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Read about our recent trip to Northern Argentina

Jesuit Ruins - Paraguay & Argentina

Full day tour to San Ignacio Mini + Wanda precious stones mine (Argentina)
Approximately 50 km from Posadas, towards Puerto Iguazú/Foz do Iguaçu, San Ignacio Miní was one of the most prosperous jesuit missions, partly restored by the Argentinean Government.
San Ignacio Miní was founded in 1610 in the Guairá area, currently state border between Paraná and São Paulo, Brazil. The fathers José Cataldino and Simón Masseta built this mission and the mission of Loreto near the Paranapanema river.

In 1631 after the attack of the bandeirantes, father Antonio Ruiz de Montoya starts an exodus to save the survivors. With approximately 12.000 Indians he sails down the Paraná river. After a hard trip, about 4000 surviving Indians reach the banks of the Yabebirí river, tributary of the Paraná, modern-day province of Misiones, Argentina. Due to the inadequate conditions of the place, they look for a third place to establish (1695/1696), what are currently the ruins of San Ignacio Miní. In 1816, with the Jesuits already expelled, general José de Artigas organized his armies and makes Andrés Guacurari, a Guarani Indian known as Andresito as one of the commanders. As five of the Paraná reductions has been occupied by the Paraguayan armies of Dr. Francia, Andresito and his Guarani armies take it over. Dr. Francia then restarted the attack and totally destroyed the missions.

The church, centered on the axe of the grand square, a characteristic of all missions was of large dimensions. The structure that supported the ceiling was made out of long and thick hard wood logs. The place was divided into three naves. The walls had approximately two meters in height in the inferior part and were reduced to one meter in the superior part. All decoration was certainly polychromatic wood painted with strong colors and profusion of golden.
Around all the mission there were trenches in form of pits to protect from eventual attacks. At the end of the tour there is a museum with considerable interesting local pieces found during the excavations.
Price: US$370 for 1 person, $190 each for 2, $160 each for 3, $125 each for 4-7, $90 each for 8-12

Full day tour to Trinidad (250 km - in Paraguay)
Approximately 25 km from Encarnacion, on the road to Ciudad del Este, it is one of the most interesting and suggestive ruins among all. Trinidad was founded by the Indians coming from the mission of San Carlos, today in Argentina. Its main architects were the fathers Juan Batista Prímoli, from Milan and the Catalan José Grimau. Not totally concluded, according to descriptions of travelers, this mission would have one of the largest and most beautiful churches of all the missions.

Crossing the nave of the old church, we have an impressing view of the frieze on the top of the altar wall, entirely decorated on the rock with a sequence of angels in a baroque standing with its instruments. It is worth to mention the two access doors to the sacristy: the columns of disproportional capitals, with a triple line of leaves supporting the frieze with two side pillars and a sculptural motive in the center.

One of the sacristies also shelters a small museum with local pieces (original colors) and a model of the mission. Don’t miss it! During the excavations inside the church, interesting statues were found (with its original colors) along with some bones of missionaries that were buried there. To the west are the ruins of the tower and a long chapel. The tower, with its square base, reminds of a tower fort and it is not known if it was a bell tower, a watch tower or both simultaneously. The chapel was probably used during the construction of the main church.
Declared as a World Heritage Site in 1993 by UNESCO: http://www.unesco.org/whc/sites/648.htm
Price: US$370 for 1 person, $190 each for 2, $160 each for 3, $125 each for 4-7, $90 each for 8-12

Package 02 days / 01 night:

Day 1 - Iguassu Falls/Bella Vista (280 km, approximately 4 hours)
- early departure to Bella Vista, in Paraguay, crossing the Friendship Bridge between Foz do Iguaçu (Br) and Ciudad del Este (Py), with a stop for shopping in Ciudad del Este
- 13h30 arrival in Bella Vista
- visit to a mate tea factory (this visit is not possible on Saturdays and Sundays)
- visit to the Jesuitic ruins of Trinidad, one of the most beautiful and well preserved ruins
- check in at Hotel Papillon 3*
- lodging with buffet breakfast

Day 2 - Bella Vista/Iguassu Falls (320 km)
- early departure, crossing the Bridge San Roque González between Encarnación city in Paraguay and Posadas city in Argentina
- visit to the Jesuitic ruins of San Ignacio Miní, in Argentina and then continuing to Iguassu with a visit on the way to the Precious Stones of Wanda
- arrival in Iguassu approximately at 7pm

Prices per person in US$

07/09 paxs 180.00 170.00 165.00
10/12 paxs 140.00 130.00 126.00