What to see in Iguaçu Falls, Brazil with children: essential tips and addresses for easy planning
Must-see:
Brazilian side of the Iguazu Falls. This side offers panoramic views of the falls, which are spectacular and easier to navigate with kids. Walk along the boardwalks to get different perspectives of the falls. The Devil’s Throat viewpoint (Garganta do Diabo) is a highlight. Leave this for the end. The trails are fairly easy to walk, but bring water and snacks for kids as they may get tired. Lots of stairs on the trail so if you can leave the stroller at the hotel, do it.
Top tips: get off the bus opposite the Hotel das Cataras (start of the trail) and leave the stroller at home. The trail is full of stairs. Easy to walk with kids but not with a stroller.
Must-do:
Macuco Safari - this is essentially a boat tour within the falls park. This exciting tour takes you right up to the base of the falls. It happens in 3 parts: 1. an eco-friendly electric cart ride through the jungle where we spotted monkeys, toucans and more. 2. A short hike down to the riverside where you can spot more wildlife. If you don’t fancy walking you can simply transfer to another eco-friendly ride. 3. The boat ride. There you have two options: wet or not! Changing rooms and lockers are available. I highly recommend using them! Bring a full change of clothes (underwear too!) and go barefoot if you pick the wet option. Trust me! It is wet but soooo fun. There is no minimum age but know it will be a little rough and very very wet. Tickets can be purchased after you enter the park.
Top tip: do this after you have walked the falls (on the way back) because walking around the falls with wet clothes is not fun.
What else to visit near the falls:
Parque das Aves - located near the entrance of the Brazilian side of Iguazu Falls. The park is home to over 1,300 birds, including colorful macaws, toucans, and flamingos. Kids will love walking through the aviaries, where birds fly freely around them. The park also features reptiles and butterflies. Plan for 2-3 hours here. It’s stroller-friendly, making it great for little kids.
Where to have a fun meal:
Jurassic Pizza - If you are looking for a family-friendly fun place to have a meal, take everyone to the pizza rodizio. You pay a set fee and they bring you many different types of pizzas to try. Granted this is not typical Brazilian food but it is a fun Brazilian experience (we saw so many of these rodizios) and the pizzas are not bad at all. My kids loved the sweet ones with chocolate and strawberries.
Where to have a delicious ice-cream:
We loved the ice-creams at Borelli, Foz. The ladies working there were so kind and the ice-creams delicious. The crowd of locals says it all.
When to visit:
We visited in the second half of August (our European summer). And it was absolutely perfect. The locals are not on holidays (they are in July though, so be warned). There were no queues for anything. The weather was good but not too hot. I can’t imagine doing all this with crowds and heat.
Where to stay:
We loved this Airbnb. Spotlessly clean and easy to reach all sights.
