Is the Devil's Throat open? (closed from Aug 3, 2026)

Quick answer: The Devil's Throat (Argentine side) has been closed since Monday, August 3, 2026. The concessionaire Iguazú Argentina, together with the National Parks Administration, removed the walkways and railings of the circuit as a precaution against the extraordinary flooding of the Iguazú River. The initial estimate of about 40 days has passed and, at the latest check, the concessionaire still had the circuit closed, with no reopening date. The rest of the park stays open (the Upper and Lower Circuits reopened on Oct 15) and, on the Brazilian side, the park operates with the main walkway closed by the flood since October 11.

Status on October 18, 2026

The Devil's Throat is still closed, more than two and a half months on. The walkways remain dismantled, and reinstalling them, which takes about 60 days, only starts once river readings say it is safe. The initial estimate of about 40 days from August 3 did not hold. Neither the concessionaire Iguazú Argentina nor the National Parks Administration publishes a reopening date.

October brought a bigger flood than September: at the ANA gauge by the Hotel das Cataratas, the Iguaçu River reached 15,800 m³/s on October 14, more than ten times the historic average of 1,500 m³/s, and on October 17 it read 9,058 m³/s and falling. About 128 mm of rain is forecast for Foz between October 21 and 25. On the Argentine side, the Upper and Lower Circuits reopened on October 15; the Green and Macuco trails remain closed.

The Brazilian side is open, with restrictions: the park, the Cataratas Trail and the upper viewpoints are open, but the main walkway over the river has been closed since October 11, along with the lower viewpoint at Espaço Naipi, the São João Circuit, Espaço Usina, the Poço Preto path and the Canafístula Trail. The Bananeiras path is closed for works.

Follow the live reading at Falls today.

What closes and when

The closure applies only to the Devil's Throat (Garganta del Diablo) circuit, on the Argentine side (Puerto Iguazú). From August 3, 2026, crews begin progressively dismantling the floors and railings of the walkway leading to the Devil's Throat balcony, storing them somewhere safe. The initial estimate was about 40 days with no access, an estimate that has since passed: the reopening date depends on the river level and has not been set.

Why they are removing the walkways

The decision is preventive. Weather and hydrological projections tied to El Niño anticipated the chance of very high water, with the Iguazú River rising significantly from early September. That is what happened: the flood had a first peak on September 11 (8,936 m³/s) and a bigger one on October 14 (15,800 m³/s). Removing the structure beforehand keeps a historic flood from damaging or sweeping away the walkways, as has happened in past floods.

What stays open

The rest of Iguazú National Park is open: the Upper and Lower Circuits (reopened on Oct 15 after the flood), the Ecological Jungle Train and park services. The Green and Macuco trails are closed by the October flood. In other words, you still see most of the falls up close, only the Devil's Throat balcony itself is off-limits during the closure window.

On the Brazilian side (Foz do Iguaçu), the Cataratas Trail and the upper viewpoints stay open, but the walkway that pushes out over the river, facing the Devil's Throat, has been closed by the flood since October 11. Even so, the Brazilian side is the best way to see the Devil's Throat, head-on, from the top of the canyon.

When it reopens

There is no fixed date. Reinstalling the walkways only begins once forecasts show the river has returned to a safe level, and the rebuild takes about 60 days. With the new October flood, reassembly has not been announced, and there is no safe way to estimate a reopening. Before planning your trip, check the latest status.

What to do instead

If the Devil's Throat is your focus and your date falls in the closure window, you have two options: see the Throat from the Brazilian side (head-on, from the deck past the panoramic elevator) and enjoy the Upper and Lower Circuits on the Argentine side, which stay open and show dozens of falls up close. To pick the best day and time, check the crowd forecast at /en/quando-ir and the day's conditions at /en/cataratas-hoje.