Take the Bus from Buenos Aires to Puerto Iguazu in 2022

What to do in Puerto Iguazu

Importantly, Puerto Iguazu is different than most places in that there is no such thing as a dry season. The great waterfall system that is only 11 km from the town keeps the area misty and humid all year long.  Mix that in with the heat that sets in between October and March, and you realize you should ideally plan on visiting between April and September when you have cooler weather. 

Also, as the falls straddle the border of three countries, you might have visa issues depending on your nationality to try and visit the falls in all three countries.  Luckily, the Argentinean side has the largest share of nature walks and waterfall exposure, so don’t worry if you have difficulties crossing the border.  There will be more than enough to do without leaving Argentina.

You will surely want to do a lot of outdoor activities, so we’ll cover some of the best of those, as well as our favorite things to do that are a bit unusual.

#1 - Walking or Riding Nature Trails to the Falls

Make your way to the Visitor’s Center (Centro de Visitantes), which is southeast of the town. There you will find four nature trails to different parts and vantage points of the various falls that make up the Iguazu system.  Walking time ranges from two to three hours per trail, and many people choose the longer one called La Garganta Diablo because it has the most dramatic finish. The Macuco trail is the only one that is not handicap-accessible, and although the shortest in distance, takes the longest time to hike.

However, the park administrators have also built an eco-train that basically runs alongside the Garganta Diablo walking trail and has intermittent stops if passengers want to disembark and walk the remainder or connect to other trails.

Get a free park map when you purchase a bus ticket to Puerto Iguazu.

#2 - Bottle House

La Casa de Botellas is a quizzical and ingenious piece of architecture made entirely of plastic bottles and other recycled materials, right on the eastern edge of town. Tetra Pack cartons, discarded compact discs, and other plastics gave Alfredo Santa Cruz inspiration to make walls, doors, and even furniture and a partnering playground that will make you marvel.  

#3 - Visit the Guarani communities

Within the city as well as outside are surviving Guarani indigenous communities that you can visit on tours to understand their history and traditions.  The epic struggle between Guarani and European colonizers (made famous by the 1986 film, “The Mission”) is centered around the falls, so it’s hard to grasp the real importance of the falls without also understanding the people who have held it dearly for centuries before the Jesuit missionaries arrived.  Half-day tours will take you to Fortin M Borore where you will learn Guarani songs, medicine, ways of hunting, and their artisan traditions. 

#4 - Artisan street market

Every night starting at 6 pm in the center of Puerto Iguazu, the avenue Balbinus Brañas comes alive with color and festive sound. It is walking distance from most hotels in the town, so take a stroll and some cash to be ready to buy locally made crafts and souvenirs, and fabulous street food that represents the culinary traditions of the area.

#5 - Images of the Rainforest Museum

Halfway between the town and the national park is a superb museum you should make a point to visit. Museo Imágenes de la Selva is dedicated to the extraordinary work of Paraguayan-born artist Rodolfo Teófilo Allou. He was a dentist by profession but spent his life carving wood to depict the images of the rainforest, its people, animals, and local legends.

Conclusion

If you are headed to Brazil or Paraguay, or just want to see the great Iguazu falls as part of your adventure within Argentina, reserve your bus tickets today. You will not only be rewarded with lots of spectacles once you arrive but get to see a strikingly beautiful part of Argentina along the way.