The Cataratas del Iguazu were discovered in 1541, their name come from the guaraní language “Y- Guazu”, synonym of “Big Waters”, nowadays are part of what today the Unesco considers Natural World Heritage.

The falls are the result of the confluence of Iguassu river and the Parana river where many islands divide the running generating in that way more than 270 water falls of up to 82 mts. of height and 4 mts. wide.

Apart of this majestic when talking about the incredible dimensions, this zone is also characterized by the orange and reddish colors of the “lateritica” ground. This particular name is because of the presence of the mineral “laterita” in its constitution.

The word “laterita” has its root in “later” that means “brick” and according to the scientific explanation is composed by aluminum, silica and mainly iron oxide.

In clime of subtropical character, this element tends to “rust” itself, having as a result as it can be seen a similar color like bricks color.

The Iguassu falls are shared by Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, by the zone that was named as Triple frontier. In this way, it is possible to get to them from the city of Iguazu Port (Argentina) from Foz do Iguaçu (Brazil) or form Ciudad del Este (Paraguay).

The Iguassu river is the reason of its name; a river almost with own life from its beginning in the zone of Sierra do Mar on the south of Brazil up to when it becomes part of the falls, measures nearly one thousand three hundred kilometers of running.

The Iguassu falls itself, could be described as a group of two hundred and seventy five falls that make a fantastic semi circle of three kilometers of diameter. The Iguassu river ends on the Parana river, this happens nearly at twenty three kilometers from the falls.

But it is not enough to know these geographical details to imagine the beauty and majestic, it is mainly the imagination the one that is in charge of the rest, and even more when we are talking about the sound of each fall or the rainbow that the water vapor constantly creates.

Each waterfall has its own magician and attraction, but it is worth saying that the most well known are: Dos Hermanas, Adán y Eva, Rivadavia, Bosseti and Tres Mosqueteros.

Anyway the most important is Union which is the most famous and spectacular of all the waterfalls: the Garganta del Diablo. This one besides, represents the division of the Brazilian lands and Argentinean lands.

From a structural point of view, all the zone of the Iguassu Waterfalls is related to the Brazilian massif.

According to what specialists of this phenomenon have studied, from a geological perspective, it is possible to affirm that one hundred thousand years ago this enormous rocks where, where today is the Triple frontier.

The most certain explanation says that the zone has suffered many movements of the earth crust in both ascendant and descendant ways, apart of many fractures that happened due to them.

In this way and taking into consideration the changing hardness of the rocks that are part of the waterfalls, the water could mold a very particular landscape. With its great force, the water has been wearing out up to crumble enormous pieces of rocks that finally deposit at the bottom resulting in a backward movement.

In the 1541 this majestic gift of the nature was discovered by the conqueror and gubernator, Alvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca, one of members of the considered as “the advanced”.

The history of the discovery started when this Spanish conqueror was elected as the new gubernator of Paraguay, when he decided to start the trip to Asuncion form Santa Catalina of Brazil.

Since then and proud of discovering them, he decided to baptize as “Saltos de Santa Maria”, reminding of the virgin who was the Protector of his expedition.

Unfortunately for him and his partners this name was not used and the waterfalls where called by its original guaraní name “Y Guazú”, it means “Big Water”.

The amazing National Iguassu park is on the northwest zone of the Argentinean province of Misiones, its limits are the frontiers of Paraguay and Brazil.

Due to its vary and exuberant vegetation and fauna that characterizes it, in the park they have strategically designed many circuit to enjoy the typical attributes of this natural marvelous.

• Centre of interpretation “Ybirá Reta” (25 minutes”
• Inferior circuit (2 hours)
• Superior circuit (1:30 hours)
• Garganta del Diablo circuit (2 hours)
• San Martín circuit (2 hours)
• Green path (20 minutes)
• Macuco path (3 hours)
• Comercial centre of handmade crafts and exposition (30 minutes)

Here we can show the time that corresponds to different tours and transfer in the Ecological Train of the Forest:

• Central Station - Cataratas Station: 10 minutes.
• Central Station – Garganta del Diablo Station: 20 minutes.
• Add to this time 10 minutes to ascend and descend.