Buddhist Temple, Omar Ibn Al-Khattab Mosque and Multicultural Foz do Iguaçu Guide

Beyond its waterfalls and rainforests, Foz do Iguaçu is one of the most culturally diverse cities in Brazil. Drawn by cross-border trade with Paraguay and Argentina and the construction of Itaipu Binacional, more than 80 nationalities call the municipality home, including Brazil's second-largest Arab-Lebanese community and a thriving Chinese and Taiwanese community. Spending half a day on the northern side of the city lets you visit a hillside Buddhist sculpture park, a snow-white mosque inspired by Jerusalem, and a soaring modern cathedral.

Templo Budista de Foz do Iguaçu (Chenrezig Buddhist Temple, 1996)

Perched on a breezy plateau in the northern garden district of Jardim Califórnia overlooking the Paraná River and the high-rise skyline of Ciudad del Este across the water, the Templo Budista Chenrezig was built in 1996 by the Chinese Buddhist communities of Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. Set across 17 hectares of manicured lawns and tropical palms, it is the largest Buddhist temple complex in southern Brazil.

• The 108 Amitabha Statues and 7-Metre Maitreya Buddha: As you walk onto the main esplanade, you face 108 identical 2.5-metre-tall golden statues of Amitabha Buddha arranged in precision rows facing west toward the setting sun (representing the 108 earthly temptations overcome on the path to enlightenment, plus four guardian statues bringing the total to 112). At the river edge of the lawn sits a smiling 7-metre-tall golden statue of Maitreya (the Laughing Buddha of Abundance), while a 10-metre four-faced Bodhisattva statue and the two-storey red-and-gold Kwan-Yin Temple Pavilion anchor the upper garden. Admission is free.

Mesquita Omar Ibn Al-Khattab (1983) and the Arab Quarter

Ten minutes south in the neighbourhood of Jardim Central rises the gleaming white exterior of the Mesquita Omar Ibn Al-Khattab. Inaugurated on 23 March 1983 and named after the second Caliph of Islam, the mosque serves Foz do Iguaçu's 20,000-strong Arab-Brazilian community (primarily of Lebanese, Syrian, and Palestinian heritage). Flanking the entrance are twin 31-metre-tall minarets and an octagonal central dome modelled after the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

Visitors are warmly welcomed inside the 580-square-metre main prayer hall (modest dress is required; headscarves and long wraps are provided free at the reception desk) to admire the intricate blue-and-gold geometric arabesques painted across the vaulted ceiling, the carved mihrab pointing toward Mecca, and the crystal chandeliers. Afterward, walk half a block down Rua Meca or Rua Bartolomeu de Gusmão to enjoy freshly baked Lebanese shawarma, esfihas, and pistachio baklava with mint tea.

Catedral Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe in Vila A

Between the mosque and the Buddhist Temple in the residential district of Vila A, pause at the modern Roman Catholic Catedral Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe, whose steep, tent-like cruciform roof rises over a circular nave designed so that every pew sits close to the central marble altar; check the official visitor centres at the mosque and temple for current daytime hours.