Iguaçu National Park

Few places on earth stop you in your tracks quite like Iguaçu National Park. The sheer scale of the falls themselves — nearly 275 individual cascades stretching almost three kilometres across the Rio Iguaçu — hits differently when you're standing on the catwalks of the Circuito Inferior, spray soaking your clothes within minutes, the roar drowning out every other thought.

This is the Brazilian side's great advantage over its Argentine neighbour: you get the panoramic view, the full theatrical sweep of water and mist rising into a sky perpetually full of swifts and great dusky swifts nesting directly behind the curtain of water.

Beyond the falls, the park protects a dense sweep of Atlantic Forest that rewards anyone willing to slow down. Walk the Poço Preto trail early in the morning and you have a reasonable chance of spotting tapirs near the river margins, coatis raiding picnic areas shamelessly, and troops of black-and-gold howler monkeys bellowing from the canopy.

Jaguars are present but elusive — paw prints in the mud are usually as close as you'll get. Butterflies are another matter entirely; morpho blues and heliconids drift across every clearing in extravagant numbers.

The gateway city is Foz do Iguaçu, around 20 kilometres from the park entrance, with regular shuttle buses running throughout the day. Entry fees apply — around R$100 for foreign visitors at last check — and no separate permit is needed.

The park gets crowded during Brazilian school holidays in July and January, so aim for the shoulder months of April, May, or September for manageable queues and lush green conditions.

Bring a dry bag, a light rain jacket, and river sandals you don't mind getting completely soaked.