Most Beautiful Place in South America: Iguazu Falls

December 03, 2009 :: Posted by - Getaway Guru :: Category - Good to Know, Interest, Outdoor Travel

One of the most beautiful places in the world that I have seen is on the Argentina/Brazil borders in South America. The Iguazu Falls are a stunning collection of 270 brilliant waterfalls encompassed by the green foliage of the surrounding forests. The walkways allow a person to be surrounded by 260 degrees of waterfalls.

In the legend of how the waterfalls came to be there was a beautiful young woman named Naipi. There was a god had planned to marry Naipi because of her beauty until she ran off with her mortal love Taroba. The lovers fled down the river in a canoe. The god was angry and created the waterfalls so that they would be stuck in an eternal fall and misery. Some believe that Naipi became a rock next to the waterfall and Taroba became a palm tree, where he was able to always see Naipi but never touch her. Others believe that the lovers simply perished. The roar of the falls expresses the pain of the rejected god.

Another legend says that a snake named Boi lived in the river. To appease the snake, the people would sacrifice a woman to it every year. Once, a man decided to kidnap the woman that was to be sacrificed. In his anger, the snake split the river, separating the man and the woman.

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