Iguazú Falls rainbow: when and where to stand
Short answer: 6 Nov 2026: Best rainbow from Devil's Throat walkway (Argentina), 06:10–18:45 (strongest around 06:40), if the sun is out.
Iguazú has two classic viewpoints: the Brazilian trail that faces the whole Argentine side of the falls, and the walkway over the Devil's Throat, where you stand inside the spray.
Fri 6 November 2026 · sunrise 05:47, sunset 18:59
Devil's Throat: rainbow 06:10–18:45
Best rainbow from Devil's Throat walkway (Argentina), 06:10–18:45 (strongest around 06:40), if the sun is out. High water: heavy spray.
| Brazilian side panoramic trail looking west across the river at the Argentine falls | A big, bright arc | 06:10–11:00 Best 07:10, across the spray at eye level |
|---|---|---|
| Devil's Throat walkway (Argentina) standing at the lip of the throat, in the spray | A big, bright arc | 06:10–18:45 Best 06:40, low, down in the spray below you |
Hour by hour
| Time | Brazilian side | Devil's Throat |
|---|---|---|
| 05:30 | ||
| 06:00 | ||
| 06:30 | ||
| 07:00 | ||
| 07:30 | ||
| 08:00 | ||
| 08:30 | ||
| 09:00 | ||
| 09:30 | ||
| 10:00 | ||
| 10:30 | ||
| 11:00 | ||
| 11:30 | ||
| 12:00 | ||
| 12:30 | ||
| 13:00 | ||
| 13:30 | ||
| 14:00 | ||
| 14:30 | ||
| 15:00 | ||
| 15:30 | ||
| 16:00 | ||
| 16:30 | ||
| 17:00 | ||
| 17:30 | ||
| 18:00 | ||
| 18:30 | ||
| 19:00 |
Plan it
The Brazilian side is a 1.2 km trail and takes two hours; the Argentine side needs a full day. Both sides use the same clock (UTC−3). A rainbow needs direct sun on the spray: on an overcast day there is none.
Through the year
| 15th of | Brazilian side | Devil's Throat | Water |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 06:25–11:15 | 06:25–19:20 | Medium |
| February | 06:45–11:40 | 06:45–19:05 | Medium |
| March | 07:00–12:50 | 07:00–18:40 | Medium |
| April | 07:15–14:00 | 07:15–18:10 | Medium |
| May | 07:30–14:25 | 07:30–17:45 | Medium |
| June | 07:45–14:45 | 07:45–17:40 | High |
| July | 07:45–14:45 | 07:45–17:50 | Medium |
| August | 07:30–14:20 | 07:30–18:05 | Medium |
| September | 06:55–13:20 | 06:55–18:20 | Medium |
| October | 06:25–11:25 | 06:25–18:30 | High |
| November | 06:05–10:55 | 06:05–18:50 | High |
| December | 06:05–11:00 | 06:05–19:10 | High |
Iguazú Falls rainbows by month
Questions
What time is the rainbow at Iguazú Falls?
6 Nov 2026: Best rainbow from Devil's Throat walkway (Argentina), 06:10–18:45 (strongest around 06:40), if the sun is out. The time moves through the year; pick your date above.
Which side of Iguazú Falls has the rainbow in the morning and which in the afternoon?
Brazilian side panoramic trail: mornings. Devil's Throat walkway (Argentina): afternoons.
Why is there no rainbow at midday?
When the sun is higher than about 42°, the whole rainbow circle sits below the horizon. You can then only see it low down, in spray below you, if at all. In summer that rules out the middle of the day at most falls closer to the tropics.
When does Iguazú Falls have the most spray?
River flow is highest in June, October, November and December (Copernicus GloFAS, 2005–2024). More water means more spray and bigger rainbows, but also more mist hiding the falls.
How do you calculate the rainbow times?
A rainbow is a circle of about 42° around the point exactly opposite the sun. You only see the part of that circle that falls on sunlit spray, so it needs the sun behind you and lower than about 42° above the horizon. For every 5 minutes of the day we place that circle in the sky and check how much of it lands on the spray seen from each viewpoint.
Calculated from the sun's position at each viewpoint. The spray extent is an estimate for normal flow; wind pushes the mist around and can move the rainbow by a few degrees. Times are local (America/Argentina/Buenos_Aires).