10 Interesting Facts About Iguazu Falls

Iguazu Falls, also Cataratas do Iguaçu in Portuguese and Cataratas Del Iguazú in Spanish are waterfalls that straddle between the Brazilian State of Paraná and Province of Misiones in Argentina along the River Iguazu.

See also: Top 10 Places to See and Do in Brazil

With more than 275 falls, the Iguazu are the most majestic of water falls. The most scenic one is the curved cataract christened the 'devils throat' that has 14 falls that drop to a height of 350 feet.

There is a scenic rainbow formed on the waterfalls caused by the refraction of light against the mist caused by thundering waters.

There is a legend to explain the falls: God wanted to marry Naipí, an Aborigine girl against her wish. She escaped on a canoe with her human lover, Tarobá. Upon realizing this, he got angry and separated the River Iguazu by creating deep falls so that the two will be condemned to an eternal fall.

First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, upon seeing the Iguazu Waterfalls felt pity on the American Waterfalls called the Niagara. She said, "Poor Niagara".

There is a point in the water falls that an observer can stand and get enveloped by about 260 degrees of waterfalls.

The explorer Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca (Spanish) was the first European to see the falls in 1541. One of the falls on the Argentina side is named after him.

Iguazu Falls can be seen in many movies including: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Miami Vice, Mr. Magoo, and many more.

Taller than Niagara Falls and twice as wide, Iguazu Falls are the result of a volcanic eruption which left a large crack in the earth. During the rainy season of November – March, the rate of flow of water going over the falls may reach 450,000 cubic feet (12,750 cubic m) per second.

When translated into English, the word Iguazu roughly means ‘big water’. The Iguazu River forms the boundary between Argentina and Brazil before its confluence with the San Antonio River. Iguazu Falls are waterfalls of this river located on the border of Brazilian state Parana and Argentine province Misiones.