IGUASSU
FALLS
General
Info
TELEPHONE
AREA CODE:
045/
CLIMATE: Most of the year
the weather is hot and humid in the region. Temperatures
may reach 30oC and over in any month of the year. In
June and July (winter) it can be very cold, temperatures
can drop to 5oC but keep on the average to 20oC.
CLOTHING: In such weather,
clothes must be light, comfortable and easy to wash.
Don't forget swimming suits, as there will be opportunities
to get a golden tropical tan (even if you cannot swim).
In winter be sure to take a warm sweater.
ELECTRICITY:110 V
AIRPORT
Rodovia das Cataratas, Km 16
Tel: 574-1744 (General information)
DISTANCES FROM FOZ DE IGUASSU
( DOWNTOWN )
Airport - 15Km.
Ciudad Del Este (Paraguay) - 7Km.
Ecomuseum - 11Km.
Friendship Bridge - 6Km.
Furnas-Hydroeletric Energy Company - 14Km.
Itaipu Dam - 12Km.
National Park (Brazilian) - 19Km.
Puerto Iguassu - 10Km.
Macuco Safari - 23Km.
Tancredo Neves Bridge - 8Km.
The Falls (Argentinian Side) - 29Km.
The Falls (Brazilian Side) - 28Km.
Three Frontiers landmark - 6Km.
Wanda Mines - 45Km.
TAXIS
Foz de Iguassu is a spread-out town. Some hotels are
quite far from the center and distances between points
of interest can be considerable. Taxis are available
in the town centre or outside hotels. Arrangements should
be made previously if you wish to use taxis outside
the centre.
History
The
biggest tourist attraction in the South of Brazil, the
Iguassu Falls were discovered in 1542 by the Spaniard
Alvaro Nunes.
The first settlers in Parana came early in the sixteenth
century, when various expeditions entered the region
in search of hardwoods. In the seventeenth century,
Portuguese settlers from Sao Paulo occupied the region
in search of gold and forced the indians to work on
the plantations. The search for minerals was, however,
relegated to second place by the settlers, who migrated
in greater numbers to the territory of Minas Gerais.
Until the eighteenth century Curitiba and Paranagua
were the only two towns in this region. This process
delayed considerably any large scale occupation of the
area, which was formed until the middle nineteenth century
by part of the Province of Sao Paulo. Its economy at
that time was mainly based on cattle raising. In 1853,
with the autonomy of the State, an official programme
was created to encourage European immigration. The european
immigrants that went to that area were mainly from Poland,
Germany and Italy.
The 'Contestado' War - Between the years of 1912 and
1916, about 50.000 people were involved on a peasant
rebellion that took place in the borders of the States
of Parana and Santa Catarina.. The establishment in
the area of two american companies for the construction
of railroads and for exploitation of timber was the
cause for the conflict. Those companies brought new
labour force to work for them and consequently began
to expell local workers. This generated a movement of
religious fanatism, led by local "saints". The most
famous of them was Jose Maria, who attracted a group
of followers expelled from their lands.
The
City
Foz
do Iguassu - One of the most important tourist sights
in Brazil, the Cataracts of Iguassu are formed by 275
separate waterfallls, ranging in height from 40 metres
to more than 100 metres, in the shape of a horseshoe
measuring 950 metres on the frontier with Argentina.
The falls are within Iguassu National Park, which was
established in 1939 and was listed by UNESCO as a Natural
Heritage of Humanity in 1986. Of the total area of the
Park, 185,000 hectares are on the Brazilian side and
55,000 hectares in Argentina. The subtropical forests
of the Park shelter around 1,100 species of birds, as
well as various kinds of mammals, such as deer, capibara
etc.
The town of Foz do Iguassu is situated on the frontier
of Brazil with Paraguay and Argentina at an altitude
of 164 metres above sea level. At the junction of the
Iguassu and Parana rivers and the entrance to Porto
Meira, nine kilometres from the centre of the town,
is the point where the frontiers of Brazil, Argentina
and Paraguay meet. Within the municipal area of Foz
do Iguassu there is also the Itaipu Binational Dam.
Its construction has resulted in the formation of a
lake 1,300 kilometres in circumference and of great
touristic potential. The Dam and Power Station were
started in 1975, finished in 1991, and have the capacity
to generate some 12,6 million KW of energy.
From being just a small town only a decade ago, Foz
de Iguassu has developed into an important centre. The
transformation has come about largely as a result of
tourism - thanks to the Iguassu Falls.
