The “baptism of water”, the finishing touch to a visit to the Iguazú Falls

Get to the airport Puerto Iguazu In spring or early summer it has a unique charm, because the path to the city is accompanied by dozens, hundreds of yellow butterflies. There are also other colors, yes, but the yellow ones win by a landslide, they flood the landscape wherever you look.

We are going to the Iguazu FallsOf course, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and a world natural wonder. But we don’t just go to the Falls; because we have a prior – and subsequent – objective, which is a hotel that could well serve as a destination in itself. So if, as happened recently, the Iguazú National Park were to close due to flooding, don’t worry, because in this hotel you will find everything to spend a few nice days.

It is the Iguazú Grand, a mega hotel with everything to get lost – or perhaps find yourself – for several days: spectacular pools between treesfour gastronomic spaces, a Jungle Club ideal for the little ones and a great Wellness Center with gym, saunas, heated pool, Roman bath, beauty salon and various treatments. And the casino is close by.

Furthermore, it is 500 meters from the border crossing and 800 meters from the Duty Free Shopso on a relaxed walking tour you can get good imported products at the official dollar, or go to Brazil by crossing the Tancredo Neves bridge.

After a great lunch with local flavors -such as yerba mate ice cream, among others-, we began the tour of one of its main attractions: the Ecological pathwaywhich invites feel the junglewith different stations in which the guides tell Guarani stories and legends and invite us to activities of introspection and sensations, such as walking barefoot feeling life under our feet, hugging trees or burning papers where we write what we want to change about ourselves.

We end up in the butterfly garden writing a short letter to someone or something that provokes deep feelings in us and, helped by the natural environment, the emotions emerge.

Later the program continues with a while of sauna and poolwhile several kids laugh and play with the “seños” of the Jungle Club, while they learn about legends and Guaraní culture and about caring for nature.

At night a barbecue rib awaits us at the La Terraza restaurant, with view of the illuminated pools in the jungle night.

If at dawn they told us that the Iguazú National Park was closed due to flooding – as happened recently – we would regret it, of course, although not as much; good we could spend another peaceful day among the gardens, the swimming poolsthe restaurants and the hotel spa.

But is not the case. The Falls await us with open arms, and we set out there under the guidance of Mohamed, from the Cuenca del Plata agency, who tells us Guaraní legends about the origin of this natural wonder.

We board the first ecological train of the day, the 10 o’clock one, on a ride through the jungle to Garganta del Diablo stationfrom where we walk just over a thousand meters along the walkway that reaches the very edge of the most impressive waterfall in Iguazú, with 80 meters high and an average flow of 1,500 cubic meters per second, as if to fill 36 Olympic swimming pools in a minute.

Catfish in the river, waterfall swifts in the air – those birds that live on the rocks behind the waterfall, and that come and go flying over the place at all times -, butterflies of all colors, birds and more accompany us on the way back.

Upon returning from the Gorge, it is time to enjoy this unique spectacle in the world, with debate: some like it better. Superior Circuitwith walkways almost without slope and Panoramic views; to others, the Inferior, where the walkways take the form of stairs up and down and allow you to see the falls from below. In any case, they complement each other; both are worth visitingbetween coatis and capuchin monkeys that amaze the kids.

The toucans peek out from among the tallest trees on the walk through the jungle to the pier from which our final dish departs, the icing on the cake: the Great Adventurea navigation upstream through the rapids of the Iguazú River to the very foot of the waterfalls.

After a pause to take photos from below in a canyon where water falls from all sides and forms fantastic rainbows, we heard the warning to put away our phones: after seeing the spectacle from above and below, The time has come to live it firsthand.in a “water baptism” that bathes us, amuses us, excites us and, above all, makes us feel up close the inexhaustible energy of the Falls.

Soaked but happy, we returned to the dock to retrace our path and return to our lives with a soul full of life and a happy heart.

JetSmart has two daily flights from Buenos Aires (Aeroparque and Ezeiza) to Puerto Iguazú. Round trip in December from $42,699, with cabin baggage only (www.jetsmart.com).

● Iguazú Grand: until the end of the year, between US$ 269 and US$ 329 in a Jr. Suite room (check promotions for families and long stays; www.iguazugrand. com; @iguazugrand).

● Entrance to Iguazú National Park, $2,500; 6 to 16 years old, $1,500; retirees, free.

● Great Adventure Excursion, $40,000; Iguazú Crossing, $20,000; Ecological Walk, $12,000.

● www.argentina.gob.ar/parquesnacionales/iguazu