Rio to Iguazu Falls How to do this?

[Pearl64]

We are going from Rio to Iguazu Falls after our cruise on the Marina. I have flights on TAM from Rio to IGU and return. I have reservations at a B and B on the Brazilian side-Maria's. my question is how do we get from the airport to the B and B and then to the Falls? Also, how do we get to the Argentinian side? We will have our Brazilian passport but will we need to pay the Argentinian entry fee? We are going in December of this year. Also, are yellow fever shots necessary and can someone name a brand of bug repellant that contains an effective amount of DEET?

 

Thanks for all replies.

 

Pearl

[VidaNaPraia]

You get from the airport to the (?)pousada (B&B) by local bus or by taxi.

But is your "B&B" actually called Maria Ricca Palace Hotel? Or actually Maria's B&B?

You get from the accomodation to the Brazilian side of the park by local bus or taxi.

If you are pressed for time for some reason, you can go directly from the airport to the park, and leave your luggage either at the guarda volumes at the airport or the luggage lockers at the park entrance, instead of going all the way into the town. (The airport is between the town and the park entrnace, closer to the park entrance.)

You get to the Argentine side of the park by first taking a local bus that crosses the border, going from the bus depot in the town of Foz do Iguacu to the bus station in Puerto Iguazu. At the bus station in Argentina, another bus goes to the park entrance on the Argentine side. Or of course, you can take a taxi the whole way.

You have a Brazilian passport? Or did you mean to say you have a Brazilian visa in your U.S. (or other) passport?

If you are from the U.S., you now do need to pay the Argentine reciprocity fee online ahead of time and carry the receipt with you when you enter Argentina, even at a land crossing.

IMO and from my own experience, you do not need a yellow fever shot nor bug repellent at the falls, but you should consult a physician specializing in travel medecine, preferably one who knows Brazil from more than some CDC bulletin.

Dende is a risk in most of Brazil, including Rio, especially in certain seasons (December is one month), and those mosquitos are active during the day and at dusk. There is no shot. For these mosquitos, use DEET and know the symptoms; consult a doctor immediately if you develop symptoms. Repel brand makes a 100% Deet product. 3M's UltraThon brand is also not difficult to find and has 35% Deet. Try looking for DEET repellent at outdoor/sporting goods stores.

[Pearl64]

Thank you for your prompt response. Yes, we will get the Brazilian visa. My error! And, we are staying at Marica B and B in Foz do Iguacu.

 

I see that you are from Salvador. The Marina has an overnight stop there. We arrive at 2 pm on Dec. 3 and departs at 6 pm the next day. I have been searching for tour companies but so far I have not found any that is available. Do you have suggestions? Can we do any of it on our own on the afternoon we arrive?

 

Thank you for your help.

pearl

[VidaNaPraia]

Wow. This is my third try at posting an answer to you. Either the site or my computer has not been cooperating.

Cataratas:

If you find your B&B on a map of Foz, look a bit down and to the left to find the intersection of Avenida Juscelino Kubitschek and Av. Republica Argentina (with Av. Mem de Sa and Rua Taroba) for the bus depot (Terminal de Transporte Urbana) from which the bus leaves for the Brazilian side of the park (and Bird Park) and another leaves for the Argentine bus station (from which you can get another bus to the Argentine side of the park). You may be able toget the bus from a stop closer to Av. Parana, closer to the Marica B&B.

Salvador:

I would be very happy to help you with your visit to Salvador !

You do not need a guide or tour to see Salvador. It is very easy to get around on your own. During the day, you can walk (or take a short taxi ride) from the dock to the Pelourinho historic district, whose museums, churches, shops, theatres, music venues and restaurants/bars are best seen on foot.

Taxis are relatively inexpensive, and you should use them at night.

There is also a hop-on/hop-off bus that goes out to some of the outlying neighborhoods and sights. ( http://www.salvadorbus.com.br/rota/mapa/ )

On that map, the cruise dock is near where the word “Comercio” is written, on the upper left.

Also, that map shows the route of the regularly running local buses and air-conditioned mini-buses from Pelourinho directly along the coast road, but they continue on along the coast to the red-and-white lighthouse in Itapua shown in the upper right.

The best informational site for Salvador is www.bahia-online.net, particularly the sections: A Short History of Salvador; Salvador’s Old City Pelourinho; Blood, Sweat and Prayers, Salvador Sites and History; Food and Eating Out in Salvador.

In the “What’s On In Salvador” section, you will find a link to this site with a daily list of music and other events for your evening. ( http://www.aldeianago.com.br/musica )

If you want a guidebook to read up on more history, I like the Salvador section in the DK Eyewitness series Brazil guide.

When you exit the cruise terminal (

), turn right, and with the water on your right, walk until you are in front of the small blue Terminal Maritimo and the tour schooner docks are in front of you. Turn left and you will be behind the Mercado Modelo (great place to get inexpensive souvenirs for the folks at home), and beyond that you will see the Elevador Lacerda (25 centavos; similar to the elevator in Lisbon) that brings you up the cliff between the Lower City and Upper City and to Pelourinho. (here at minute 3:23, you can see the Elevador and the roof of the Mercado from a catamaran leaving the terminal Maritimo, and just afterward a cruise ship docked:

) The area at the base of the Elevador is called the Comercio.

At the top of the Elevador, you will find a Tourist Office and one of the best “sorveterias” (ice cream shops) in Salvador, with all sorts of tropical fruit flavors. You could easily spend the rest of your day and evening exploring in Pelourinho.

Here is the Elevador from the base, the view from the top showing the Mercado Modelo (the cruise dock is beyond the tall buildings on the right), Pelourinho, out to Farol da Barra beach and the lighthouse, back to the port panning over to the point that is Barra, and into the Bahia dos Todos Santos.

Some other suggestions for the evening:

Take a taxi out to Rio Vermelho (see map: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bbPQKVYo-8 ). There is a pleasant scene on the praca there, with a famous “acaraje” maker and lot of people drinking beer. There are also a couple of restaurants/clubs that have live music.

Or you could see the show at Bale Folclorico de Bahia at their theatre in Pelourinho.

(

)

Or you could see what’s on at the famous Teatro Castro Alves, near Pelourinho, which gets some top Brazilian performers.

If you happen to be there on a Tuesday night, there is the weekly bencao (blessing) in Pelourinho with lots of music and activity.

Other sights that are worthwhile include the Bonfim Church and its odd “museum of miracles” upstairs (do stop in the park in front to get a fita/ribbon tied around your wrist while you make a wish with each of the 3 knots, and explore the candomble/catholic shops nearby:

),

and the Solar de Unhao (former sugar cane plantation, current modern art museum, by taxi ONLY both ways from the base of the Elevador:

).

Also you can walk up the street from the church to the fort/lighthouse/church at Monte Serrat (about 15 minutes:

) and have a beer at the beach there (then catch a bus back to the Comercio).

The Dique de Tororo, (which the hop-on bus passes, to the left of the word “Brotas” on the map) has some interesting and photogenic sculptures of the African orixas (gods/goddesses:

) in the middle of the lake.

You could spend part of Day 2 at the lively urban beach at Porto da Barra - best people watching and best vendors!

(

) Also see map, just above the black-and-white lighthouse, bottom left) It’s about 10 minutes from Pelourinho by bus or taxi. Rent a chair and an umbrella; the service people will bring you food and drink, and many vendors of crafts, food, beachwear, and souvenirs pass by.

A good schedule on a full day in Salvador is to sightsee during the cooler overcast mornings, spend the hot afternoon at the beach, and enjoy dinner al fresco and some music in the breeze that comes up at about 4pm for the evening.

Of course there are many other places to see with more time (islands, Colonial river ports, gorgeous beaches, natural areas/parks with waterfalls, turtle conservation projects), but if Salvador captures your heart as it does many people’s, perhaps you will make a longer second visit.

If you have any questions as the time gets nearer, feel free to post them here.

[kruznkanuk]

VidaNaPraia knows way more about this part of the world than I do, but we just got back from Iguazu and Buenos Aires followed by 29 days around Cape Horn to LA, and our travel health clinic (in Canada, but they do nothing except travel health consultations) was pretty insistent on yellow fever for Iguazu visits. According to them you may be denied entry into other countries if you don't have proof of vaccination, assuming they decide to check. We were there in February. So it's good advice to maybe check it out further?