Tom Lonero
08/23/2021
PHOTOS BY: Angela Erdmann and Thomas Lonero
Eats and Culture
Across the Iguazú/ Iguaçu River from Argentina and the Paraná River from Paraguay, sits the border city of Foz do Iguaçu. With over a quarter million people calling the city home it still has a small town feel. There are no huge skyscrapers ruining the views here. Sure, there are some taller hotels but they don’t overwhelm the skyline. Overall, between the three countries of Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina, the entire region is home to close to 600,000 people with Ciuda del Este in Paraguay being the largest city among the three border cities and Puerto Iguazú being the smallest. That puts Foz do Iguaçu right in the middle and it kind of feels that way. It feels a little like lost potential; like the middle child who wasn’t quite as loved as their other siblings.
With those many people in the region that does mean you can find almost anything you want in the area including good eats, retail shopping and nearly unparalleled natural beauty when you tie it all into the famous falls in the region that millions visit every year.
So why does it feel like lost potential? With stunning vistas and river views, there wasn’t much to do along the river. The main restaurants were mainly along Av. Jorge Schimmelpfeng and, to me, it just didn’t have the feel of a main tourist thoroughfare that you'd want to walk up and down on. So we went off the grid a bit to find the real culture. We looked for some of the real neighborhoods that were up and coming or others that the locals frequent.
PHOTOS BY: Angela Erdmann and Thomas Lonero
Barrios Jardim Princesa Daiana and Jardim California
On a whim, one of drives I had decided on, took us through Barrio Jardim Princesa Daiana. Yes, that same Princess Diana who had apparently visited the Cataracts of Iguaçu Falls in April of 1991. Her signature can still be found in the guest book of the Hotel das Cataratas, in which she stayed. It's interesting how people all over the world were so taken with her... and still are. In this city, that she had only visited for a short time, they renamed an entire barrio in her honor.
Driving though the barrios, I was struck by the authenticity. Nowhere was that more apparent than watching a few kids kick a ball around in an open field. It reminded me when I was younger and could play outside for an entire day with little more than an imagination, a bicycle or a ball.
Barrio Jardim California is right next to princess Diana and is home to Chen Tien Buddhist Temple, one of the largest in South America. We arrived late and the site had unfortunately just closed. It’s normally open until 5 pm and admission is free. We did get a cool pic outside the gates though.
PHOTOS BY: Angela Erdmann and Thomas Lonero
Iguaçu National Park
In April of 1939, while WWII was just about to get started, Brazil created Iguaçu National Park. Today it’s comprised at over 450 thousand acres.
Although most of the falls are actually on the Argentinean side it gives Brazil the distinction of having some really amazing views of the falls from their side of the river.
Because of the crowds of people that flock to the Falls every year, Brazil controls the flow of people to the Falls through busses or private tours. When you enter the park you’ll pay the park entrance fee and then you’ll need to stand in line and wait till your bus to arrive if you didn’t arrange for a private tour like us.
The experience of visiting the Falls is one that will stay with you for a lifetime. If you wish to know more about the Falls, including the history of how Europeans first discovered them, then you can visit my link to separate stories I wrote on them here at Las Tres Fronteras - Puerto Iguazú, Argentina and here Iguazú/Iguaçu National Park.
You can also visit my YouTube video on the Falls trip here: Iguazu - Iguacu (Iguazù - Iguaçu) Falls - Devil's Throat
PHOTOS BY: Angela Erdmann and Thomas Lonero
