Ruins of San Ignacio Miní

History in the Misiones jungle

We visited the ruins of San Ignacio Miní on our way back from Iguazú Falls on a Wednesday at noon.

You can take the guided tour or, perhaps better, visit them alone at your own pace. You lose, yes, the contribution of the expert local guide, but it is at the same time the way to avoid the noisy and overwhelming contingents that gather at these monuments.  

It is the best preserved of the Jesuit missions of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries in Argentina. It is surprising the thickness of the walls, the imposing construction made of red asperon stone, which contrasts with the green surroundings.

San Ignacio Miní was a Jesuit reduction whose objective was the evangelization of the Guarani natives, seeking to respect their customs as much as possible. Miní means the smallest in Guaraní and was declared Cultural Patrimony of Humanity by UNESCO.

At the beginning of the tour, it is advisable to visit the interpretation center that has an exhibition of religious images, architectural pieces and relics found in the area. Once in the historic site, the heat, the iguanas and the mosquitoes do not break the mystical climate or the moving beauty of the columns that have survived the passing of the centuries. 

The visit takes less than an hour and is one of the essential destinations in the Misiones province.