Devil's Throat: Puerto Iguazu Travel Guide (4.9★)

A river that runs out of floor

The walkway carries you over open water for the last stretch, and then the river simply ends. Devil’s Throat is a U-shaped chasm where the Iguazú River pours over three sides at once. The spray rises so high that the far rim often disappears into it.

The metal grating under your feet runs across calm, brown, slow-moving river and small wooded islands. That calm is what makes the edge so abrupt. On the platform the noise is constant, the mist soaks everything, and swifts dart straight into the curtain of water where they nest on the rock behind it.

Train, then walkway, then spray

Getting there takes some planning. From Puerto Iguazu, buses leave the town bus terminal for the national park entrance, roughly 18 km away. Taxis and remises make the same trip if you’d rather not wait.

Inside the park, the narrow-gauge Tren de la Selva (Jungle Train) runs from Estación Central to Estación Cataratas. It then continues to Estación Garganta del Diablo. From that last stop, a walkway of a little over a kilometre takes you across the upper river to the viewing platform.

The walk is flat and easy. Allow about two hours for the train out, the walk, time on the platform and the ride back. The platform has no shelter, so whatever you’re wearing will be damp.

When the falls look their best

Water levels change through the year. After heavy rain upriver the Throat turns into a churning brown roar. In drier spells you can pick out more of the rock and the separate streams.

Morning light usually helps, and rainbows show up often in the spray when the sun is out. The park also runs guided full-moon walks to the Throat on a few nights a month. Dates depend on the lunar calendar, so check the official Iguazú National Park site before you plan around one.

Opening hours and train frequency aren’t listed here, and they can change. Confirm both on the official site before you travel.

Working the park’s single-track logistics

Everything at the Throat runs through one train line, and that’s what sets the pace of your visit.

• Head for the Throat first. Most visitors start on the closer circuits by Estación Cataratas. Taking the earliest train straight to Garganta del Diablo usually means a quieter platform.
• Buy tickets ahead if you can. Entry is paid at the park, and online purchase is usually available. The current price is on the official site and at the gate. Argentine pesos and cards are both widely used, but bring a backup in case a card reader fails.
• Leave the coatis alone. These ringtailed coatis are bold around the train stations and snack areas. They bite and scratch when people feed them, and the park bans feeding. Keep food packed away.
• Take your photos and move on. The platform is narrow, so get your shots and make room for the people behind you. Then head back along the walkway.
• Watch for the last return train. Check the time when you arrive so you don’t end up walking the tracks back.

What to bring onto the walkway

You will get soaked in seconds, and there’s nowhere to dry off.

• A light rain jacket or poncho
• A waterproof pouch or zip bag for your phone
• A lens cloth, because the mist coats every lens
• Shoes or sandals that grip on wet metal
• Water and sun protection for the open stretches of walkway

The rest of the falls, and the other side

The Throat is the climax, but most people spend a full day in the park. The Circuito Superior (Upper Trail) walks you along the tops of a long chain of falls. The Circuito Inferior (Lower Trail) drops below them for views looking upward.

If you have a second day, cross the Tancredo Neves Bridge into Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil. Its national park shows the falls in one wide panorama, including the Throat seen from a distance. Check border requirements for your nationality before you go.

Back in Puerto Iguazu, the Hito Tres Fronteras is where Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay meet across the rivers. It’s an easy evening stop after a wet day at the falls.