Iguazu Falls is nestled between the Northeast corner of Argentina and Southwest Brazil.  People often say that a picture is worth a thousand words, but no photo or Photo Essay (even one from yours truly) can do this magical place justice. These waterfalls must be experienced.

Waterfall Views

National Park Iguazu, Argentina has many walkways that take you into an enhanced journey of beautiful waterfall views.  The Argentina side of the falls is much more tourist friendly, providing incredible views and trails for miles.

Get Wet!

You can get yourself very wet on this famous walkway.  They sell ponchos just before the lookout deck.  If the waterfalls are low, you can get close without getting drenched.  It all depends on the season.

Largest Waterfalls in the World

Iguacu or Iguazu Falls are one of the largest waterfalls in the world.  It all depends on how you measure that.  The waterfall system consists of 275 falls along 2.7 kilometers (1.7 mi) of the Iguazu River. Some of the individual falls are up to 82 meters (269 ft) in height, though the majority are about 64 meters (210 ft).

For those who don’t mind getting soaked or pounded by the force of water rushing down from one of the “weaker” waterfalls, there are boat tours that take you up close and personal to the water action.

The Roar of Devil’s Throat Waterfall

The star of the show is “Devil’s Throat” a U-shaped, 82-meter-high, 150-meter-wide and 700-meter-long waterfall. At National Park Iguazu, Argentina you have back stage VIP access. Get your ears ready to hear The Devil scream.

Depending on the time of year you visit the waterfalls, the water level and volume can change dramatically.  We have visited both the Brazil and Argentina side during different seasons and have seen varying results.

2 Backpackers - Iguazu Falls in Pictures 2 Backpackers - Travel around the world sharing budget travel tips, travel photos and adventure travel videos.

Watch More Adventure Travel Videos

Enjoy hiking in the El Salvador jungle, through an HD adventure travel video from 2 Backpackers, Jason and Aracely Castellani, while visiting Juayúa, El Salvador.  In travel video episode #11, we trek through muddy, wet slopes just outside of Juayúa to enjoy lunch, waterfalls and crazy cliff diving. Enjoy the show!

Travel El Salvador

When we decided to begin our journey in Central America, El Salvador was the country we decided to avoid. The decision was not based on any specific reason, we simply preferred a more direct route south and planned to travel from Guatemala to Honduras to Nicaragua and onwards. However, with Honduras’ political instability, which was causing some border issues, we decided to take a detour through El Salvador instead.

Juayúa, El Salvador

Small towns and villages in El Salvador surprised us with their cleanliness, friendly people and active community events. Juayúa was the highlight with its weekend food festival, colorful street buildings and amazing surrounding landscapes and towns. If you enjoy coffee plantations, Juayúa is a great base to visit nearby towns to tour and taste coffee beans.

Hostels in Juayúa

Our style of travel thus far has been extremely spontaneous; we do the research of where we are going the day before we get there. It has worked out well so far. As usual, we consulted our twitter followers and fellow travelers for their suggestions in El Salvador and they brought us to Hotel Anáhuac in Juayúa (don’t worry I still have some trouble pronouncing that myself). Once again, we’ve found a gem in an unexpected place.

Hotel Anáhuac in Juayua, El Salvador

Juayúa is located two and half hours from the west coastal Guatemalan border. It’s a small town in the Routa de las Flores (a compilation of picturesque towns) with much local charm and is most widely known for their weekend food fair. The hotel is perfect: it’s very clean, has a gorgeous open courtyard filled with tropical plants, and the walls of the room display varying local art. Anáhuac also provides walking and adventure tours to neighboring natural attractions, one of them was the 7 Waterfalls, which we eagerly signed up for.

Iglesia Juayúa, El Salvador / Juayua Church

7 Waterfalls Tour

Our guide, Mario, met us at Hotel Anáhuac at eight in the morning. He led us through the empty Spanish streets of town towards its outskirts where we would begin to find our way into the thick forest. Before the hike began we stopped at Mario’s house which was at the foot of our hike. Mario and his family live in a small structure built with metal roofing and wooden logs. His brother and five dogs accompanied us on our trek.

7 Waterfalls Tour in Juayua, El Salvador

Coffee Plantations

As we made our way up the path to 7 Waterfalls Mario explained the different plants and vegetation. During our hike we encountered large El Salvador coffee plantations where we learned about cultivating coffee and how elevation increases a coffee’s grade. Mario told us that most of El Salvador’s high quality coffee is exported elsewhere in the world. Only the lowest grade of coffee stays in the country.
Previous hikes have had at a minimum wooden steps or rock laid into steps to reduce difficulty and risks. On this hike not one single portion of the trail is built up and it’s not well maintained. There are large branches to climb over, thorn filled trees to duck under, rivers to cross, rocks to hop over, and waterfalls to repel down from. The reward was majestic views of nature in its purest form.

Waterfall Nature Pictures

Once we arrived at the top of the mountain there was yet another large wall of waterfalls that fed a pool of fresh water where we swam. This area was popular for the locals to picnic, however we never passed any along our hike. We assume they take a different trek. Unfortunately, there was quite a bit of trash around the swimming area. Mario explained the cultural challenge of changing this problematic behavior. Of course, since Mario benefits from tourism in El Salvador directly, he is able to see the benefit of a cleaner environment. We all enjoyed fresh sandwiches filled with tomatoes, onions, avocado, eggs and salt and pepper. They were probably some of the most refreshing simple subs we have ever had.

Chorros de Calera - 7 Waterfalls Tour in Juayua, El Salvador

Ultimate Adventure Tour

As we ate, the local families were jumping from rocky cliffs into the water. Jason eyed the possibility of jumping from the waterfall. Mario escorted him up to a rock that stood out slightly from the wall. He jumped and softly hit the sand in the bottom of the pool. It was only about 9-10ft deep and the area that was safe to jump in was considerably small. Next, Mario climbed another 2.5 meters up the wall and dove head first into the shallow pool. As he entered the water he curled his body immediately to avoid being paralyzed. It was very impressive.

Stick Insect up Close

Water Channel Tunnels

Along the hike Mario also explained to us that there were tunnels or caves we could explore. Once at the pools we realized they were man made tunnels bored for sending the water to a hydro station. At first I was up for it, but when we got to the opening of the tunnel and I watched Mario go in first, I decided to back out. It was very dark, the water came to his shoulders and there was hardly any head room. I knew Jason wanted to do it; I told him I would wait for them at the opening. After they returned and heard about their adventure, I was jealous.

Mario Taking Our Portrait at the Largest Waterfall in Juayua, El Salvador

Just as we began to pack up for our return, clouds rushed into the valley at our elevation and suddenly we were engulfed in clouds full of mist. The scene of the clouds squeezing into the valley seemed very Jurasic Park. It wasn’t a slow process, the clouds came in fast at five miles per hour. I still carry this scene in my mind. We could hear heavy rain hitting the leaves of all the trees in the valley, but we didn’t see or feel any on us. I can only assume it was raining below. We arrived back at Mario’s home where he changed again into jeans and a clean shirt to walk us back through town to our hostel. You won’t find any locals wearing shorts in the streets of El Salvador. The rain did catch up to us during our walk back through town, but it felt simply refreshing.

A Challenging Hike

Although we’ve already been on a few hikes during this trip, the hike to the 7 Waterfalls in Juayua was still unique due to its primitive trails, abundance of rivers and waterfalls and varying terrain. The trek was not difficult from an endurance perspective, but it was a hike that required a lot of focus and caution. It’s muddy, wet, slippery, itchy and wonderfully adventurous. Juayua is a must see in El Salvador, and the 7 Waterfalls hike is their hidden gem.

Weekend Festival in Juayua, El Salvador

How Can You Help?

When Mario isn’t conducting tours to the Seven Waterfalls he is looking for work doing odd jobs in construction, harvesting and anything else he can find. We kept him busy over the next few days, since we highly recommended the tour to every traveler that wandered into the hostel. We booked the tour through the hostel, but you can book the 7 waterfalls tour by contacting Mario’s family directly, providing his family greater income. If you plan to book directly, then please send an email well in advance (doesn’t have access to a computer daily) to douglas.martinez1203(at)gmail.com. I set up an email account for them and taught them how to access their mail. Mario and his brothers William and Douglas were the kindest of people and we encourage you to enjoy their tours and friendship. They speak Spanish only, so please email in Spanish as well.

2 Backpackers - 7 Waterfalls Tour El Salvador – Travel Video Ep. 11 2 Backpackers - Travel around the world sharing budget travel tips, travel photos and adventure travel videos.

As we sift through over 50 hours of travel backpacking video, we have decided to share some exciting short video clips with you.  These travel videos were shared the week of September 19, 2010 on our Facebook Fan Page.

From northern Argentina, the Salta Region, we film a parrot or parakeet sitting on the fence post of a vineyard.  Near Baños, Ecuador we ride a sketchy cable car over a waterfall gorge.  In Argentina Patagonia we capture a quick glimpse of a glacier calving in front of our tour boat.  Enjoy our backpacking video clips!

Perito Moreno Glacier Calving

Riding Cable Car Across Waterfall Gorge in Banos Ecuador

A Parrot On A Fence in Cafayate

Check out other Travel Video Clips

• Amazing Video Clips Vol 2

2 Backpackers - Amazing Short Video Clips Vol 1 2 Backpackers - Travel around the world sharing budget travel tips, travel photos and adventure travel videos.

The Iguazú National Park is a national park of Argentina, located in the Iguazú Department, in the north of the province of Misiones, Argentine Mesopotamia. It has an area of 550 km2 (212 sq mi). The park was created in 1934 and it contains one of the greatest natural beauties of Argentina, the Iguazu Falls, surrounded by the subtropical jungle. Across the Iguazu River lies its Brazilian counterpart (Iguaçu National Park). Both sites were declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO, in 1984 and 1986. – Wikipedia

Cataratas del Iguazú are waterfalls of the Iguazu River located on the border of the Brazilian state of Paraná and the Argentine province of Misiones. The falls divide the river into the upper and lower Iguazu. The Iguazu River starts at the city of Curitiba and runs for the most part of the course entirely in brazilian territory, and in a little part at the end bordering Brazil and Argentina. – Wikipedia
See photos from the Brazil side.

Iguazú National Park

2 Backpackers - Photo of the Day: Iguazú Waterfalls in Argentina 2 Backpackers - Travel around the world sharing budget travel tips, travel photos and adventure travel videos.

Finca del Paraiso is a small remote park where a hot spring waterfall fills a pool of cold water. You can access the park in Guatemala by taking a 1 hour ride in a collectivo (shuttle bus) from Rio Dulce inland. It’s a wonderful day trip to explore the waterfall and nearby caves.
Watch our HD video!

Finca del Paraiso, Guatemala

2 Backpackers - Photo of the Day: Finca El Paraiso Hot Spring Waterfall 2 Backpackers - Travel around the world sharing budget travel tips, travel photos and adventure travel videos.

Semuc Champey Guatemala from Above

Semuc Champey is a natural monument in the department of Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, near the Q’eqchi’ Maya town of Lanquín. It consists of a natural 300m limestone bridge, under which passes the Cahabòn River. Atop the bridge is a series of stepped, turquoise pools, a popular swimming attraction. Although it can be difficult to get to, Semuc is becoming more and more popular with travelers. – Wikipedia

2 Backpackers - Photo of the Day: Semuc Champey 2 Backpackers - Travel around the world sharing budget travel tips, travel photos and adventure travel videos.

The Iguazú National Park is a national park of Argentina, located in the Iguazú Department, in the north of the province of Misiones, Argentine Mesopotamia. It has an area of 550 km2 (212 sq mi). The park was created in 1934 and it contains one of the greatest natural beauties of Argentina, the Iguazu Falls, surrounded by the subtropical jungle. Across the Iguazu River lies its Brazilian counterpart (Iguaçu National Park). Both sites were declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO, in 1984 and 1986. – Wikipedia

Cataratas del Iguazú are waterfalls of the Iguazu River located on the border of the Brazilian state of Paraná and the Argentine province of Misiones. The falls divide the river into the upper and lower Iguazu. The Iguazu River starts at the city of Curitiba and runs for the most part of the course entirely in brazilian territory, and in a little part at the end bordering Brazil and Argentina. – Wikipedia
See photos from the Brazil side.

Devil

2 Backpackers - Photo of the Day: Iguazú Waterfalls in Argentina 2 Backpackers - Travel around the world sharing budget travel tips, travel photos and adventure travel videos.

On the side of a long dirt load there is a hidden entrance that leads to forest through a corridor. Tucked away at the end of the trail is Finca del Paraiso. Here you will find a hot spring fed waterfall of hot water rushing into a pool of cool river water below. Finca del Paraiso is usually accessed from Rio Dulce, Guatemala which is a popular stopping point for Caribbean bound sail boats.
Watch our HD video!

Waterfall at Finca del Paraiso

2 Backpackers - Photo of the Day: Mystical Waterfall at Finca del Paraiso in Guatemala 2 Backpackers - Travel around the world sharing budget travel tips, travel photos and adventure travel videos.

Iguazú National Park

The Iguazú National Park is a national park of Argentina, located in the Iguazú Department, in the north of the province of Misiones, Argentine Mesopotamia. It has an area of 550 km2 (212 sq mi). The park was created in 1934 and it contains one of the greatest natural beauties of Argentina, the Iguazu Falls, surrounded by the subtropical jungle. Across the Iguazu River lies its Brazilian counterpart (Iguaçu National Park). Both sites were declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO, in 1984 and 1986. – Wikipedia

Cataratas del Iguazú are waterfalls of the Iguazu River located on the border of the Brazilian state of Paraná and the Argentine province of Misiones. The falls divide the river into the upper and lower Iguazu. The Iguazu River starts at the city of Curitiba and runs for the most part of the course entirely in brazilian territory, and in a little part at the end bordering Brazil and Argentina. – Wikipedia
See photos from the Brazil side.

2 Backpackers - Photo of the Day: Iguazú Falls, Argentina 2 Backpackers - Travel around the world sharing budget travel tips, travel photos and adventure travel videos.

Watch More Adventure Travel Videos

Enjoy the hot spring waterfalls of Finca El Paraiso near Rio Dulce, Guatemala through an HD adventure travel video from 2 Backpackers, Jason and Aracely Castellani, while visiting the jungle between El Estor and Río Dulce, Guatemala.  In travel video episode #5, we share our relaxing experience swimming in a cold river with a hot waterfall falling over our heads.  What’s so unique here? The fact that it’s in the middle of nowhere and we aren’t to sure how to return back to our hostel.  Enjoy the show!

Hidden Guatemala Waterfall

Finca El Paraiso is a hot spring fed waterfall that falls into a cool river.  If you plan to visit Rio Dulce or Livingston in Guatemala, and want to get off the gringo trail, it’s a must see day trip.  It’s quite easy to book a ride to the waterfalls.  Walk to the center of town on the main street, the busy side of the bridge and ask around.  You will have a ride in no time.  If you are interested in saving money, read our Budget Travel Tips below.  At the time we visited the hot spring waterfall, many of the roads en route were being improved and detours slowed traffic down.

Finca El Paraiso (Waterfall) near Rio Dulce, Guatemala

In the Middle of Nowhere

Inform the shuttle bus driver your destination so they can alert you when you have arrived.  Walk towards the restaurant and register with the guy that approaches you.  There is a small park fee as well.  We aren’t sure where that money goes, but you are handed a receipt.  The park guy will guide you in the right direction, which leads to the woods along the river.  Many local folks live along the river and use it for it’s many resources.  As we walked along the river banks children were fishing, mothers were washing clothes and others were selling us tortillas.  Some children were raising the fish high in the air in an attempt to sell us some.  We weren’t sure what we would do with a live fish, but it was culturally entertaining.

Short Hike

Local Transportation near Finca El Paraiso Guatemala

The trail is clearly marked and after 10 minutes we arrived to the waterfall.  A park employee was present to watch over the area.  The greatest benefit for us is that everyone trusted him watching over their day packs.  The river water was cool, and the bed was rocky, but okay with bare feet as long as you were careful.  We slowly walked in and quickly swam over to the waterfall where the water warmed up.  We were unable to touch the bottom in some places, but there are large rocks to hold on to and rest against once you get under the falls.  It’s a strange feeling of hot and cold water once under the hot spring fed waterfall.

In Search of Hot Springs

Huge Thorns Found While Searching for the Hot Springs

The area is small and you might find yourself quickly bored since it takes some energy to remain under the falls.  Our curiosity was brewing and we wanted to explore the source of the hot springs.  We grabbed our day packs and the guard unexpectedly informed us that we couldn’t climb up to the top with any bags or backpacks.  I wasn’t sure of the reason, but we obliged and took our cameras only.  Cameras weren’t on the restricted list of items you couldn’t take up top with you.

The Source of the Finca El Paraiso Hot Spring Waterfall

An obvious trail leads to the top which passes some pungent bat caves.  Hold on to some roots and pass quickly.  A surprisingly small stream fed the waterfall.  This area was swarming with mosquitoes and much more dense than below.  We followed a trail that led deeper into the woods.  The trail veered off from the stream, but we were able to make our way back close to the water after a few wrong turns.  We stood at the end of the stream baffled by its insignificance.  A few bubbles appeared around us, and steam rose from the water.  I stepped in first and just about burnt my skin.  It was very hot.  After a minute of acclimating to the temperature I coaxed Aracely to get in.  Aracely has rarely found water that she couldn’t withstand, but it even felt too hot for her.  We both looked at each other and thought, “Well I guess this is it?”

After returning to the top of the waterfall we sat down and on some rocks and enjoyed the view and sound of Finca El Paraiso.  It wasn’t overly impressive, but it was a great day trip away from the city and a phenomenon that is hard to find elsewhere.

Local Children

The Local Children from Finca El Paraiso in Guatemala

Budget Travel Tips

Go to the center of town on the main road and start asking where you can catch a shuttle bus to the waterfall.  Taxi drivers will approach you and try to offer you a ride.  Be aware that the taxi drivers will lie and tell you the shuttle bus doesn’t run certain hours and is not the best way to travel to the site.  If you prefer to be comfortable and have your own vehicle and don’t mind paying 4 times as much as the shuttle bus, then book a cab.  However, if you are on a budget, take the shuttle bus and avoid cabs all together.  The shuttle bus will be packed with locals and uncomfortable, but you will save a good chunk of money.

2 Backpackers - Finca El Paraiso Waterfalls – Travel Video Ep. 5 2 Backpackers - Travel around the world sharing budget travel tips, travel photos and adventure travel videos.

Watch More Adventure Travel Videos

Enjoy the Natural Wonder of Guatemala, Semuc Champey, through an HD adventure travel video from 2 Backpackers, Jason and Aracely Castellani, while visiting the jungle in Lanquín, Guatemala.  In travel video episode #3, we trek a few hours through thick jungle with our guide and other friends.  After climbing up and down steep steps, we arrive to the peaceful turquoise pools of Semuc Champey. Enjoy the show!

Lanquín, Guatemala

After a long and exhausting 10 hour bus ride from Panajachel, Guatemala in a cramped shuttle bus we finally arrived in the small town of Lanquín, but without hostel reservations.  We were now traveling with Andy and Paulina, travelers from London we met a few days ago.

Semuc Champey Hostels

El Portal Hostal at Semuc Champey, Guatemala

Semuc Champey from Above

Guatemala Jungle during Semuc Champey Hike

Turquoise Pools of Semuc Champey from the Lookout Deck

Arriving to Semuc Champey

Cahabon River, the Source of Semuc Champey

Turquoise Pools of Semuc Champey

Caving, A Guatemala Adventure

Waterfalls and Turquoise Pools of Semuc Champey

The Caves We Entered Were Behind These Semuc Champey Waterfalls

12 Meter Jump

We climbed back up just above the cave, but not yet through the waterfall we previously repelled.  We had two options at this point.  We could jump 12 meters (40 feet) down from this cliff or climb back up the waterfall. Before he finished his sentence he launched himself into the air down to the river.  From below he waived his hand at us, inviting us to join him.  We all stared at each other in disbelief that our guide just left us.  Ari, Andy and I jumped.  Paulina and Aracely climbed up the waterfall.  Us guys originally tried to entice the girls to jump, but once we climbed back up to the top we were relieved they didn’t.  The climb back up didn’t involve any ropes or assistance, and as Andy put it bluntly, “I didn’t think I was going to make it up… alive.”

Our Friends at the Semuc Champey Tour

2 Backpackers - Semuc Champey Guatemala – Travel Video Ep. 3 2 Backpackers - Travel around the world sharing budget travel tips, travel photos and adventure travel videos.