Escuela de Lenguas UNLP/About Argentina/Tourist Attractions/Misiones (province)

Nature Reserves

Iguazú Falls

Located in the north-east of Argentina, in the province of Misiones, 1299 kilometers away from Buenos Aires, this natural beauty lies on the river Iguazú. The name Iguazu comes from Guaraní and it means “large amount of water”. They have a lot of waterfalls on the Parana River, near Iguazu River, next to Puerto Iguazu. In 1984 they were declared Unesco World Heritage Sites and in 2011 they were chosen as one of the World's Natural Wonders. The park was a private place until 1934 when it was declared a National Heritage Site. The climate in this place is tropical with high temperatures and heavy rainfall. The falls are located in a jungle with a huge variety of tropical flora and fauna. It's a really beautiful place worth visiting!It is frequently visited by tourists from all over the world who get to the park by car or bus from the international airport.

In Iguazú Falls National Park there are two hundred and seventy-five smaller falls. The biggest fall is called “Devil’s Throat” (Garganta del Diablo). These falls are famous for the beautiful landscape, natural sound, autochthonous fauna and vegetation and they offers a pleasant climate and good gastronomy.

There are 3800 meters of walkways in the jungle and 275 waterfalls of approximately 80 meters high to admire and marvel. The most important leaps are San Martín, Albar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca, Las Tres Marías and Garganta del Diablo. You can visit them on foot, by boat or by helicopter. In addition, visitors can go trekking, rafting or boat sailing, take a photo safari, do aventure tourism or bird watching, among other available activities. One of the most beautiful attractions is going on a night walk to see Iguazu Waterfalls and the rainbow produced by the effect of the moonlight. No matter how or when you visit them, you are going to fall in love.

Visiting Iguazú Falls is an unforgettable experience indeed!

Mocona Falls

They are in the Province of Misiones in the Mocona Provincial Park. The falls are about 10 metres high and interrupt the course of the Uruguay River. But they have the particularity of not being transverse to the water course. They are inclined longitudinally. The channel where the falls jump / the water falls? is a great fault line and its depth reaches some points up to 170 metres. These jumps / falls can be seen at the time when the river is low.

Visit the park to discover at every step how the thick vegetation such as abundant tree ferns, bushes, old trees and tacuaras coexist harmoniously. Varieties of birds, mammals, fish and amphibians can be found in this park considered one of the last refuges for wildlife represented by large jungles full of birds and large mammals such as the yaguarete.

General Information and History of the Province

"Guaraníes" and Jesuit Missions

Before the Spanish conquest, the north-east of Argentina was home to really special aboriginal people: the “guaraníes”. The social experience lived in thirty towns was unique and even today it seems to have outlived colonization. Together, the Jesuit community and the “guaraníes” built wonderful temples, made sculptures in stone and wood, grew crops and raised animals. The remains of this splendid age is still visited by lots of people: researchers, students and tourists from all over the world. The shadows of the light of that spiritual era are somehow reflected in anybody who visits that unique place.