With such spectacular outdoor scenery, Iguazu Falls is a mecca for nature lovers and adventure-sport enthusiasts. The national park is cut by a web of hiking and cycling trails (many of which are sealed) that bring visitors through dense tracts of Atlantic forest and within sight of the majestic falls. Helicopter tours, jungle safaris, white-water rafting and rock climbing are all offer by local travel agencies. A trip to the Guarani Woods Zoo is especially fun for children.

Golf
Golfers will not be disappointed while visiting Iguazu Falls. The Bourbon Iguazu Resort hosts an 18-hole course flanked by an array of timeshares and hotels. This is one of Brazil’s most important golf courses, regularly featured on the nation’s professional circuit. 
Phone: +55 45 3529 0123

Guarani Woods Zoo
This zoological park is found at Rua Taroba, outside the national park. A total of 20 animal enclosures are strung throughout an expansive natural habitat that incorporates three lakes and stands of indigenous trees. Nearly 50 species are found here, totalling nearly 700 animals. Children enjoy watching the New World monkeys, tropical birds and wildcats, among many other animals.

Helicopter Tours
After a holiday of walking, four-wheel driving and rafting, there’s no better way to tie the scenery together than with an aerial view of the park. Helicopter rides take tourists over the falls where they can truly appreciate the dimensions of this natural marvel. Tours also cover the impressive hydroelectric plant at Itaipu.

Iguazu Canyon
Local touring companies lead high-octane rafting tours down the Iguazu River. Tours of Iguazu Canyon cover a few kilometres of the river, half of which is over class III rapids (appropriate for older children). The other half covers gentler waters where visitors can enjoy scenic views of the canyon and even pause for a swim in the river. Rappelling and a unique tree-climbing activity are also sponsored in the canyon. 
Phone: +55 45 529 6040

Macuco Safari
One of the most popular activities at the falls, the Macuco Safari begins by propelling tourists through a scenic, three-kilometre tract of jungle on board electric, open-air carriages. Along the way, visitors enjoy detailed explanations of the flora and fauna. Next, a short hike leads to the Macuco Waterfall (dropping 20 metres) for swimming and sightseeing. From here, visitors board inflatable motorboats or kayaks and ride through the spout of another small waterfall. 
Phone: +55 45 523 6475.

Poco Preto Trail
The Poco Preto Trail covers nearly 10 kilometres of the national park. English-speaking guides lead half-day walking and mountain-biking tours along the trail, pointing out natural features as well as notable plant and animal species along the way. The trail terminates at the Taquara Island access point, where visitors can board speedboats or kayaks to Canoas Port.

With so much natural beauty on hand, tourists often overlook the unique cultural tides at work in the region. Foz do Iguacu, gateway city to the falls, is part of triple-frontier border with Paraguay and Argentina. This multicultural city is also home to the largest mosque outside the Middle East. A daytrip to the city of Guaira (225 kilometres) reveals Spanish and Portuguese architecture from the colonial period, with several notable museums here as well.

Church of Nuestro Senor del Perdon
Before the advent of the Itaipu hydroelectric plant, a series of seven waterfalls were located outside of Guaira. Stones quarried from these falls were used to build the Spanish chapel that still stands in Guaira. This historic church’s finest feature is its intricate stained-glass depictions of Jesuit priests performing rites over Tupi Indians.

Guaira Museum
Though similar to the museum found in the Iguazu Falls visitors’ centre, this museum in Guaira is more extensive. Art and artefacts from the indigenous cultures is on display along with stuffed wild game from the region. The highlight here is a collection of colonial artefacts left behind by Spanish conquistadors and Portuguese explorers.

Omar Ibn Al-Khattab Mosque
Foz do Iguacu is home to the largest mosque outside of the Middle East. The local community of Arab-Brazilians numbers 30,000 and is attributed to families that fled the Lebanese civil war of the 1970s. Calls to prayer emanate from this brilliant white mosque five times daily. Since the mosque is a lively and active place of worship, it maintains distance from the tourism brigade. Even so, it remains an iconic landmark and tribute to Brazil’s modern multiculturalism.

Porto Canoas
One of the main observation decks in the national park, Porto Canoas’ orientation makes it the perfect place to enjoy the sunset. A full line of facilities are available here, highlighted by a performance stage. Regularly scheduled cultural programmes and folk art exhibitions are held here. Porto Canoas is the last stop along the park’s transportation network.

Triple Frontier
Foz do Iguacu is Brazil’s contribution to the tri-country area shared with Argentina and Paraguay. The strong multicultural environment cultivated here has attracted thriving immigrant populations from Asia and the Middle East. The boundary area is bisected by the Parana and Iguazu rivers, and each country has erected an obelisk displaying the nation’s colours. From the obelisk in Foz do Iguacu, visitors can clearly see those in the other two countries.

Visitor Centre and Museum
Housed in a mansion built in the 1940s, the national park’s visitors’ centre is relatively close to the Iguazu River. A museum is found onsite with a variety of exhibits related to the region’s natural and ethnographic history. Samples of local minerals and plant species are displayed alongside stuffed animals from the area. Art, funeral urns and everyday implements left behind by the Tupi-Guarani Indians are also on display. 
Phone: +55 45 3521 4400

Dining infrastructure around Iguazu Falls is a little decentralised, with international restaurants found in conjunction with park lodges as well as in Foz do Iguacu hotels. Many of the main observation platforms have small restaurants serving snacks, drinks and light lunches. Reasonably priced buffets such as the one found at the Porto Canoas station are popular with Brazilian and Argentinean tourists.

The dining infrastructure is more concentrated in the city of Foz do Iguacu. Steak and seafood restaurants along the banks of the Parana River are prevalent here. While most establishments cater to international tastes, it is still possible to find local specialties such as piranha soup (calderao) and fish grilled in banana leaves according to traditional methods.

There are a variety of options for shoppers around Iguazu Falls. Souvenirs of the falls are popular and encompass everything from trinkets and T-shirts to paintings and sculptures. There are several gift shops and merchants operating within the national park though many of the same goods can be found in the main shopping district of Fos do Iguacu at better prices.

The Triple Frontier area hosts a bustling commercial district with an astonishing array of legitimate merchandise and forged name-brand apparel crossing borders (often illegally). When Brazilians are in the mood to shop, they cross the Friendship Bridge into Paraguay for bargains on electronics, leatherwork, clothing and accessories.