Iguazu (en)

From Friday March 8 to Monday March 18, from San Tome in Argentina to Foz do Iguazu border of Brazil.

On the way to Iguazu Falls

After a short interruption for family reasons, we are back. We ride our bikes again with our sights set on the famous Iguazu Falls. To return to Argentina again we take a long straight line and a bridge closed to bicycles but it is the only solution available to us.
At the border post the customs officers are very interested in our bikes and from then on passing through customs becomes a simple formality. We stop in the first town San Tomé. Fortunately, because a violent storm will flood the streets and force us to find shelter for the night, ultimately we will stay there for two days. Like all border towns, it presents little interest.

A long road of transition

After two days of rest in San Tomé, we head towards Apostòles. The road is very quiet and deserted. We travel on a road surrounded by tropical forest that stretches as far as the eye can see. We end this first day with Angel and his family who welcome us for one night. A well-knit family of 5. Tonight it’s a bit of a party at home because Adriana, her daughter, has just graduated as a doctor. A beautiful evening where we share a meal.

The next three days take us from Cero Azul to Aristóbulo and Puerto Rico. It is very hot and we limit the length of our stages. The landscape has changed and we are surrounded by tea and tobacco fields. In Puerto Rico Alicia and Ricardo welcome us, a truly welcoming couple. They live in a very big house. They want to keep us for several days but unfortunately we have to move forward.

A swimming pool and Nilda

The last two days bring us to Montecarlo and Puerto Esperanza, again with lush forest vegetation and oppressive heat. In Puerto Esperanza we stop at a campsite which rents bungalows. We relax there in the swimming pool and around a good barbecue prepared by Nilda the campsite caretaker who takes pity on us.

Sunday March 17, under tropical rain we reached the tourist town of Iguazú. With this heat, unbelievably, it’s nice to ride in the rain. A very peaceful day to rest.

A magnificent spectacle

Monday we visit the Iguazu Falls on the Argentinian side. The site is in a dense forest but curiously with almost no visible wildlife. The spectacle is impressive. Quantities of water flow every second from the Iguazu and Paraná rivers. The most imposing waterfall, the Devil’s Gorge, is no longer accessible on the Argentinian side. The footbridge which provided access was swept away by the very strong currents of the previous year. Tuesday we discover the falls this time on the Brazilian side. The flow is even greater there and it is impressive because we can get very close thanks to a footbridge. The major drawback is that we are soaked in seconds.

Our route:

During these 11 days we traveled 535km in Argentina. Find our regularly updated map by clicking on this link

Our meetings:

• Angel who invited us to his home to spend an evening with his family.
• Ricardo and his wife who welcomed us into their home. Ricardo is a genecologist in life.
• José a stranger who offered us 10 pesos to eat.
• Carlos, a blue helmet soldier who came to speak French with us.
• Nilda the campsite caretaker who took pity on us.

Did you know: the largest river in Argentina is the Paraná, 4099km.