When planning a trip to Iguazú Falls you first need to decide where do you want to stay for your home base: Argentina, Brazil or Paraguay. A popular (and expensive) choice is to stay within the parks at one of the hotels on the Brazilian or Argentinian side of the falls. The least advisable choice is to stay at the commercial settlement of Ciudad del Este in Paraguay. Ciudad del Este should probably be avoided since it is the furthest from the falls and is notoriously unsavory and unsafe. Another choice is to stay in the modern Brazilian city of Foz do Iguaçu, which has more than 300,000 residents. We opted to stay on the Argentinian side, in Puerto Iguazú, which I would characterize as a sleepy river town, with about 32,000 residents. For our two nights in the region, we chose the contemporary, pyramid-like Amerian Portal del Iguazú Hotel for our base.
The Ultra-Contemporary Amerian Hotel
Like many buildings in the area, the hotel's construction history is interesting. The hotel began being built in the late 90's/early 00's, and after a year, the contractor ran out of money. After sitting vacant for the better part of seven years, construction began again and within a year, the hotel opened to the public in August 2008.
Interior Atrium of Hotel
The decor of the rooms continue the contemporary chic appeal found in the lobby. Each of the 102 rooms have their own flat screen TV, a modern bathroom, and a balcony with either a jungle view or a river view.
A Typical Room
However, for me, the best part of the hotel was the back of the hotel, with its large pool, lush landscaping, and riverside views.
The Back of the Hotel
The Hotel's Pool
The View from the Hotel's Rooftop
Having a Pisco Sour, Poolside
Things to Do
The Amerian Hotel is located outside of town, just a stone's throw away from Hito Argentino de las Tres Fronteras (the three borders landmark), a vantage point at the most northern extremity of Misiones Province in Argentina.
Where the Rivers Meet
In this photo (above), you can see Argentina (foreground), Brazil (on the right), and Paraguy (in the background). This point is where the Paraná (at left) and Iguazú (at right) rivers meet. Located nearby is a small park, a few trinket stands, and a monument commemorating the three borders landmark.
The Three Borders Landmark
The Three Borders Landmark
Nearby, you will also find a small obelisk painted in the colors of the Argentine flag. If you look across the river to Brazil and Paraguay, you will find a similar monument, each displaying its national colors.
The Argentine Obelisk
The Argentine Obelisk
The Obelisk on the Brazilian Side
The Monument in Paraguay
An Auto Ferry on the River
Dining
Most people who stay in Puerto Iguazú eat just at their hotel. While we had a very good breakfast buffet at the Amerian, we decided to have our evening meals outside of the hotel.
On our first night, we dined at AQVA Restaurant, which is reportedly one of the top restaurants in the area. When we arrived at the restaurant (without reservations) we were told that it would be a 40 minute wait to be seated. The meal was definitely worth the wait. I had the Surubí Tropical, a local river fish, that came with rice and fresh fruits of the region. My dad had the Pacú con Arroz del Bosque, another local river fish. My mom opted for the Pork Tenderloin Stuffed with Dried Fruit accompanied by Anna Potatoes. For dessert, we ate chocolate mousse, passion fruit mousse, and fruit (papaya, figs, pumpkin) that was macerated in a light syrup. The meal concluded with delicious home-made limoncello, on the house. Absolutely scrumptious!
Most people who stay in Puerto Iguazú eat just at their hotel. While we had a very good breakfast buffet at the Amerian, we decided to have our evening meals outside of the hotel.
On our first night, we dined at AQVA Restaurant, which is reportedly one of the top restaurants in the area. When we arrived at the restaurant (without reservations) we were told that it would be a 40 minute wait to be seated. The meal was definitely worth the wait. I had the Surubí Tropical, a local river fish, that came with rice and fresh fruits of the region. My dad had the Pacú con Arroz del Bosque, another local river fish. My mom opted for the Pork Tenderloin Stuffed with Dried Fruit accompanied by Anna Potatoes. For dessert, we ate chocolate mousse, passion fruit mousse, and fruit (papaya, figs, pumpkin) that was macerated in a light syrup. The meal concluded with delicious home-made limoncello, on the house. Absolutely scrumptious!
On our second evening, we walked to the Bocamora Grill and Wine Bar, which was located just below our hotel's pool area. The restaurant, which just opened in September 2009 has a breathtaking view of where the Paraná and Iguazú rivers meet. The restaurant has a typical menu for the area, with meat and river fish, as well as Italian specialties. The food was good, but not like AQVA. As we were tired from touring the Falls all day, it was nice to walk to Bocamora from our hotel.
Bocamora Grill and Wine Bar
On our third day in Iguazú, our flight to Buenos Aires wasn't departing until 3:00pm, so we had plenty of time to lay out in the sun by the hotel's pool. To fly to Buenos Aires, this time we were leaving from the small airport on the Argentinian side. Our two nights in Iguazú were great; it was just the right amount of time to see this spectacular site.
Airport in Iguazú
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