The majestic cascade that put the Niagara to shame: the Iguazú Falls
The massive waterfall that you find on the border of the Brazilian state of Parana and Argentine Misiones province is the Iguazú, which directly translated means “great waters” in the TupiGuarani language of the local aboriginal people.
Legend
The legend of the falls was first told by these Guarani Indians, who believed in a god named M’boi, a giant serpent living in the river. It was thought that to keep the river god satisfied, beautiful virgins had to be sacrificed each year. Naipi was not one of the condemned girls who were bred to be sacrificed. It is said that a few days before her marriage to her lover Tarobá, M’boi saw a glimpse of her reflection in the water as she walked near the river and was so impressed by her beauty, he decided that he simply must have her as a sacrifice. He demanded that the Guarani tribe let him have her, and the terrified elders of the tribe made preparations to sacrifice Naipi to M’boi. Tarobá was furious, and hoping to rescue his love from her grim fate, he made arrangements to meet at the Iguazú River and runaway. M’boi unfortunately saw them climbing into the canoe, and chased after them. Tarobá rowed as hard as he could and managed to maintain a few feet of space in front of their pursuer. The river god was so angry that he expanded to the size of the river and his slithering and squirming caused the river to form new curves, rocking the canoe back and forth. Enraged, M’boi caused the earth to split and the canoe went in spirals as the water spilled over the cracked earth. It is said that M’boi cursed Tarobá, turning him into a rock constantly hit by the immense force of the water, and Naipi became a palm tree overlooking the falls. This way they were cursed to always yearn for each other but were separated by a massive waterfall. But a rainbow connects the rock in Argentina with the palm tree on the Brazilian side of the waterfall.
Scientific formation
The legend of the formation of the Iguazú Falls featuring the deities of the Guarani people is just as violent as what actually happened. 100 million years ago huge volcanic and seismic mechanisms took place, resulting in several huge lava flows that were turned into a rock called basalt. The Iguazú area is made of 3 layers of basalt, at 3 different heights. The seismic movements that followed creat- ed cracks in the earth, that geologists call faults. Enlarged by the erosion of water, Iguazú Falls spreads out a length of 2.7 km and divides the river into upper and lower Iguazú. It is now made of 275 waterfalls.
First European Visitor
Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca was the first European to discover the Iguazu Falls. In 1541, the Spanish explorer who was appointed governor of Rio de la Plata, a colony in South America which comprised parts of Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. He led an expedition through the south of present-day Brazil to Asuncion, the capital of Rio de la Plata, becoming the first European to witness the beauty of the falls. He had first named them Santa Maria Falls, but they took the name of Iguazú a
few years later.
Endowments
Iguazú Falls are among the greatest shows that Nature can offer on our planet. It is the sixth largest waterfall in the world by mean annual flow rate. Of the 275 falls, the most impressive is a U-shaped cataract marking the border between Argentine and Brazil, and nicknamed ‘ The Devil’s Throat’. The Devil’s Throat is U-shaped, 82 metres high, 150 m wide, 700 m long and about half of the river’s flow falls into it. It is the most recognizable and popular section of the falls. It makes the wellknown Niagara Falls look dwarf since Iguazú is more than twice the width, and nearly twice the height of Niagara. Protecting the falls In 1934, the falls got protected in a 67,000 hectare national park, shared between Brazil and Argentina. The two parks were designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1984 and 1987, respectively. The Iguaçu National Park in Brazil and the Iguazu National Park in Argentina are a masterpiece of the conservation of the Atlantic Forest ecosystem and biodiversity. The immediate environment is still largely untouched and this is a major reason of the majesty of these falls. Only light infrastructures like walkways or a small railroad have been built in the immediate proximity of the falls.
When to visit
The falls are spectacular all year round, but there are factors that you may want to consider before planning your visit, like the outside air temperature, the water flow, the access to trails and activities, the influx of visitors and the rain. The weather is typically pleasant year- round. Although the air temperatures do change, the most important factor to consider is the rain. December, January and February (summer months) are especially rainy. That is why it may be better to pack your bags for a visit during the drier months, especially the March- April and August- September periods. Ayeshni Wickramasinghe