Saltos del Mocona Falls, Argentina: How to get there + Travel Guide
Visiting Saltos del Mocona falls in Argentina is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I recommend to you if you’re traveling to Misiones, a northeastern province of the country. It is not as famous as Iguazú Falls but it’s just as worth it.
Moconá is a word which in Guaraní means: “that which swallows everything”; you’ll get why it is called like that once you visit Moconá Provincial Park, where the jumps are.
In this traveling guide to Moconá falls, I’m going to give you some useful information and tips to visit this unforgettable Misiones tourist destination.
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What are Saltos del Moconá?
It is a 3 kilometers long geographical fault on Uruguay River that gives place to waterfalls from 5 to 10 meters high. So far, so good.
But, they have something that makes them one of a kind.
Almost every fall and jump in the world, such as the Iguazú or Rhine Falls in Switzerland, run perpendicular (transversal) to the river. However, Moconá falls run parallel to the river and that piques everyone’s curiosity.
Mocona falls: Location and map
The jumps are located on Uruguay River, which serves as the natural limit between Argentina and Brazil. They are in Misiones in a region called Litoral Argentino.
The nearest town is El Soberbio, 63 kilometers from Saltos del Moconá.
Other useful distances to Moconá falls:
- From Posadas, there are 290 km.
- From Puerto Iguazú to Saltos del Moconá, there are 320 kilometers.
- From Esteros del Iberá in Corrientes, there are 470 kilometers.
- From Buenos Aires, there are 1220 kilometers (if you go by land, I recommend you to visit El Palmar National Park).
How to get to Saltos del Mocona falls, Argentina
At the beginning, I mentioned the fact that they are far less known than Iguazú Falls, and part of that is because accessing them is not so easy.
The nearest airports are Posadas (PSS) and Puerto Iguazú (IGR), both at around 300 kilometers from the jumps. In case you arrive at any of them, the best thing would be to rent a car, since transportation in the area is not optimal as there are few frequencies.
🚗 Rent a car here to visit Mocona.
In any case, to get to the jumps you have to stop by El Soberbio.
The road from Posadas is completely paved. You take Ruta 12 to Jardín América, where then you take Ruta 7 to Aristóbulo del Valle. From there, you take Ruta 14 to San Vicente, and, lastly, Ruta 13 to El Soberbio. Another option is going from Oberá.
If you come from Puerto Iguazú, you have to take Ruta 12 to the detour to El Alcázar to continue on Ruta 11 to Dos de Mayo. There, Ruta 14 takes you to San Vicente, where then Ruta 13 takes you to El Soberbio.
There is a shorter way from Iguazú (Ruta 15 and then 21), which takes you directly to Saltos del Moconá, without stopping by El Soberbio, but it is not paved and I don’t know its state. The drive I suggest here is paved and is the one we took.
How to get from El Soberbio to the jumps?
We got to El Soberbio, great, now, how do we get to the jumps?
By car, you take Ruta 2, which is paved, and sometimes it goes along the coast of Uruguay River. Then, you cross Arroyo Paraíso (around this area, there are some very beautiful places to stay to visit Saltos del Moconá, such as the amazing La Misión Lodge with views to the river), then Yaboti Guazú and, 63 km later, you get to the entrance of Moconá Provincial Park.
The drive is a trip in itself, with some detours to see water jumps and viewpoints to the Yabotí Biosphere Reserve, where you can stop to take pictures of the Misiones jungle, or “selva misionera”.
If you travel by car in winter, you must take into consideration the fog banks, in which case you shouldn’t travel early in the morning, nor after sunset.
How to get to Mocona falls by public transport
From Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, Corrientes, Entre Ríos and other provinces, you first have to get to Posadas or San Vicente in order to get to El Soberbio.
And by plane, is it better to go to Posadas or Iguazú? If you plan on using public transport, then you should go to Posadas, since buses leave more often.
In Posadas, the company Expreso Prox has a daily trip to Saltos del Moconá, stopping by El Soberbio and Puerto Paraíso, but it doesn’t leave on Saturdays or Sundays. From Iguazú, there’s a bus that goes to San Vicente.
From El Soberbio, the Expreso Prox bus departs once a day, at 8 in the morning, and comes back at 17 in the afternoon.
Tour to Mocona falls from Iguazú
If you don’t have a car and you can’t afford to waste time combining transportation, there is an excursion that departs from Puerto Iguazú that can come in handy to visit Moconá falls in one day.
They pick you up at your hotel in Iguazú, take you to Moconá falls (you can add the boat ride to your reservation), and then they take you back to Iguazú by night.
⭐ Book here your day trip to Mocona falls + Boat ride.
Visiting Moconá Provincial Park
Since 1988, Saltos del Moconá belongs to Moconá Provincial Park, which is part of Yabotí Biosphere Reserve. In the Brazilian part, there is the Turvo State Park, where los Saltos are called Salto do Yucumã, and the nearest town where you can access them is Derrubadas.
Apart from protecting the Misiones jungle, the park is the habitat of pumas, monkeys capuchins and the incredible jaguar, among other species. Although it is very unlikely that you’ll see the big cats, you will be able to enjoy the variety of birds that you will have to spot among the thick vegetation.
The park opens everyday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., though there are times when the park closes due to the water level.
What to do in Mocona Park
Boat trip
This is the top activity of the park: a trip along the river in search of the jumps. From the Interpretive Center, there are around 1200 meters to the pier called Piedra Bugre, which can be done on foot or by car.
The ticket is charged apart from the entrance to the park and is purchased directly at the pier. It cannot be reserved and is done on a first-come, first-served basis. The last boat usually leaves approximately 1 hour before the park closes, but I advise you to go earlier because you could miss out on it.
The trip is short, it takes about half an hour. You can see the falls up close and the water splashes when the boat approaches the fall, so you have to be prepared to get a little wet.
The boat ride is a must-do in Moconá.
Unlike Iguazú, where you can choose whether or not to take the boat tours, here you have no choice but to do it; otherwise, you won’t be able to see the waterfalls. Moconá falls can only be seen from the water. It used to be accessible on foot, but that changed after park ranger Horacio Foerster died trying to rescue a group of tourists.
The level of the river greatly influences if you’ll be able to see the falls or not. And not only the rains affect, so does how the dams upstream in Brazil regulate the flow.
If there is a lot of water, the river level rises and you will see very low jumps (about 3 to 4 meters). Sometimes, access to the park is closed if the Yabotí stream has grown. But if the river is low, the waterfalls will be higher and more beautiful (about 6 to 8 meters, although in 2012 and 2020 they reached a height of 10 meters). For this reason, it is advisable to check before planning the trip if it will be the best time to go to Moconá falls.
Walking trails
Something that surprised us, because we didn’t expect it, is that there are a few trails. Although they are not long, I recommend going with enough time to explore them, since you can appreciate the Misiones jungle, the ferns, mushrooms, and we even saw monkeys!
At the time of our visit, we found 2 interpretive trails (not counting the access to the pier):
- Chachí Trail: It is a simple 1800-meter route, ideal for families.
- La Gruta Trail: a 600-meter trail, a little more difficult than the previous one. You come to a hollowed-out wall through which a small trickle of water falls, in the midst of exuberant vegetation.
The best thing about the trails is the close contact with nature. You can appreciate the incredible vegetation of the Misiones jungle, and with a bit of luck, see some other animals in the area. We, for example, saw capuchin monkeys and a red deer. You have to walk quietly and carefully, if you want to have a chance to see something.
How much does it cost to visit Moconá Falls?: 2023 Fees
To recap what I have mentioned up to here, let’s see the prices (in Argentine pesos) that you have to pay to visit Saltos del Moconá falls:
- Entrance to the Moconá Provincial Park: $1000 Argentines | $1300 Foreigners (around 3 usd)
- Boat ride: $3950 Argentines | $5300 Foreigners
Children under 6 years of age enter the park for free, and there are also discounted rates for residents of Misiones, retirees, etc. These prices correspond to the month of june 2023, and tickets can be purchased in advance on the Misiones Tourism website.
⭐ Book here your day trip to Moconá falls from Iguazú.
Accommodation in Saltos del Moconá
There is no accommodation inside the Moconá Provincial Park. Neither cabins nor hotels, nor camping areas.
The closest option is the Moconá Virgin Lodge, just 5 km from the park. A unique experience in the middle of nature, which includes all meals and offers adventure activities, such as trails through the Misiones jungle, rappelling, zipline and kayaking. ➥ Book it here!
The rest of the accommodations are 30 km from the park, in the area of Puerto Paraíso where the well-known Lodge La Misión is located, or in El Soberbio, 63 km away.
El Soberbio is a small town, with a lot of vegetation, located on the banks of the Uruguay River.
The main advantages of staying in El Soberbio is that, if you don’t have a car, you have more transportation options to Posadas and other towns. Also, there are supermarkets, small restaurants or bars, bakeries, a gas station, and even a hospital.
👉 Book here your accommodation in El Soberbio.
Campsite in Mocona falls
The option we chose for camping was Camping Do Mario, in El Soberbio.
It has a shared kitchen, bathrooms with hot water and a swimming pool. What we liked the most was the location, facing the river and with very nice views.
Recommendations when planning your visit
- Bring insect repellent, sunscreen and water.
- Wear comfortable clothing and bring something warm for nights and mornings, because although it is very hot during the day, it cools down at night.
- It is not allowed to enter with animals.
- Book accommodation in advance, even more so if you travel in high season.
- This goes without saying, but don’t litter.
I hope this Mocona falls travel guide was useful to plan your trip. If you have any questions, let me know in the comments. Have fun!
