Things to do in San Ignacio Miní
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San Ignacio Miní
These mission ruins are the most complete of those in Argentina and impress for the quantity of carved ornamentation still visible and for the amount of restoration done. No roofs remain, but many of the living quarters and workshops have been reerected.
First founded in 1610 in Brazil, but abandoned after repeated attacks by slavers, San Ignacio was established at its present site in 1696 and functioned until the Jesuits finally gave in to the order of expulsion in 1768. The ruins, rediscovered in 1897 and restored between 1940 and 1948, are a great example of 'Guaraní baroque.' At its peak, the reducción had a Guaraní population of nearly 4000.
At the ruins (take an i…
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Casa de Horacio Quiroga
Casa de Horacio Quiroga is at the southern end of town (a 20 to 30 minute walk), offering grand views of the Río Paraná. A small museum contains photos and some of the writer's possessions and first editions.
Quiroga's permanent Casa de Piedra is one of those simple but lovely houses that artists seem to inhabit, and holds various memorabilia, including butterfly specimens, an enormous snakeskin and the writer's rusted motorcycle. A replica of his initial wooden house, built for the 1996 biographical film Historias de Amor, de Locura y de Muerte (Stories of Love, Madness and Death), stands nearby.
Horacio Quiroga was a poet and novelist who also dabbled in other activiti…
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Interpretation Center
The entrance to San Ignacio Miní is on the north side on Calle Alberdi, where the first stop is the new interpretation center. It's an impressive display with plenty of unbiased information (in Spanish and English) about the missions from both the Jesuit and Guaraní perspectives. You can listen to Guaraní music, including some religious pieces composed at the missions, and inspect a virtual model of San Ignacio as it would have been.
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La Aldea
Near the artesanía stalls at the ruins exit, this barn of a place has tables out the front, inside and on the rear deck. It serves excellent pizzas and minutas (snacks) and is one of the only eating options open late at night.
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Don Valentín
Just across from the entrance to the ruins, Don Valentín is a step up from the production-line operations serving tour groups along here. It has a shady terrace and cordial service, but doesn't stay open for dinner.
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Luz y Sonido
Every night at San Ignacio Miní there is a Luz y Sonido at the ruins, included in the price of the ticket. The time varies slightly between 19:00 and 20:00.
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