Hundreds of waterfalls thundering over basalt steps in the heart of the Atlantic Forest
Iguazú Falls
3D landscape · Devil's Throat, Argentina–Brazil
Land here and explore →The Iguazú River, flowing west across the Paraná plateau, plunges over the edge of a basalt escarpment shortly before it joins the Paraná River. Here it breaks into a crescent of falls, often given as around 275 separate drops, though the number varies with the amount of water. The whole system stretches for about 2.7 kilometres, with falls up to about 80 metres high. In this app you can stand at a viewpoint modelled on Iguazú and explore the falls in interactive 3D: curtains of white water, clouds of spray, rainbows, basalt ledges and dense green forest.
The falls lie on the border between Argentina's Misiones province and Brazil's state of Paraná, and the name comes from the Guaraní words for big water. Most of the falls are on the Argentine side, while the Brazilian side offers wide panoramic views. Both countries protect the falls and the surrounding forest in national parks, which UNESCO inscribed as World Heritage Sites in 1984 and 1986.
Key facts
- Location
- Argentina and BrazilOn the Iguazú River, near where it joins the Paraná
- Name
- Big waterFrom Guaraní; spelt Iguazú in Spanish and Iguaçu in Portuguese
- Number of falls
- Around 275Commonly quoted figure; the count changes with water levels
- Width
- About 2.7 kmFollowing the curved edge of the falls
- Height
- Up to about 80 mMany falls drop in two stages over basalt ledges
- Largest fall
- Devil's ThroatGarganta del Diablo in Spanish, Garganta do Diabo in Portuguese
- Rock
- BasaltLava flows of the Paraná traps, around 130 million years old
- Forest
- Atlantic ForestLocally called the Paranaense forest; one of the world's most threatened forests
- World Heritage
- 1984 and 1986Argentina's Iguazú and Brazil's Iguaçu national parks
A horseshoe of waterfalls
Unlike a single curtain of water, Iguazú is a broken line of falls separated by rocky islands and forested ledges. The river spreads out above the falls and pours over the edge along a wide, curving front. Many falls drop first to a lower ledge and then again to the river below, so the scene is layered, with spray rising from several levels at once.
Below the falls the river is squeezed into a narrow gorge, which runs downstream towards the Paraná. Walkways on both sides let visitors approach the falls closely; on the Argentine side, trails run along the top and the bottom of the falls, and a boardwalk crosses the upper river to the edge of the Devil's Throat. On the Brazilian side, a path along the gorge leads to a walkway that extends out over the lower river.
The Devil's Throat
The Devil's Throat is a long, U-shaped chasm where a large share of the river's water plunges into a cloud of mist. The border between Argentina and Brazil runs through it. Standing above it, visitors are often soaked by spray and can feel the roar of the water.
Basalt from an ancient lava flood
The rock beneath the falls is basalt, a dark volcanic rock. It belongs to the Paraná traps, one of the largest outpourings of lava in Earth's history, which flooded much of what is now southern Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and northern Argentina in the Early Cretaceous, around 130 million years ago. The eruptions are linked to the break-up of the supercontinent Gondwana and the opening of the South Atlantic Ocean.
The lava spread in many separate flows, one on top of another. Each flow has a hard, dense interior and a weaker, more broken top and base. The river cuts more easily through the weaker layers, which helps create the stepped profile of the falls. Over time, erosion causes the falls to retreat slowly upstream, lengthening the gorge below.
Floods and dry spells
The volume of water at Iguazú varies enormously. Heavy rains over the river's catchment in southern Brazil can turn the falls into a single brown wall of water, while in long dry spells many of the smaller falls shrink to trickles and the rock face is exposed. Rain can fall in any season, so there is no completely reliable high-water month, but flow tends to be higher in the wetter months.
Extreme events make headlines. Severe floods have at times closed walkways, and droughts, such as the one in the early 2020s, have dramatically reduced the flow. The Iguazú River is also controlled by several hydroelectric dams upstream in Brazil, which influence how much water reaches the falls.
The Atlantic Forest
The falls are surrounded by the Atlantic Forest, a subtropical and tropical forest that once stretched along the coast of Brazil and inland into Paraguay and Argentina. It is famous for its biodiversity, with a very high proportion of species found nowhere else. Tall trees, palms, tree ferns, bamboos, lianas, orchids and bromeliads crowd together, and the spray zone near the falls supports mosses and plants that need constant moisture.
Much of the Atlantic Forest has been cleared for farming, cattle ranching, plantations and cities over the last few centuries. Estimates of how much remains vary, but it is commonly said to be only a small fraction of its original extent, much of it in scattered fragments. The two Iguazú parks, together with neighbouring reserves, protect one of the largest continuous remaining blocks of this forest.
Coatis, toucans and swifts
The animals most visitors meet are coatis, ring-tailed relatives of raccoons with long, mobile snouts. They roam the walkways in groups and have learnt to snatch food, so park staff warn people not to feed them, as their bites and scratches can be serious. Toco toucans, with their huge orange bills, are often seen in the trees, along with parrots, trogons and many other birds. Clouds of colourful butterflies gather on wet ground and on visitors' hands, attracted to minerals and salt.
One of the falls' strangest residents is the great dusky swift. These birds nest and roost on the wet rock behind and beside the falling water, flying straight through the curtains to reach their ledges. In the calmer river above and below the falls, broad-snouted caimans bask on rocks and banks. The forest is also home to tapirs, monkeys, ocelots and jaguars. Jaguars are rare and shy, and conservation projects in Argentina and Brazil are working to protect their population.
Two parks, two World Heritage Sites
Argentina's Iguazú National Park was established in 1934 and Brazil's Iguaçu National Park in 1939. UNESCO inscribed the Argentine park as a World Heritage Site in 1984 and the Brazilian park in 1986, recognising both the exceptional beauty of the falls and the importance of the forest for biodiversity.
The parks face pressures from heavy tourism, roads, poaching, hydroelectric development upstream and the clearing of forest around their edges. Conservationists stress the importance of linking forest fragments so that wide-ranging animals such as jaguars can move between them.
Surprising facts about Iguazú Falls
- Great dusky swifts nest on the wet rock behind the falls and fly straight through the falling water to reach them.
- The border between Argentina and Brazil runs through the Devil's Throat.
- The rock of the falls formed in a lava flood linked to the opening of the South Atlantic Ocean.
- The number of separate falls changes with the water level, which is why a single exact count is hard to give.
- Butterflies at Iguazú often land on visitors to drink salt from their skin.
- Coatis at the falls are bold enough to steal food, and park staff warn visitors not to feed them.
Frequently asked questions
- Where are Iguazú Falls?
- On the Iguazú River at the border of Argentina and Brazil, close to where it joins the Paraná River and near the border with Paraguay.
- How many waterfalls are at Iguazú?
- The figure most often quoted is around 275, spread along about 2.7 kilometres, but the number changes with the amount of water in the river.
- Which side is better, Argentina or Brazil?
- Most of the falls are on the Argentine side, where trails let you walk above and below them and reach the Devil's Throat. The Brazilian side gives wide panoramic views. Many visitors see both.
- What animals live at Iguazú?
- Coatis, toucans, parrots, great dusky swifts, butterflies and caimans are commonly seen. The forest is also home to rarer animals such as tapirs, ocelots and jaguars.
- Can I explore Iguazú Falls in the app?
- Yes. You can stand at a viewpoint modelled on Iguazú and explore the falls, spray, basalt ledges and surrounding forest in interactive 3D.
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The landscapes in Ember’s Universe are procedural 3D scenes modelled on real places. The landforms, plants and light follow the real thing, but the details are generated, not mapped.