Visiting the Iguazu Falls: when to go and which side to choose

The Brazilian side gives the overall view. A shuttle drops visitors at the start of a 1.2-kilometre trail that follows the canyon and ends on a walkway jutting out toward the Devil's Throat, where you come away soaked. Allow a half-day, plus one to two hours for the neighbouring Parque das Aves, 300 metres from the entrance. The park opens at 9 am, so arrive early to beat the coach groups.

The Argentine side holds about 80 percent of the falls and is experienced up close. An eco-train leads to the Garganta del Diablo walkway, suspended right at the edge of the chasm. The Upper and Lower circuits, plus the Macuco trail to an isolated waterfall, fill a whole day. Sleeping in Puerto Iguazú lets you enter at opening, before the day trips from Brazil arrive.

The town of Foz do Iguaçu serves as a base. Half an hour away, the Itaipu dam, one of the most powerful in the world, is visited on a panoramic circuit or a technical turbine tour, with night lighting at weekends. At the meeting of the Iguazu and Parana rivers, the Marco das Três Fronteiras marks where Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay meet and is best reached at sunset.

Beyond the walkways, the Brazilian park offers the Poço Preto and Bananeiras trails, 9 kilometres on foot or by bike to the Iguazu river, with a kayak option. Rafting runs downstream of the falls. On the Paraguayan side, Ciudad del Este draws shoppers, but it is best not to linger there after dark. The Jesuit ruins of San Ignacio in Argentina add a day of driving and history. It links easily with the rest of Brazil or the coast of Bahia.