Foz do Iguaçu is the city situated furthest to the West in the Brazilian state Paraná. It lies just by the border with Argentina, close to one of the most marvellous wonder of nature – breathtaking waterfalls to Iguaçu.
As early as in 1954, the Spanish discoverer Cabeza de Vaca, rifting down the river, found the waterfalls. He named them Quedas de Santa Maria, but during centuries the Indian name – Quedas del Iguaçu became more common. Until 1897 the area was almost uninhabited, there was only one military colony. In 1914 the settlement was upgraded to a status of the city. Foz do Iguaçu witnessed a huge economic boom in the second half of the 20th century, thanks to the construction of the Bridge of Friendship, opened in 1965 and the tame Itaipu, operational since 1984.
In Foz do Iguaçu live representatives of almost 80 nationalities. The economy is based on tourism, services and trade. The city is pleasant, but the destination of almost all travelers is the biggest attraction of the region, those monumental waterfalls. On the Brazilian side, they are situated in Parque Nacional do Iguaçu, close to the airport. You can go there by cab, straight after the landing, and leave luggage in locked storage on the airport. It is also worth to visit a park of birds, in which apart from colorful parrots, there are also toucans, as well as walk via wooden bridges in the wild nature. Sightseeing of the Argentina part of waterfalls takes the whole day, but is certainly worth it. Breathtaking Garganta do Diabo and fantastic rainbows at the bottom of cascades reward the efforts of the hike. In that spot you have to watch out for coati that can sneak in unseen and take your snacks out of rucksack.
What you definitely have to try in that part of Brazil? Titbits of the region are dourado assado (roasted bream) and pirá de Foz (a fish served with ginger sauce, manioc and rice with spinach). Try also barreado, which is cooked for many hours beef with rice and bananas. For dessert, we recommend bala de banana (banana’s candies) or bala de gengibre (ginger ones). Where to eat in that area? We recommend restaurants Barracão and Empório com Arte.
