Even at low tide, the falls are a hit

Ask anyone and you´re likely to hear: Don´t visit Iguazu Falls in the fall. Think about it: Would you tell anyone to check out Spokane Falls in October? No, the best time to visit this beautiful bit of natural majesty is when the water is running high. But here´s the question: If you had to choose to seeing Iguazu Falls in the fall when the water is low or not see them at all, which would you choose?

We, of course, chose to go. And neither Mary Pat nor I regret it for a minute. We chose to stay on the Brazilian side, at the Hotel Tropical das Cataratas , which boasts a 30-second walk to a panoramic view of the falls. But we signed up for an all-day tour, which took us back to the Argentinean side and through the national park .

The result was an exhilarating, tiring but not exhausting day of walking for two out-of-shape Baby Boomers. At its best, there are supposed to be some 275 different falls stretched along a 2.5-mile length of geography that features drops of more than 260 feet. In May there are quite a few less, but enough exist to make the trip worthwhile.

We started out on the upper walk, which is supposed to take about 35 minutes. It took us longer because the metal walkway was slippery and there were a lot of even more out-of-shape people in front of us. But it allowed us to stand at the very edge of the Devil´s Throat , the best-known of the falls — and the one featured in Roland Joffe ´s 1986 film, “The Mission.” And, curiously enough for a country that is hardly disability friendly, it was accessible to anyone riding in a wheelchair.

Then we walked along the lower circuit, which took even longer and was a bit more challenging (and, filled with steps, harder to navigate for anyone not able to walk well). It took us below the falls, which was impressive in its own right.

You can arrange a tour, which we did, or you can go on your own. But either way, Iguazu Falls — or as the Brazilians call it, Foz do Iguacu — is a sight worth seeking out. Even when the river´s running low.