Venue

The venue of the meeting is the Panoramic Grand Hotel near the centre of Puerto Iguazú. The hotel is a protected Provincial Landmark building from the 1950s and one of the top-rated hotels in Puerto Iguazú. The Panoramic Grand looks out over the Iguazú river and the 3-country point where Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay meet. In front of the hotel along the river is a forest strip where Ochre-collared Piculet (Picumnus temminckii), White Woodpecker (Melanerpes candidus), Yellow-fronted Woodpecker (Melanerpes flavifrons), and Blond-crested Woodpecker (Celeus flavescens) occur. The lawns around the hotel are frequented by Campo Flicker (Colaptes campestris).

How to get to Puerto Iguazú

Puerto Iguazú is a town of 45,000 inhabitants on the Argentinean side of the Iguazú Falls, neighboured by Foz do Iguacu of 258,000 inhabitants on the Brazilian side of the Falls. Both of these cities have airports. For most visitors from Europe, North America, Africa or Asia with destination Puerto Iguazú it is recommended to book a flight to Foz do Iguacu (via Sao Paulo or Rio de Janeiro) and then cross into Puerto Iguazú by taxi, a 20-minute ride. Visitors from Canada and the US will need to purchase a Brazilian eVisa online before travelling to transit through Brazil, and will receive a free 90-day visa on arrival in Argentina. European visitors will receive a free visa on arrival in both Brazil and Argentina. Flying via the Argentinean capital Buenos Aires and then taking an interior flight to Puerto Iguazú generally will take longer and will be more expensive than via Foz do Iguacu, and has the added difficulty of transferring between the international and national airports in Buenos Aires. However, for those wanting to visit the city of Buenos Aires and/or to explore central and southern Argentina before or after the conference, flying into Buenos Aires will be the better option. For those traveling from South America, there are flights straight to Puerto Iguazú, and travel by long-distance bus is a good option too. The conference venue in the Panoramic Grand Hotel is located at 970 m from the bus terminal.

Where to stay

Conference participants looking for the comfort of staying at high end lodging and under the same roof as the conference venue are welcome to stay at the Panoramic Grand Hotel at a reduced rate of an equivalent of 237 USD per night for conference participants, compared to 357 USD for regular guests. The room payment can be further reduced by up to 50% depending on mode of payment (see currency below).  If you like to stay at the Panoramic Grand Hotel at the conference rate please send an e-mail titled “Panoramic Grand Hotel reservation” to Iguazú2024@vogelwarte.ch. There are approximately 60 other hotels and hostels within a 1 km radius from the Panoramic Grand Hotel, reviews and prices for which can be found in Google Maps, with a wide range of prices, including budget options in the range of 9 – 16 USD per night.

Where to eat

Apart from gourmet dining in the Panoramic Grand Hotel, there are numerous eating options throughout Puerto Iguazú, including affordable pizza for dinner and cafes and bakeries for breakfast. Consult Google Maps for options and reviews. Recommended mid-range restaurants include Aqva (Av. Córdoba at the corner with Thays and Belgrano, near the bus terminal of Puerto Iguazú) and Yabuticaba Mercadito de la Selva (Hipólito Yrigoyen 386, Puerto Iguazú ) with locally sourced and organic food.

Argentine currency and exchange rates

Argentina has a complicated monetary system with rapid inflation and two exchange rates for the two main foreign currencies, dollar and euros: an official exchange rate and a parallel or “blue” rate which gives about twice as many pesos per dollar as the official rate. To access the more favorable blue rate, avoid ATM cash machines in Argentina, and instead bring cash US dollars, which you can change at the blue rate at most small supermarkets (minimercados). For travelers from Europe, it is recommended to change euros to dollars before traveling, despite the small exchange fee loss. Making payments with a foreign credit card, but not a debit card, or receiving money via a Western Union transfer, will also give you an exchange rate close to the favorable blue rate.

Yellow fever vaccination

Yellow fever virus circulates in primates and mosquitoes in the forested regions of Misiones and is a dangerous disease that can be transmitted to humans. The Argentine Health Ministry as well as the CDC recommend that all travelers to Misiones should be vaccinated against yellow fever. One yellow vaccine shot provides life-long protection. Neither Argentina nor Brazil require travelers to provide proof of vaccination against yellow fever when entering the country.