Cataratas do Iguaçu

Who owns Cataratas do Iguaçu?

Cataratas do Iguaçu is currently owned by Advent International through Latin American Private Equity Fund VII (2020 vintage).

Hand-verified · updated 2026-04-21

About Cataratas do Iguaçu

Cataratas do Iguacu, trading as Grupo Cataratas, is a Brazilian tourism and leisure operator that manages visitor services under long-term concessions at some of the country's most-visited national parks and attractions. Established in Foz do Iguacu in 1999 to bid for the services concession of Iguacu National Park, home to the Iguacu Falls, it has grown into a portfolio of six attractions stretching from the south of Brazil to the northeast and to Rio de Janeiro. Its operations span ticketing, transport, parking, retail and food and beverage at Iguacu, the EcoNoronha concession in the Fernando de Noronha archipelago, the Paineiras-Corcovado concession serving the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio's Tijuca National Park, and the AquaRio marine aquarium. The company positions itself as the leading sustainable-tourism concessionaire in Brazil, with 2019 revenue reported at roughly R$250 million.

Ownership journey

Grupo Cataratas was founded in Foz do Iguacu in 1999, when a group of investors came together to compete for the services concession of Iguacu National Park, and it later added concessions at Fernando de Noronha, the Paineiras-Corcovado route in Rio and the AquaRio aquarium. Advent International first backed the company in 2014, agreeing to invest in the concessionaire with the stated aim of improving its existing services and expanding into additional parks and tourism-related businesses across Brazil, taking a stake of roughly 50 percent according to local reports. The holding is carried within Advent's Latin American Private Equity Fund VII, which remains an active shareholder. No exit or secondary transaction has been recorded, and Cataratas do Iguacu is still listed as a current portfolio company.

Under PE ownership

Under Advent's ownership a holding company with a senior management team and dedicated committees was created to consolidate leadership of the individual local concessionaires, enabling long-term planning, cross-selling and coordinated conservation efforts. The company pursued a services-improvement and expansion strategy, reinvesting in its core assets, including a reported R$100 million of investment in the Iguacu concession, and outlining plans to deploy around R$400 million into concessions. Between 2014 and 2019 revenue grew at a compound annual rate of roughly 23 percent, reaching about R$250 million by 2019, while the portfolio expanded to six attractions with additions such as Marco das Tres Fronteiras, BioParque do Rio and AquaFoz. Sustainability became central to the model, with Grupo Cataratas repeatedly recognised as one of Brazil's most sustainable companies in the tourism and hospitality sector.