Iguazu to Bolivia - via Paraguay or the Pantanal?
Replies: 10 - Last Post: Feb 20, 2013 6:38 PM Last Post By: PutneyPenguins
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Iguazu to Bolivia - via Paraguay or the Pantanal?
Hi travellers,My girlfriend and I are a month out from our 8 month South American adventure and one particualar route on our fairly loose itinerary is bugging me. From carnival in Rio we have booked a flight to Foz Do Iguazu. From there we will want to head into Bolivia but unsure of how to do it. A flight would be nice but it seems there are no remotely cheap flights. Would we be better off bussing it through Paraguay to get to Bolivia or heading through Brazil?
Things to bear in mind:
-We'd like to do the quickest and cheapest route but happy to go a bit out of the way if there are worthwhile attractions on the way.
-We are Australian so will have to get a visa for Paraguay if we go that way.
-We were not intending on doing a tour in the Pantanal as we are looking at doing one much cheaper in Rurra which I am told is quite similar.
-Would it be silly to go travel through the Pantanal region without actually doing a tour-?
-Going to Salta then up to Bolivia is not an option as we will have done the Salta region.
Scott & Georgie
1
There are reasonably priced flights from Ascunsion to Santa Cruz, however once you factor in that you both needs visas I doubt it would be economical. Perhaps only if you actually wanted to travel through Paraguay anyway.The overland route through Paraguay looks like the quickest on a map however that trip goes through a very remote desert with terrible roads for several days, therefore going via Argentina and Brazil would be quicker. Buses inArgentina and Brazil are much more expensive but again you don't have to worry about visas.
Your route would depend on where you want to start in Bolivia. If you wanted to begin in the south, then going by Northern Argentina would make most sense, despite the fact you will return to this region. www.plataforma10.com for buses
If you wanted to start in the east you should get a bus to Corumba (or have a look at flights you might find something cheap). From Corumba cross the boarder and you get a get a train or bus to Santa Cruz.
2
Actually flight from Santa Cruz to Asuncion is very cheap for SA standards, it goes $80-100 one-way and it's definitely the quickest, cheapest and most convenient way of reaching Iguazu.I don't know how much they will charge you for a visa, but if it's less than $100 then you still have the best deal.
Other option is to fly via Sao Paulo, but flights at best are around $200 to Sao Paulo and then you are looking at another flight for anything between $60-100 to Iguazu.
Brazilian pantanal is IMO overrated, what's the point of paying 10 times more for something you can see in Bolivia "in pampas tour" for something close to nothing?
If you don't intent to visit it I think is pointless to choose this route
Edited by: ban_janti_return
3
We recently travelled from Bolivia to Iguazu via Argentina - we left Tupiza in Bolivia crossing at Villazon and reached Salta that night. We stayed in Iguazu on the Argentinian side and visited both sides of the falls from there. We took a short flight from Salta to Iguazu which was expensive but avoided a long bus ride. Maybe it would be possible to do something similar in reverse.4
#3 - OP said clearly that they don't want to take the Salta route7
Thanks for the responses! After a bit more research I've seen some good things about the Carnival celebrations in Encarnacion. Has anyone been or heard much about it? From what I've read, the celebrations take place each weekend through February. We could make our way there from Iguazu and then make our way up to Asuncion. If there happens to be no cheap last minute flights from Asuncion to Santa Cruz, how painful will it be to take a bus?9
Asunción to Santa Cruz in bus is a very long trip and have to cross through the Chaco desert, its nice but very hot too. No expensive but if you don´t like deserts I will not recommend you. There is a Biologycal Station in Pantanal of Paraguay, called "Tres gigantes". You could fine information with the NGO "Guyra Paraguay" (www.guyra.org.py/) or "Paraguay Safari" (www.paraguaysafari.com"10
Scott,I was wondering if you had made your journey yet and how it was?
My girlfriend and I are doing the same trip in a couple of weeks, but from Rio. We thought it might be good to come through Paraguay and see a bit of the country.
Flights look to be expensive from what I can see, so I would be very grateful if you could let us know how you got on.
Thanks!
