Natural Heritage of Mankind

Whoever thinks that the only things at the Iguassu National Park are the Waterfalls is mistaken. Actually, the edge of the Park just happens to have the most famous falls in the world.

The course of the Iguassu River is protected well before the waterfalls, which springs from the Serra do Mar mountain range and crosses almost the entire state of Paraná before arriving at its mouth. The last 50 kilometers of the Iguassu river are within the park.

Recognized by Unesco as natural heritage of mankind in 1986, the second oldest national park in Brazil and the largest outside of the Amazon covers an area of 185,000 hectares on the Brazilian side and 67,000 hectares on the Argentine side. The park's environmental services and the beauty of its landscape comprise a single and borderless refuge.

It is not by chance that the park is considered as one of the last reserves of seasonal semidecidual type of the Atlantic Rain Forest in Brazil and the largest subtropical rainforest reserve on Earth.

According to official statistics, the state of Paraná only retains 3.4% of its original seasonal semidecidual forest . Over half of this total is contained within the Park itself, making it a veritable forested island in a sea of extensive cultivated fields. Moreover, underneath the park lies the Guarani Aquifer, one of the largest underground water reserves in the world.

In terms of biodiversity, the Park is home to some 257 species of butterflies, 18 species of fish, 12 species of amphibians, 41 snake species, 8 species of lizards, 340 species of fowl and 45 of mammals, and has attracted the attention of many researchers who have produced relevant scientific studies based on wildlife from the area.

Iguassu National Park is home to many rare species of fauna and flora. These include thousands of animals, many of them endangered, such as the jaguar and broad-snouted caiman, and a number of very rare bird species, such as the b lack-fronted piping guan , the harpy eagle and the v inaceous-breasted parrot.

The flora is also quite diversified. Some species reach heights of up to 30 meters, such as pacara earpod tree, cedar, amberwood and the ipês, in addition to delicate orchids and bromeliads.

Na example of peaceful coexistence between environmental preservation and tourist attraction, this fantastic ecosystem was once the natural habitat of the Caigangue and Tupi Guarani indigenous groups.

The indians called the Iguassu region, “big water” (in Guarani, I=water and guaçu=big). Spanish expeditions, commanded by Don Alvar Nunes Cabeza de Vaca passed through the area on their way to the Prata Basin in 1542. Later, Spanish and Jesuit missions were founded in the area around the 17th Century.

The area was declared public domain in July 1916 by the then-governor of the state of Paraná, Affonso Alves de Camargo. Foz do Iguassu was the starting point for the famous Prestes/Izidoro Dias Column that set out from there in 1927 on a 45,000 kilometer march inside Brazilian territory to fight against the regional oligarchies that supported the central government of president Washington Luiz.

It became a National Park on January 10, 1939, by federal decree no. 1.035, signed by then-president Getúlio Vargas. In 1986, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Unesco, recognized the area as "Natural Heritage of Mankind".

Despite the title conferred by Unesco, the park still suffers impacts from human activities. The major action is the Estrada do Colono, a highway that cuts through the reserve for a stretch of 18 kilometers.

This road was only closed in 1997, after a long legal battle with municipal and state governments. The highway shortens the distance to Argentina by almost 200 kilometers and therefore benefits the economy of Capanema, a nearby municipality on the border.

This caused the title of natural heritage of mankind, conferred by Unesco, to be placed in jeopardy. With this challenge overcome, Ibama now has plans to allow tourist visits to the rest of the Iguassu National Park.

Iguassu Falls National Park

Business Hours: during Summer, Mondays, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., and Tuesdays through Sundays, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Winter, Mondays, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and Tuesdays through Sundays, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Information and reservations: +55(45) 521-4400