the big Canadian Falls and the smaller American Falls, here it is a huge variety of about 275 cataracts of different sizes. The waterfall is fed by the Rio Iguaçu. An average of 15.000 barrel of water per second (1.800 cbm/sec) plunges over a precipice that is about 1.8 miles (3 km) wide.
You will probably arrive from São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro by plane. Try to get a window seat on the left hand side. If you are lucky, the pilot will fly a lap of honour over the falls and you will have a marvellous general view of the entire area and a great opportunity to make photos. If you are on your own, the cheapest way of getting to the falls, is by public bus. It operates from the nearby city of Foz do Iguaçu on an hourly base, starting at 7 a.m. and costs about half a dollar (0,45 Euro). The entrance fee for the national park amounts to 3 $ (2,80 Euro).