THE LEGEND OF THE IGUASSU FALLS

It is said that many years ago, there was a big and monstrous serpent which lived in the Iguazú river and its name was Boi.

Once per year, the guaranies had to sacrifice a beautiful maid as an offer to Boi, by throwing her to the river.

All the tribes, including the ones which lived far away, were invited for this ceremony.

One year, a young boy whose name was Tarobá, became leader of the tribe. When Tarobá knew the beautiful maid Naipí was the chosen girl for the sacrifice, rebelled to elderly members of the tribe and tried in vain to convince them of not offering her.

In order to save Naipí, he decided to kidnap her the night before the sacrifice. So he put her on a canoe and escaped by the river.

But Boi knew about this; she became furious and her anger was so deep that she vent over her back, split the river forming the falls  catching Naipí and Tarobá.

Boi turned Tarobá into trees, that we can observe from the upper circuit, and the long hair of the beautiful Naipí into the falls.

Then Boi submerged in the Devil's  Throat and from this place she watches Naipí and Tarobá never come together again….however, on sunny days the rainbow surpasses Boi's  power and join them…….

NATURAL WORLD HERITAGE SITE (UNESCO-1984)

 The Iguazú Falls were discovered in 1541 by the Spanish pioneer Alvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca.

 The outstanding landscape beauty of the Iguazú Falls, the diverse and abundant fauna as well as flora, have turned this place in one of the world most important and wonderful tourist destinations.

 The name Iguazú Falls ( saltos do Iguaçu in Portuguese) derives from a guarani word which means big water.

 The Iguazú river which starts in the Brazilian state of Paraná, forms near its confluence with the Paraná river an immense falls system at the border of Brazil and Argentina.
This system is constituted by 270 falls originated by the existence of numerous small islands which divide the main stream of the river.

The falls are 82m. high and 4 km wide. These dimensions, together with the water density during the rainy season, turn them into the world most important and spectacular falls. Its width surpasses four times the Niagara falls in North America.

The region formed by:
Puerto Iguazú ( Argentina)
Foz do Iguaçu (Brazil) and 
Ciudad del Este (Paraguay) 

has been denominated:

International Iguassu Tourist Pole by the MERCOSUR.

In order to preserve the sub-tropical jungle which surrounds the falls, two national parks were created.

The Iguazú National Park in Argentina 
and 
The Iguaçu National Park in Brazil.