Foz do Iguaçu

Currency

Exchange houses in the centre beat the hotels. This is a triple-border town, so reais, pesos and dollars all circulate — but you will be quoted a poor rate for paying in the wrong one. Cards are widely accepted on the Brazilian side.

ATMs & cards

Banco do Brasil, Bradesco and Itaú in the centre. Avoid withdrawing at the border crossings. Take Argentine pesos separately if you plan to do the other side, because the two countries do not share anything financially.

This is a triple-border town where reais, pesos and dollars all circulate, but paying in the wrong one gets you a poor rate. Take Argentine pesos separately if you are doing the other side.

Wherever you are: if the machine offers to charge you in your home currency, decline. That is dynamic currency conversion and the rate is set by the ATM's operator, not your bank.

Safety

The park and the tourist areas are safe and well run. The town centre and the route to the Paraguayan border are a different matter after dark — take a taxi. The coatis in the park will bite for food and carry disease, so do not feed them. Do not swim anywhere near the falls.

Our own assessment, not a sourced index.

Entry & visa

Health & emergencies

Required to enter

• Yellow fever certificate, but only if you are arriving from a country where yellow fever is present

Worth having

• Yellow fever — recommended for most of Brazil including the area around Rio
• Hepatitis A
• Typhoid
• Tetanus up to date

Getting treated

Public emergency care (SUS) is free to everyone including foreigners, but is crowded and slow. Private hospitals in Rio and São Paulo are excellent and expect insurance or payment up front.

Dengue, zika and chikungunya are all present and mosquito-borne — repellent matters. Yellow fever vaccination should be given at least 10 days before arrival.

Orientation, not medical advice. Entry rules change and what you need depends on your own history and where you have been — check with a travel clinic or your national health service four to six weeks before you go.

Food tip

Brazilian churrascaria by the kilo is the value meal here. The Arab community in nearby Ciudad del Este means good Middle Eastern food too, which surprises people.

Getting around

• Bus 120 — from the centre to the Brazilian park gate, frequent and cheap
• Park shuttle — the double-decker inside the park that drops you at the walkway
• Cross-border bus — to Puerto Iguazú for the Argentine side; both countries stamp you properly, so bring the right visa
• Taxi or transfer — worth it if you want both sides in two days, which is the sensible pace
• Airport: Foz do Iguaçu (IGU), 15 min from the falls

Must-see

Things to do

• Walk the Brazilian panoramic trail, which is the photograph everyone knows
• Cross to the Argentine side for the walkways over the falls
• Visit Parque das Aves next to the park entrance
• Tour the Itaipu dam, which is genuinely staggering
• Stand at the triple frontier where three countries meet

Nearby day trips

Say a few words

Portuguese (Brazilian)

• HelloOi / Oláoy / o-LA
• PleasePor favorpor fa-VOR
• Thank youObrigado / Obrigadao-bree-GA-doo / -da
• Yes / NoSim / Nãoseeng / nowng
• Excuse meCom licençakong lee-SEN-sa
• How much is it?Quanto custa?KWAN-too KOOS-ta
• The bill, pleaseA conta, por favora KON-ta
• Cheers!Saúde!sa-OO-djee

Softer and more open than European Portuguese, and the de sounds like "dje".

Religion

Catholic and Evangelical

The largest Catholic population in the world, with a fast-growing Evangelical share and Afro-Brazilian traditions such as Candomblé and Umbanda practised alongside.

Do's and don'ts

Do

• Greet with a kiss on each cheek between women, or a woman and a man; a handshake between men
• Expect physical closeness in conversation — standing back reads as cold
• Arrive late to social invitations; on time is genuinely early
• Learn a few words of Portuguese, and never open in Spanish

Don't

• Do not make the OK sign with finger and thumb — it is obscene here
• Do not walk with a phone visible in the street
• Do not wear obvious jewellery or watches on the beach or in the city
• Do not call Brazilians Hispanic or assume they speak Spanish