The Triple Frontier is the spot where the Iguazú river flows into the Paraná and Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay meet. Three cities surround it, Puerto Iguazú, Foz do Iguaçu and Ciudad del Este, joined by two bridges, and every move between them is an international trip. Knowing how the map fits together saves a lot of time.
How the map fits together
- Puerto Iguazú (Argentina) and Foz do Iguaçu (Brazil) are joined by the Tancredo Neves bridge over the Iguazú river.
- Foz do Iguaçu and Ciudad del Este (Paraguay) are joined by the Friendship Bridge over the Paraná.
- There is no bridge between Argentina and Paraguay in this area. By road you pass through Brazil, with two border crossings. A river ferry has run between Puerto Iguazú and the Paraguayan bank; check whether it is operating.
What to see
- The falls, from the Argentine side and from the Brazilian side. They are the main reason to come; how to split the days is covered in Iguazú Falls in two or three days.
- The landmarks. Each country has its own obelisk painted in its national colours, facing the meeting of the rivers. The one in Puerto Iguazú is a classic sunset stop.
- Itaipú. The dam shared by Brazil and Paraguay on the Paraná receives visitors.
- Parque das Aves, a bird park next to the entrance of the Brazilian national park.
- Ciudad del Este. A trading city right beside the bridge, visited mostly for shopping.
- Saltos del Monday, a waterfall in Presidente Franco on the Paraguayan side.
Getting around
Local buses cross the bridge between Puerto Iguazú and Foz do Iguaçu. They are the lowest-cost option, but ask how the stop at immigration works. Taxis and remises cross if you agree it beforehand, waiting included. Agency tours cover a fixed circuit. With a hire car you need the rental company’s permission to leave the country. The Friendship Bridge is known for its traffic jams, and many people walk across.
A vehicle with a driver for your own group makes sense when you want to combine several places in a day, travel with children or come back with shopping. Availability of each crossing and the exact conditions are confirmed when you book. Whether one day is enough for three countries depends on the queues, which is why we promise no times.
Borders, documents and money
Each crossing means leaving one country and entering another, with queues that change by day and season. All passengers, children included, carry their own valid travel document. Which document is accepted depends on nationality, so check with the official migration authority of each country. Purchases fall under the customs rules of the country you return to; find out the current allowance before you spend.
Three currencies circulate here: Argentine pesos, Brazilian reais and Paraguayan guaraníes. What each shop accepts, and at what rate, varies widely, so ask before paying. More routes are listed under transfers from Argentina to Brazil and to Paraguay.