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Any memories of Niagara pale when you first lay eyes on Iguaçu Falls, thanks to both its immense size (275 separate cascades in a shepherd's-crook formation 1.7 miles long) and to its astounding accessibility. Not only can you stand mere feet above the lip of the falls, clenching the handrail as the water plunges beneath you, but if you plan it right, you can do this with not another soul in sight.
It's worth visiting both sides of the border so you can see the falls from a panoramic viewpoint on the Brazilian side and up close on the Argentine side (the Brazilian visa costs $130, and you should get yours before you leave home, since none are available in situ). You'll need at least two days at the fallsan easy excursion (about an hour and 45 minutes by air) from Buenos Aires, São Paulo, or Rio de Janeiro.
After deploying a wide-angle lens on the falls in Brazil's Iguaçu National Park, the more adventurous can rappel 180 feet down the face of a cliff in full view of the cascades (55-45-3521-4400). Campo de Desafios has a rope challenge course that is fun but view-less (55-45-3529-6040; rope challenge, $28). Argentina's Parque Nacional de Iguazú has a broader network of walkways and catwalks, allowing you to see the falls from lip to thunderous base. The most dramatic views are from the platform above the horseshoe-shaped Devil's Throat, where water plunges 270 feet, creating a massive cloud of mist and vapor. Keep an eye out for the swifts that nest in the rock walls behind the cataracts (54-3757-491469). From the bottom of the Lower Circuit trail, you can board an Iguazú Jungle inflatable raft that brings you directly under the water for one of the highest-pressure, most exhilarating showers of your life (54-3757-421696; raft trip, $53).
Prices quoted are for June 2010.
LODGING Two hotels were included in Condé Nast Traveler's current Hot List (May 2010). The Hotel Das Cataratas, which opened in 1958 but was recently renovated by Orient-Express, is within the Brazilian national park, and guests have the run of the place once the gates close. A three-quarter-mile trail starts across the street from the hotel and ends on a catwalk above rushing water. The pink colonial palace has 193 elegant (if small) rooms, a pool, tennis, and two restaurants (55-45-2102-7000; doubles, $525-$590). On the Argentine side, Loi Suites Iguazú Hotel, in Puerto Iguazú, has 120 spacious, handsome rooms in five stone-clad buildings (54-3757-490-300; doubles, $215-$255).
A longtime standard, the Sheraton Iguazú Resort, within the Argentine national park, affords superb access to the falls, though only during park hours and at a greater cost to comfort: The 180 rooms are drab and dated, and the food and service get lower marks (54-3757-491800; doubles, $260-$420). A better choice is the 108-suite Iguazú Grand Hotel, 20 minutes away in Puerto Iguazú. It's less refined than the Cataratas, on the Brazilian side, but livelier, attracting affluent families from Buenos Aires with its casino, multilevel pool, and spa (54-3757-498050; doubles, $250-$1,250).
DINING Brazilian Iguaçu is not a standout dining destination; your best bet will likely be your hotel's parrilla, where a variety of grilled meats are served alongside a buffet of hot and cold dishes. If you venture to Argentine Puerto Iguazú, Aqva is a good place to sample local river fish such as surubí and pacú (Av. Córdoba y Carlos Thays; 54-3757-422064; entrées, $13-$15), and El Quincho del Tío Querido is a popular parrilla with live music (110 Bompland; 54-3757-420151; entrées, $15-$20).