Sights

At the west end of Avenida Tres Fronteras, the Hito Argentino is an obelisk that triangulates the Paraná-Iguazú confluence with similar markers in Brazil and Paraguay, both of which are visible from here.

On the west side of Plaza San Martín, the Casa del Pionero (Santa María 890, 7 a.m.–1 p.m. and 4–8 p.m. daily) tells Puerto Iguazú [1]’s story through family photographs—literally so, as almost no text accompanies them. Opposite the plaza, across Avenida Victoria Aguirre, the Paseo de la Identidad is a series of sculptural murals that portray scenes of regional ecology, ethnology, and history.

The Jardín de los Picaflores (Fray Luis Beltrán 150, US$2) is a lush subtropical garden, with bird feeders, that claims to have a greater diversity of hummingbirds than the national park. Outside town, just north of the highway, La Aripuca (RN 12 Km 4.5, tel. 03757/42-3488, www.aripuca.com.ar [2], mainly open daylight hours, US$1.50) is a forest and ethnological museum that takes its name from the clever traps used by the Guaraní to catch game. Its main structure is a macro-aripuca built of massive logs salvaged from the selva. There’s a small snack bar, and a restaurant is due to open soon.