Brazil - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget

Travel Reference

In-Depth Information

CENTRAL

Ì Favela Chic Hostel Rua Major Raul de Mattos 78 T 45

3027 5060, W favelachichosteliguassu.com. New, spotless

hostel opened in March 2012 by friendly English owner,

Nick, near the bus stop for the falls. It's all nicely done, with

bright, comfy hang-out areas, hammocks and two dorms

with a/c and shared bathrooms. I nclud es cooked break fast,

free yoga classes and wi-fi. Dorm R$30 , camping R$14

Iguassu Guest House Rua Naipi 1019 T 45 3029 0242.

Short walk from the bus station, this small hostel offers

spotless dorms (R$38) but also excellent private en-suite

rooms (R$55 per person) with all the amenities (wi-fi, bar,

book exchange, pool table).

HI Paudimar Falls Rua Antônio Raposo 820 T 45 3028

5503, W paudimarfalls.com.br. Run by the same people as

the Paudimar Campestre (see below), this gives you the

same great service and fa cilities i n a cen tral location, and

free internet. Dorm R$30 , double R$80

Pousada Evelina Navarrete Rua Irlan Kalichewski 171

T 45 3574 3817, W pousadaevelina.com.br. Extremely

friendly place with a youth hostel atmosphere that mainly

attracts foreign backpackers. Rooms are simple but

spotless, breakfasts are adequate, there's internet access

(R$2.50/day) and multilingual Evelina goes out of her w ay

to be helpful. Well located for buses to the falls. R$110

Pousada El Shaddai Rua Engenheiro Rebouças 306

T 45 3024 4493, W pousadaelshaddai.com.br. A good,

central, hostel-type establishment; rates include a sump-

tuous Brazilian buffet breakfast. The multilingual staff,

pool, internet access and on-site trav el agen cy all help

make your stay comfortable. Dorm $28 , double R$60

Ì TREAT YOURSELF

Ipê Grill Parque Nacional do Iguaçu T 45

2102 7000, W hoteldascataratas.com. The

only hotel restaurant worth a splurge.

Located by the pool in the Tropical das

Cataratas Eco Resort (near the falls), it

offers an extensive but very pricey buffet

dinner of typical Brazilian dishes and

“gaucho” style barbecue for R$120. Even if

you can't afford to stay here (rooms start at

around R$730), you should take a wander

around the hotel grounds just to have

a look. Daily 6.30-10am & 7.30-11pm.

3

La Bella Pizza Rua Xavier da Silva 648 T 45 3574 2285,

W labellapizzafoz.com.br. The best of several pizza rodízios

on this block, where you can gorge yourself on endless

servings of pizza and pasta for just R$14.99. An added

attraction is the “sweet pizzas”, including white chocolate

and caramelized banana flavours. Daily 6-11.45pm.

Capitão Bar Rua Jorge Schimmelpfeng 288 T 45 3572

1512, W capitaobar.com. One of a series of lively bars on

this stretch, this is a particularly popular nightspot on

account of its loud music, extensive cocktail menu and

affordable pizzas. Outdoor tables fill quickly so arrive early

in summer if you want to sit outside. Daily 5pm-3am.

Clube Maringá Rua Dourado 111, Porto Meira T 45 3527

3472, W restaurantemaringa.com.br. Justly popular among

locals for its superb rodízio de peixe (R$29) and stunning views

of the Iguaçu River. Apart from a selection of local freshwater

fish, there's an excellent salad bar and you can pay a little

extra for some of the freshest sashimi you're likely to come

across. Take the “Porto Meira” bus and ask for directions, or a

taxi (R$22-25). Mon-Sat 11.30am-11.30pm; Sun till 3pm;

reservations advised on Sun .

Recanto Gaúcho Av das Cataratas Km15 (near the falls

entrance) T 45 3572 2358, W recantogaucho.com. It can

be a little touristy, but the atmosphere's lively, the meat's

excellent and cheap (R$29.90 for all-you-can-eat) and

the owner (who dresses in full gaucho regalia) is a real

character. Short afternoon horse rides are also included

in the price. Turn up soon after 11am; food is served until

3pm. Reservations advised. Sun 10.30am-6pm. Closed

Dec & Jan. Taxis R$18-21.

Trigo & Cia Av Paraná 1750 T 45 3025 3800, W trigoecia

.com.br. 10min by bus from the centre of town, this busy

café serves tasty savoury snacks, good coffee and the best

cakes in Foz (R$5-7). Daily 24hr.

ROAD TO THE FALLS

Ì HI Paudimar Campestre Av das Cataratas Km12.5

T 45 3529 6061, W paudimar.com.br. A favourite with

backpackers, this excellent HI establishment has superb

facilities. Choose from basic shared dorms sleeping six

to eight people, family apartments (with double bed,

bunk bed, a/c and private bathroom) and pretty cabins for

two. The extensive grounds include a swimming pool and

bar. Kitchen facilities are available, and they also serve

evening meals. The hostel orga nizes daily trips to the

Argentine side of the falls. D orm R$25-35 , private cabin

R$80-92 , family apartment R$120-184

Camping Clube do Brasil T 45 3529 8064, W camping

clube.com.br. This excellent campsite is at Km17 on the road

to the falls; the site is surrounded by jungle, and facilities

include a laundry area and a clean swim ming pool. Tents can

be rented for R$3-8.70. Camping/person R$17.50

EATING AND DRINKING

While it's no gastronomic paradise, Foz do Iguaçu is a good

place to eat cheaply, with a proliferation of buffet-style

por kilo restaurants.