Macuco Safari Review: The Ultimate Boat Ride At Iguazu Falls

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Review of the Macuco Safari Boat Ride at Iguazu Falls

It’s hard to say what the absolute best activity at Iguazu Falls is, as they are all spectacular in their own way. But, if you’re looking for the most thrilling experience, and you don’t mind getting wet, then the Macuco Safari boat ride is for you!

Read on for my full review of the Macuco Safari and everything you need to know about this epic boat ride at Iguazu Falls.

👍 BEST IGUAZU FALLS TOUR

Our pick is the Iguazu Falls Brazilian Side: Macuco Safari, Helicopter Flight and Bird Park Complete Tour. It’s one of the highest rated and it includes everything!

Macuco Safari Boat Ride at Iguazu Falls

Having visited Iguazu Falls recently, we took the opportunity to do as many activities as we could fit in. Out of all the activities we did, the Macuco Safari boat ride was by far the most fun. This is the best tour if you’re looking to get as close as possible to the falls, are up for an adventure, and don’t mind getting wet!

The boat ride is an experience available on both the Brazilian and Argentinian sides of Iguazu Falls. On the Brazil side, the tour is operated by Macuco Safari. Whereas on the Argentina side, the operator is Gran Aventura.

➡️ Book Your Macuco Safari Boat Ride (Brazil Side)

Overview

Boat Operator: Macuco Safari
Opening Times: 8:00 am to 4:40 pm daily
Duration: 2 hours total tour time (20 minutes for the boat ride)
Location: Inside Iguaçu National Park, Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil
Passengers: 20 people per boat
Departures: Every 10 minutes
Tickets: Bookable in advance online or can be purchased onsite
Reservations: Time slot reservation required for entry to the park

A speed boat approaches a waterfall in the Iguazu River

Macuco Safari Vs. Gran Aventura

We did the boat ride on the Brazil side of Iguazu falls. So this review is about the Macuco Safari experience. But from what I’ve heard, the boat ride with Gran Aventura on the Argentinian side is very similar.

But, be warned, on the Argentina side, there are A LOT of stairs (around 300 stairs) to get up and down to the Gran Aventura boats. So, if you prefer not to do the stairs, I recommend the boat ride on the Brazil side. Although the Brazil side is not completely without obstacles. You will still need to walk up and down a couple of small flights of stairs. Plus, you have to cross the beach to get to the boats.

However, the key factor in deciding whether to do the Macuco Safari or Gran Aventura experience will be which side of the falls you’re visiting.

Although, if you’re visiting both sides of the falls I recommend doing the Macuco Safari on the Brazil side. Not only to avoid the stairs, but also because there aren’t as many trails and viewpoints on the Brazil side. So it makes sense to fill your day at Iguazu Falls Brazil with activities. This way you will have more time on the Argentina side to explore the trails and various vantage points.

➡️ Book Your Gran Aventura Boat Ride (Argentina Side)

A speedboat driving down the Iguazu River heading towards the largest waterfall at Iguazu Falls, surrounded by cliffs on either side

Getting to The Macuco Safari

On the Brazil side, when you arrive at the entrance to Iguaçu National Park, you will board a bus operated by the park. The first stop on the bus is the Macuco Safari, and the 2nd stop is the Iguazu Falls viewpoint. The bus journey all the way to the viewpoint takes about 20 minutes, and the Macuco Safari stop is about halfway.

If you want to do the boat ride, make sure to get off at the Macuco Safari stop! You can either do it before or after checking out the viewpoint, as you can get off the bus at the Macuco Safari stop in either direction.

Note – If you’re doing the Gran Aventura boat ride on the Argentina side, the boat ride meeting point is easy to find within the main area of the park. You can check the park map when you enter to figure out exactly where you need to go.

Jungle Safari 4×4 Ride

The Macuco Safari experience starts with a ‘jungle safari’ ride on big 4×4 vehicles, which make you feel like you’re in Jurassic Park. There were about 20 seats in the 4×4 vehicle and the vehicle departs every 10 minutes.

A 4x4 passenger vehicle driving through the jungle with the sun shining through the tops of the trees in the distance

The jungle safari is 2 km (1.2 mi) through the jungle and the vehicle moves quite slowly, so you can properly take in your surroundings. There are several stops along the way where the guide will tell you about the plants and animals which are native to the area. Shortly before the end of the jungle safari, there is an option to get off and finish on foot by doing a short trail.

The trail was only 600 meters but this was an interesting walk to do. It was an easy trail, mostly along a boardwalk and included several flights of stairs. We saw some small natural pools and a canyon on the way, as well as some interesting insects. The guide also shared more interesting facts about the jungle on the walk, and answered all our questions.

Note – After the boat ride you will take the 4×4 vehicles again back to the starting point, where you can get the park bus to your next stop, or back to the park entrance.

Getting Ready for The Boat Ride

At the end of the jungle safari you reach the location where the boat ride takes place. Here, you can rent lockers to store your belongings for R $5 and buy snacks. You will want to store ALL your belongings in the lockers as the boat ride is very wet. Some people even stored their shoes in the lockers (although we kept them on until we got to the boats and then left them on the dock).

After you store your belongings, you will board a funicular railway (similar to a cable car) which takes you down the cliff to the water. There is a flight of stairs to descend at the bottom of the railway, and some rocks and sand you need to walk across to get to the boat dock (this is why we kept our shoes on). Make sure to tread carefully, as the rocks can be slippery.

The view looking up at the tracks of a funicular railway, surrounded by green trees on either side and blue sky in the background

Once you reach the dock, you will be given life jackets, be able to take your shoes off, and queue to get on the boat. The tour guides will also give some instructions before boarding the boats and departing.

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The Boat Ride at Iguazu Falls

There are 20 seats on the boat, and most of them are likely to fill up, since this is a popular tour. The boat ride lasts for about 20 minutes (although the entire tour from start to end is about 2 hours).

The first 5 minutes is an exhilarating ride, speeding down the river and crashing over rapids. Then there’s about 5 minutes of getting VERY wet by actually going underneath some of the waterfalls! This is followed by 5 minutes of stopping to enjoy some absolutely stunning views of the falls, before a thrilling ride back to the boat launch.

On the ride back, the driver had some fun with us, turning the boat almost on its side as it navigated some of the larger rapids. It was such a fun and thrilling experience!

A man in a blue raincoat sat at the front of a speed boat approaching a waterfall on the Iguazu River

Wet Boat Vs. Dry Boat

Although the wet boat is the most common boat ride at Iguazu Falls, it’s actually also possible to do a dry boat option. If this is the option you prefer, you will need to specifically request it from the boat operator when you check in. You may have to wait a bit longer for a dry boat, but they will accommodate the request.

The dry boat won’t go under any of the waterfalls, but you should still expect to get a little bit wet, as you may get splashed going over the rapids. Although it won’t be anything like the wet boat experience! On the wet boat you will get 100% soaked through, as if you’ve just been swimming!

For the wet boat, I highly recommend bringing a change of clothes and a towel. I also suggest trying to plan the boat ride as your final activity of the day, so you can just head back to your accommodation after to properly dry off.

➡️ Browse Tour Packages and Compare Prices

A red Macuco Safari speed boat approaching a waterfall in the Iguazu River

My Experience

When we did the Macuco Safari boat ride, we didn’t really know what to expect, and didn’t realize quite how wet we would actually get…

I was also a bit skeptical at first about how good the boat ride would actually be (especially since we had already done the helicopter flight which was epic). But I was really pleasantly surprised, as the boat ride turned out to be the most fun experience at Iguazu Falls!

The boat ride itself is super fun, so whether you choose the wet or dry boat option, you will have an amazing time

The boat goes really fast and there are a lot more rapids than we were expecting. Plus the driver showed off his skills by taking some sharp corners, leaning the boat on its side and flying over some of the bumps! It definitely made for a very exciting ride.

The views of the falls from down in the Iguazu River were spectacular

We got to see views from an angle which you just don’t get from the viewpoints. Looking up at Iguazu Falls from below really emphasizes how grand the waterfalls are!

The view of multiple waterfalls in the distance from a boat sitting in the blue Iguazu River

Getting wet was part of the fun!

Finally, going under some of the waterfalls and getting totally soaked just added to the experience. It was a bit like being on a ride in a theme park, except better. Plus, you literally can’t get any closer to the falls than literally going under them.

Overall, the Macuco Safari tour was super well organized, had so many fun elements to it, and the guides were really helpful, friendly and informative. I would 100% recommend this experience to anyone visiting Iguazu Falls

Read more about my experience visiting Iguazu Falls, including where to stay, the different walking trails, and which side of the falls is better.

The view of water cascading over a cliff from the bottom of a waterfall

How to Book Your Macuco Safari

You can buy tickets for the Macuco Safari experience in advance online and there are different package options. I would always recommend buying tickets in advance to save time on the day, and secure your spot, as priority is given to people who already have tickets.

But, if you prefer to buy tickets on the day, you can also purchase them at the entry to the Macuco Safari. You may also be able to purchase tickets through your hotel.

Online tickets come with hotel transfers included. You can either book just the Macuco Safari (including hotel transfers), or the Macuco Safari including park entrance and hotel transfers.

You can also buy tickets online for the Boat Ride with Gran Aventura on the Argentinian side of Iguazu Falls.

➡️ BOOK Boat Ride (Brazil Side) OR Boat Ride (Argentina Side)

Package Tours (Recommended)

A lot of people will decide between doing the helicopter flight OR the boat road. But the two tours offer such different and spectacular experiences! Therefore I would actually recommend doing both if you’re able to. Or, even better, I suggest booking a complete tour package to do all the activities at Iguazu Falls Brazil. (This is what we did).

If you’re looking to do a tour which includes the helicopter flight, it will have to be on the Brazilian side of the falls, as the helicopter tour is not available on the Argentina side.

Luckily, most tours which include transport are able to offer hotel transfers from Puerto Iguazu in Argentina. This makes it much easier navigating the border crossing and getting to the Brazil side for your day of activities!

👍 BEST IGUAZU FALLS TOUR

Our pick is the Iguazu Falls Brazilian Side: Macuco Safari, Helicopter Flight and Bird Park Complete Tour because it is one of the highest rated and includes everything!

It’s hard to compare each of the activities at Iguazu Falls, since they are all so unique. In my opinion, you get the best views of the falls from the helicopter flight, but the boat ride was the most fun and such a thrilling experience! Plus you get some epic views from a completely different angle.

To top it all off, the bird park is also fantastic. You get to see thousands of interesting and exotic birds up close, including interact with them, which was a really special experience. I highly recommend doing all three activities if you can – you won’t regret it!

➡️ Browse Tour Packages and Compare Prices

FAQs

Is The Boat Ride at Iguazu Falls Worth It?

Yes, the boat ride at Iguazu Falls is definitely worth doing! This was the most fun we had at Iguazu Falls, there were some amazing views and the tour was really well organized. I highly recommend doing the Macuco Safari boat tour.

Can You Get The Boat on Both Sides of Iguazu Falls?

Yes, you can get a boat tour on both sides of Iguazu Falls. On the Brazil side, the boat tour is operated by Macuco Safari. Whereas on the Argentina side, the tour is run by Gran Aventura.

Both tours are very similar. But on the Argentina side there are A LOT of stairs to walk up and down to access the boats. Whereas on the Brazil side, there is a funicular railway (similar to a cable car). So keep this in mind when deciding which side to take the boat tour on, in case you rather avoid all the stairs!

How Much Does The Macuco Safari Cost?

The Macuco Safari prices will vary depending on which tour you book. Most of the tours will include the boat ride ticket, as well as transport, although some of them also include park entrance fees. You should expect to pay between $130 to $200 USD, depending on the tour you book.

Alternatively, you can also book a complete tour of Iguazu Falls Brazil which includes the helicopter flight, Macuco Safari boat ride, and entrance to the bird park for $381 USD.

A boat ride at Iguazu Falls approaches a cliff with several waterfalls cascading down into the Iguazu River below

How Much Time Do You Need for The Macuco Safari?

The Macuco Safari tour takes a total of 2 hours from start to finish. This includes the jungle safari and optional trail, getting ready for the boat ride and descending on the funicular railway, the boat ride, and the return to the starting point on the 4×4 vehicles. The boat ride itself is about 20 minutes.

What Type of Boat is It?

Tha Macuco Safari boats are large speed boats which seat 20 passengers each.

Will You Get Wet on The Boat Ride?

Absolutely! If you’re doing the wet boat (most common option) then you should expect to get completely soaked through. But this is all part of the fun!

If you choose the dry boat option, you won’t get soaked, but you may still get a little bit wet as the water does splash up a bit when driving over the rapids.

You should plan ahead for the boat ride and pack a towel and change of clothes (especially if you’re doing the wet boat). Some people will even just wear their swimsuit on the boat to save their clothes getting wet.

What Can You Bring on The Boat Ride With You?

You shouldn’t bring anything with you on the boat ride, other than a waterproof camera. Lockers are available to rent onsite to leave your belongings in. You should ideally take off any unnecessary layers of clothes and your shoes, to save them from getting wet.

Also be careful of small items like sunglasses! Mine were knocked off my head when we went under the waterfall. But luckily someone sat behind me was able to retrieve them for me!

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A view of the boat ride at Iguazu Falls on the river in the rainy season when the water is brown, with Iguazu Falls in the background

Final Thoughts – Macuco Safari Boat Ride at Iguazu Falls

The boat ride at Iguazu Falls is one of the best tours you can do here. From the adrenaline rush of the rapids, to the stunning views, and the novelty of going under the falls, the Macuco Safari is a thrilling experience!

And, if you’re able to combine it with the helicopter flight and bird park, you won’t regret it. Doing all three activities really is the best way to experience Iguazu Falls, for a truly unforgettable experience.