Sometimes the rest of the world can be slow to catch on to things in South America. The cuisine of Peru, for example, or the wines of Argentina, have only recently planted themselves firmly on the world stage. However, it\’s still surprising to anyone in the know that the majestic Iguazu Falls aren’t on everyone’s holiday itinerary, and particularly in the plans of anyone looking at holidays in Brazil.

When they are planning Brazil holidays, most people head straight for Rio de Janeiro, and obviously this is one of the world’s great cities, with fabulous beaches, music and nightlife, so a few days here are certainly a good idea. After that, tourists often like to fit one of Brazil\’s top beach destinations into their holiday, so they look at a trip to Buzios, Paraty, Itacare or Ilha Grande. Again, these are some of the best beaches in the world so it\’s no surprise that they are part of most people\’s Brazil holidays. You also find a lot of people interested in visiting the north-east of Brazil, and cities like Salvador de Bahia for a slice of Afro-Brazilian culture and some of Brazil\’s best colonial architecture.

All this is part of what makes a holiday in Brazil so fabulous, and you shouldn\’t begrudge anyone a visit to these areas as part of their Brazil holidays, but… You simply HAVE to visit Iguazu Falls when you are on holiday in Brazil!

Straddling the border between Brazil and Argentina, this magnificent series of waterfalls are simply breathtaking, not just in their natural beauty but in the sheer force of the falls. Visiting Iguazu Falls on your holiday in Brazil is an almost humbling experience as you feel the raw power of millions of litres of pounding water hitting the rocks just a few metres from you and see the huge semi-circular series of falls open up before you.

Although you might primarily think of Iguazu Falls as part of your Brazil holidays, because half the falls are in Argentina, it\’s worth spending a day on the Argentinean side of Iguazu Falls as well. The Brazilian side offers the best panoramic view of the whole sweep of the falls and this is where you\’ll get your best photos. Also on the Brazilian side, you can board a speedboat which will take you right up to the falls, which is fantastic fun. However, a series of walkways on the Argentinean side takes you right to the base of the famous \”Devil\’s Throat\” waterfall, which is the largest at Iguazu, and allows you to get really close to this natural monster!

On either side of Iguazu Falls, you can walk in the National Parks of both Brazil and Argentina, and enjoy the unique wildlife that lives in this tropical rainforest environment. On a completely different note, you can also enjoy the many casinos over the border in Argentina – casino gambling is illegal in Brazil and so many Brazilian tourists enjoy popping over the border for a bit of a flutter!

If you’re planning your holiday in Brazil, you should probably consider spending 3 nights at Iguazu Falls to allow you a full day on either side of the falls as well as enough time to get in and out of Foz do Iguacu – the small town near the falls. You can fly from there to most destinations within Brazil so it fits easily into more extended Brazil holidays as well. Another popular option is to combine your holiday in Brazil with a short visit to Argentina, as you can fly direct from Iguazu to Buenos Aires. You can also now fly directly from Iguazu to Cusco in Peru, which is the base for trips to the lost Inca city of Machu Picchu. In short, it\’s never been easier to combine your Brazil holidays with holidays in Argentina or Peru, so make sure that you include Iguazu Falls in your Brazil holiday itinerary!

Author Bio: Dan Clarke works for Real Brazil – the UK specialists to organise your holiday in Brazil. You can visit their website to see some of their ideas or just get in touch to plan your very own tailormade Brazil holidays to your exact requirements.

Category: Travel
Keywords: brazil holidays,holiday in brazil,iguazu falls,holidays in argentina