← Foz do Iguaçu Marathon·Day trip

The Brazilian Falls: One Slow Day in the National Park

A timed visit to the Brazilian falls on the day after the race, with an internal bus, a short walk at a slow pace and a seated lunch.

DurationDay trip
TransitPark bus or taxi along BR-469; city bus 120 is a normal option outside race diversions
DepartsFoz do Iguaçu hotel

After the Foz do Iguaçu Marathon: The Brazilian Falls

The Route: Foz do Iguaçu hotel → Parque Nacional do Iguaçu → Foz do Iguaçu hotel Logistics: Park entry on BR-469 at km 18, with timed tickets and an internal bus included. City bus 120 serves the airport and the park in normal times, and taxis run the same road. A race bib is not a park ticket. Marathon Month: September Duration: Day trip

Foz do Iguaçu hotel ──(bus 120 or taxi, BR-469)──> Park entrance
        ▲                                               │
        │                                     internal bus (about 12 km)
        │                                               ▼
        └────────────────────────────────── Falls trail, Porto Canoas

The Foz do Iguaçu Marathon finishes inside the Iguaçu National Park, close to the falls, on a Sunday in September. You will have seen the park from a finisher's angle and little else, and the day after is the time to return as a visitor. The trail is short, the bus does the distance and the legs can set the pace.

September in Foz do Iguaçu: A weather provider's September averages give a daily low of 17°C, a daily high of 26°C and 158 mm of rain, without naming a station or period. Spring weather here changes quickly, so carry a light waterproof and shoes with grip, since the walkways near the water are wet.

The Park

The park normally opens at 09:00 on weekdays and 08:30 at weekends, with last entries in the afternoon and timed admission. Check the day's slot before you travel. The internal bus covers about 12 km of the road inside the park, and the operator's pages describe the falls walk as roughly 1 to 1.5 km. The figures differ between pages, so treat it as a short walk with steps. Lifts are included.

Take the walk in stages, with a bench between each viewpoint. The bus and the lifts mean you do not need to climb, but the steps down to the viewing platforms will find any quadriceps that ran 42 km a day earlier.

Lunch and Extras

Canoas Mirim, in the Espaço Porto Canoas at the end of the falls trail, is open daily from 12:00 to 16:00 with a Brazilian buffet. Park admission is required. The older Cocar restaurant at the Visitor Centre is temporarily closed for works.

The Parque das Aves, at Rodovia das Cataratas km 17.1, is a separate paid attraction outside the falls park. It opens daily from 08:30 to 16:30, and municipal tourism puts a visit at about two hours of forest walking. Do not stack it on the same day as the falls. Itaipu Panorâmica, at Avenida Tancredo Neves 6702, is a lower-effort alternative: a bus-led tour of about 1 hour 10 minutes with security screening. Confirm the first departure, as the operator and the municipality give slightly different start times. The spillway opens only when the reservoir has surplus water.

Getting Home

Return to your hotel by the same road. For a flight, Foz do Iguaçu airport (IGU) in Brazil is the airport, not Iguazú airport (IGR) in Argentina. Bus 120 and taxis serve it. Leave a margin of several hours before an international flight.