Iguassu Falls white water rafting is the final and most exciting adventure any visitor to this awesome place should experience. There's no better way to put hands on the power and greatness of these falls than riding the lower Iguassu River canyon rapids on a speed boat with the roaring waterfalls towering over your head!
My recommendation? Leave this experience to the end of your tour, it will be the perfect "grand finale" of a trip you will not forget in a lifetime.
There are several options for river rafting the Iguassu Falls but the best one by far is the "Great Adventure" provided by Iguazu Jungle Explorer on the Argentine side. You can buy your tickets for this adventure on the spot in the Visitor's Center.
Tips on Photographing this adventure
You can use a regular camera or video to shoot this adventure but be aware that you won't be able to photo the dramatic close-ups' to the giant waterfalls without risking to spoil your equipment with water. The ideal is to bring waterproof equipment for this purpose. There's another option though, a professional cameraman among the boat crew is always shooting a video of your adventure and willing to sell you a copy of his filming which he sends you to your hotel upon request, of course, for a price.
Iguassu Falls White Water Rafting Map
The photo below shows the rafting path (in yellow) you will fallow in this adventure. On the lower right hand the path starts in Puerto Macuco heading for San Martin Island. From there the boat rides to Three Musketeers waterfall and then goes to San Martin Waterfall.
Want to see the video I shot with my regular camera? Just click on the frame below. I can tell you that no photograph or video can match what the real thing feels like!
More or less, the video shows the fallowing. The white water rafting adventure starts in the Argentine side Visitor's Center.
There we climb on an all-terrain truck that transports us through the Yacaraita trail.
As we do an instructor reveals the secrets of the passing by subtropical rainforest.
Mystery and expectation starts to build as we encounter the lush vegetation of the jungle heading for Puerto Macuco located on the lower Iguazu River and where the wet part of the adventure will start.
We need to walk a long stairway down to Puerto Macuco.
In Puerto Macuco we finally reach the floating platform where our speedboat is waiting. We are equipped with life chests and carefully instructed on security matters. Basically the rule is "stay seated!" and put all your personal belongings inside a waterproof bag (provided on the spot) because what's coming is going to get wet!
Those who have a raincoat with them for this adventurers, believe me you will make good use of it! Otherwise by the end of this adventure you will be soaked! You can buy a cheap plastic raincoat like these two wise adventures did on one of the Visitor's Center convenience shops. The raincoat helps keeping you dry on your tops but your pants will get wet either way. Using plastic over pants is the perfect solution but you need to bring that, there's nothing like them available on the local shops.
Our white water rafting adventure begins when the speedboat first drives up the rollercoaster Iguazu River rapids from Puerto Macuco towards San Martin Island. This part of the trip is already exciting but nothing compared with what is to come.
After a short stop in San Martin Island where you already have an impressive view of the towering waterfalls the boat heads leftward at full speed bordering the Island. We are now heading for the Three Musketeers waterfalls which are medium sized but look so staggering big from down here! And the boat gets so close you'll think you will be sinking underneath them. At one point the water spray and mist of these waterfalls actually engulf the boat and everything turns white around you as you hear the roaring sounds of the crashing waters.
After several close-ups to Three Musketeers, completely soaked and with our heartbeat at 120 we speedily return backwards to surround San Martin Island on her right hand. We are heading now to the San Martin Waterfall, the second largest of the whole system that makes Three Musketeers look like almost nothing. There are no words to describe what you live at this point of your trip. The paralyzing close-ups, the speedboat's powerful engines fighting the tremendous current, the rollercoaster movements of the boat, the screams in excitement of your fellow adventurers, the breathtaking views of the towering waters falling right next to you, the mist that covers everything, it all ads up to make this a one in a lifetime experience.