Hotel Saint George
The venue of the meeting is the Saint George Hotel in the centre of Puerto Iguazú, across the road from the bus terminal with shuttle buses to the Iguazu Falls. The hotel is one of the top-rated hotels in Puerto Iguazú. It is located at 350 m walking distance from the Hummingbird Garden and at 650 m from the start of the riverfront birding route where Ochre-collared Piculet (Picumnus temminckii), White Woodpecker (Melanerpes candidus), Yellow-fronted Woodpecker (Melanerpes flavifrons), Blond-crested Woodpecker (Celeus flavescens) and Campo Flicker (Colaptes campestris) can be seen.
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. European, US and Canadian 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 Saint George Hotel is located at 80 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 Saint George Hotel with rooms ranging from 85 USD to 109 USD for a room with a balcony, including taxes. The room payment can be reduced by approximately 20% depending on mode of payment (see currency below). There are approximately 60 other hotels and hostels within a 1 km radius from the Saint George 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. Recommended affordable options include include Hostería los Helechos of about 25 USD a night and at 145 m from the St. George, and El Guembe Hostel House of about 24 USD a night and at 345 m from the St George, both with breakfast included. The cheapest option is Hostel la Esquina del Bambú of about 13 USD a night and at 490 m from the St. George, without breakfast, with functioning AC and with private bathrooms, but with some mold on the walls.
Where to eat
Apart from gourmet dining in the Doña Maria restaurant on the ground floor the Saint George 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 upper to mid-range restaurants include Aqva (Av. Córdoba at the corner with Thays and Belgrano, 130 m from the Saint George hotel) and Yabuticaba Mercadito de la Selva (Hipólito Yrigoyen 386, Puerto Iguazú, 900 m from the Saint George hotel) with locally sourced and organic food. Restaurante Shawarma alSultan Iguazu, on the corner of Av. Brasil and Bertoni, at 700 m from the Saint George hotel, has Arab food including vegetation options for 6-8 USD per dish. La Mamma at the corner of Avenida Misiones and Calle Bonpland, at 450 m from the Saint George hotel, has Argentinean pasta dishes and empanadas for 5-9 USD per plate, with outdoor seating only. El Loco Heraldo at Pombero 142 is a bar with hamburgers, opening at 20:00, at 850 m from the Saint George hotel and with nice outdoor seating. Botanico Iguazú has steaks, pasta dishes and vegetarian options in a 5-20 USD Price range, in a nice setting on Avenida San Martin, near the corner with Avenida Brasil, at 600 m from the Saint George hotel.
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 20% 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.