A British travel expert has shared the location of what she believes to be the most beautiful place on Earth, advising others of five things to know before planning a visit to the breathtaking scenery
A travel expert has described Iguazu Falls as the ‘most beautiful place on earth’(Image: Vitor Marigo/Aurora Photos via Getty Images)
Following her visit to what she hailed as the “most beautiful place on Earth”, a travel expert has compiled a list of five essential pointers for anyone wanting to experience this breathtaking destination themselves. Emma Ansley Knight turned to TikTok after returning from the Brazil-Argentina border in South America, describing her journey as “such a bucket list moment”.
“Literally felt a tear come down my face when I stood over the Devil’s Throat waterfall for the first time,” she added. “Just amazing how powerful nature can be.” She went on to explain that the Brazilian side of her destination offers roughly a 1.5km walk with “beautiful panoramic views” of the cascades, which she suggests tackling first.
“Someone said that from the Brazilian side you can see the falls, and from the Argentinian side you can feel the falls, which I thought was a great way of describing it,” Emma said. The Argentinian side is quite different, however, featuring multiple walking routes and providing more of a “full day experience”, she added.
Her destination? Iguazu Falls. Also referred to as Iguaçu Falls, it sits on the Iguazu River and forms part of the world’s largest waterfall network.
“If you want to see the falls at their absolute fullest, you are best off going in the rainy season, which is roughly between November and March,” Emma advised.
“We went in December and just before that it had rained so much that the flow of the falls was five times higher than usual.”
She went on to describe the Devil’s Throat, the most impressive cascade at Iguazu Falls. “You can see the water thundering down it from the Brazilian side,” she said.
“And on the Argentinian side, you can head along a walkway and stand pretty much right at the top of it – and wow, what an experience that was.”
Regarding accommodation options, Emma outlined several choices. “On the Brazil side, you have Foz do Iguaçu, which is where we stayed. And on the Argentina side there’s Puerto Iguazu – and if your budget allows, you can even stay in the National Park itself.”
Emma concluded by reminding visitors that crossing from one side of the falls to the other requires passing through border control, meaning you must make sure you have your passport with you.
Iguazu National Park achieved UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 1986 due to its exceptional natural splendour. Its website advises: “The semicircular waterfall at the heart of this site is some 80m high and 2,700m in diameter and is situated on a basaltic line spanning the border between Argentina and Brazil.
“Made up of many cascades producing vast sprays of water, it is one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world. The surrounding subtropical rainforest has over 2,000 species of vascular plants and is home to the typical wildlife of the region: tapirs, giant anteaters, howler monkeys, ocelots, jaguars and caymans.”
To get to the destination from Brazil, you can catch a flight from either Sao Paulo or Rio de Janeiro to the local airport, Aeropuerto Internacional de Foz do Iguaçu. The journey from Rio takes roughly two hours, while flights from Sao Paulo shave off about 15 minutes.
Alternatively, if you’re travelling from Buenos Aires in Argentina, you can fly directly to the Aeropuerto Internacional de Puerto Iguazu. This flight is slightly quicker, clocking in at around one hour and 50 minutes.
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