"Newest Narrow Gauge in South America" Parque Nacional del Iguazù by glabah

The falls are, of course, one of the best known tourist attractions in South America.

However, many others will have given photos and hints and tips about the falls.

As I am interested in railroad history, I will provide a few photos on the train system, however.

Narrow gauge train near the falls

Several years ago, both the Argentine administration and the Brazilian administration decided that there were too many vehicles in the area around the park. The Brazilian government eliminated private vehicles from visiting the park and instead people ride double deck buses in the park.

In Argentina, rather than building roads for such a bus to travel on, they instead deciced to build a narrow gauge railway. This takes up considerably less space than the road on the Brazilian side of the falls, as well as providing less construction cost than a road.

Map of the Falls, on the Argentine side

But why is a train even necessary? The falls themselves have some 3 kilometers of actual "fall line". Getting from one end to the other is simply not what many tourists would consider a walking distance. Furthermore, there was some concerns about letting people wander around in the jungle.

So, the train (shown on this map as red lines) serves to move people around inside the park. On a busy day, however, I would suggest walking as a better alternative between the main parking lot and the first station. This is the busiest part of the line, the distance is quite short. To the furthest station, however, there is no choice but the train.