Declared "Cultural Heritage of Humanity" by UNESCO

San Ignacio Ruins are located 240 km (Provincial Route 12) from Puerto Iguazu and 64 km (Provincial Route 12) of the city of Posadas (capital of the Province of Misiones).

From Iguazu it's a full day tour and besides the San Ignacio Ruins, you can visit other places on the road like Monte Carlo, Eldorado, etc.

History

The Jesuit Mission (which inspired the movie The Mission) was founded in 1610 in the Guayra area by Fathers Jose Cataldino and Simon Masseta. In 1655 the Mission moved to the Paranaima area because of the Mamelukes´ invasions. In May 1695 it was again moved to the current location. It was called “San Ignacio Mini” to distinguish it from the earlier founded San Ignacio Guazu.

The San Ignacio Ruins are well preserved thanks to various significant restoration works.

At its zenith, this Mission had over 3,300 inhabitants, and its close relationship with the Parana River allowed them to maintain frequent exchanges with the other missions.

The Jesuit Ruins of the San Ignacio Mini Mission were declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1984.

The Interpretation Center offers information about the Jesuit-Guarani culture.

Official Site of the San Ignacio: http://www.misiones-jesuiticas.com.ar/