Foz do Iguaça is a city on the border of the Iguaça falls. It is in the state of Parana and has a population of about 265,000 people. The Iguaça falls has been chosen as one of the New Natural Seven Wonders of the World: it is one of the largest waterfalls on Earth, at 2.7km.
Foz do Iguaça is one of the most visited places in Brazil by foreigners. It is known for its travel industry, and has won several awards for its tourism and culture. The city is very culturally diverse, with around 80 nationalities, including people from Italy, China, and Lebanon, to name a few. Another interesting fact about the city is that it’s home to the Itaipu dam – the world’s largest hydroelectric power plant, supplying a large amount of power to Brazil and Paraguay. There are so many beautiful things to do in Foz do Iguaça, such as visiting Parque Das Aves and the Garganta del Diablo. Below is our Foz do Iguaça travel guide with information on all the best things to do, places to go and what not to miss.
ITAIPU DAM AND CENTRO DE RECEPCAO DE VISITANTES – Foz do Iguaça is home to one of the largest and highest producing dams in the entire world. It produces nearly 18% of power for Brazil, and almost 75% for Paraguay. It is a fantastic place to go to see this 200-metre-high dam. There is also a visitor’s centre down the road, and from here you will be taken into the power plant itself and shown around. This is quite the interesting place to go and visit.
PARQUE DAS AVES – With hundreds of species of birds, this park makes for a great place to walk and enjoy the bird watching and scenery. Here you can find many different kinds of birds, especially flamingos, which are the most common to find here.
PARQUE NACIONAL DE IGUAÇU – This is a chance to see the beautiful waterfalls. You have to go to the hotel Cataratas, where you will find the trails leading to the waterfall. You can then get up a bit higher on one part of the trail to get an amazing view of the falls. There is also a trail that goes down and takes you in closer to the waterfalls.
GARGANTA DEL DIABLO – This is one the more interesting sights you can find. There is a lookout platform that sits right above this amazing sight. This is where the river of Iguaça that is rushing down suddenly falls into this pit in the river. The water just keeps flowing into it and steam rises out of it. It is one of the more interesting sights to see.
*** WHAT NOT TO MISS ***
The Iguaça falls is one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature, and is one of best things to do in Foz Do Iguaçu. It is one of the more beautiful places to visit in the area, and to see one of the world’s largest providers of energy in the Itaipu dam.
There are a few different traditional style places that you can find to eat. Most of them serve traditional Brazilian food. The most popular is Churrascaria, which is an all-you-can-eat buffet that also provides all kinds of meat selections.
One place is Emporio Com Arte (Avenida das Cataratas 569) – this restaurant has a quirky design, with work inside from local artists - available to purchase if you wish! Come here for the very good food and service to be enjoyed in this creative environment – everything is delicious, from fresh fruit juices, to pancakes, to chicken curry!
For the best pizza in town, head to Vo Bertila Pizza & Pasta (Rua Bartolomeu de Gusmao 1116). Here you’ll find an Italian-style décor, and there is a good drinks selection. There is of course a healthy salad option available! For a budget-friendly, hearty meal go to City Bier (Rua Quintino Bocaiuva 1088). Here you’ll get generous portions of typical Brazilian fare, and good local beer – you won’t be going home hungry!
There are plenty of places to enjoy the nightlife here in the city. Throughout Foz do Iguaça, you can find places that offer Latin American and Brazilian style dancers and singers for entertainment, or you can also find your classic rock ‘n’ roll bars that offer a more North American style. Whichever one you choose, there are certainly places to enjoy the night in Foz do Iguaça.
One option is Zeppelin Old Bar (R. Maj. Raul de Matos, 222): rock’n’roll vibes, affordable drinks, and live bands make this a popular place with locals - it starts filling up at 11pm. This retro-style pub even has dishes creatively-named after legendary bands. Another place is Wood’s Bar (Av. Jorge Schimmelpfeng, 450), open Fridays and Saturdays 10pm ‘til 6am. Here you can enjoy live Brazilian sertaneja music – it’s the perfect atmosphere for drinking and dancing.
For guaranteed entertainment, don’t miss the opportunity to see Ipora ( Avenida das Cataratas 1749). This is a captivating, delightful, and entertaining show, telling the story of the legendary Iguassu Falls, and the culture and folklore of South America, through music, dance, and performers. You can choose to get dinner and drinks, or just to simply see the spectacle.
The average temperature in the summer months (from December to March), is about 26 degrees Celsius. In the winter months (from June to September), it’s about 15 degrees Celsius. Rain can be very common during the colder months of the year, and when this happens it is not common to see temperatures drop below 10 degrees Celsius.
There is an international airport in the city that offers frequent flights to San Paolo (1.5 hours), Rio de Janeiro (2 hours), and Santiago Chile (7 hours). There are bus options to places all over Brazil. They frequently leave to other main cities in the country, and there are even buses that leave to Buenos Aires. The journey time between Iguaça and Sao Paulo is 17 hours by bus, from Rio it’s 24 hours, and from Curitiba it’s 11 hours.
There are plenty of options for lodging in Foz do Iguaça. You can find lower budget hostels that still provide great service, and are great for backpackers or people traveling through for one night. You can also find your nicer end places to stay for those who are looking to spend more than a few days enjoying Foz do Iguaçpa.
One place to stay is Che Lagarto (Av. Juscelino Kubitscheck, 874). This is a big hostel, with friendly staff, and nice, spacious rooms - privates and dorms are on offer. The kitchen is well-equipped, there’s a rooftop pool, the hostel is located close the main bus stop, and there’s a great breakfast buffet! To top it off, you get a free welcome Caipirinha.
Tetris Container Hostel (Avenida das Cataratas 639) is another fantastic option: this hostel boasts an unusual architectural design, made of containers of different shapes and colours, to resemble… Tetris, of course! Here you’ll find helpful staff, a well-equipped kitchen, a pool, and a great social atmosphere. Get to the bar at 8pm for a free drink and start mingling!
Take caution when wandering the street at night that you are not alone, and do not leave the main part of the city.
Always wear bug protection to protect yourself from the diseases that mosquitoes may carry.
