Iguazu Falls at the border of Argentina and Brazil
© AirPano LLC/Amazing Aerial Agency
Rainbow waves in 'big water'
Welcome to Iguazu Falls, the largest waterfall system in the world. The name 'Iguazu' has its origins in the regional languages Guarani or Tupi, meaning 'big water.' These epic waterfalls are formed by the Iguazu River, on the border of Argentina's Misiones province and Brazil's Paraná state.
The Iguazu Falls have long attracted admirers. Spanish explorer Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca is thought to have been the first European to see them in 1541. In 1907, businessman Domingo Ayarragaray saw their potential and built a hotel and roads nearby. The falls became such a sensation that they were designated as national parks in both countries—Argentina's Iguazu National Park in 1934 and Brazil's Iguaçu National Park in 1939. UNESCO made the parks World Heritage Sites in 1984 and 1986, respectively. Surrounded by the rainforest, the falls are made up of hundreds of cascades and channels carved over millions of years by the Iguazu River, the tallest of which is the U-shaped Devil's Throat, at 269 feet high.