San Ignacio Mission & Wanda Mines (With Private Option)

The San Ignacio Mission & Wanda Mines Tour full-day tour is available in two options: shared or private. With the shared option you will travel with a group of up to 40 people. If you select the private option you will be able to enjoy more personal attention from your guide and take the tour at your own pace.

Whichever option you choose, you will be picked up from your Puerto Iguassu hotel in an air-conditioned vehicle. You will drive approximately 250km to San Ignacio Mission in Argentina’s Misiones Province. A guide will accompany you on this tour.

San Ignacio Mission (also known as San Ignacio Mini) was one of many missions founded by the Jesuits in the 17th century. The aim of the Jesuits of San Ignacio was to convert the indigenous Guaraní Indians. In the 18th century the mission had a population of around 3000 people and a flourishing business in handicrafts. However, due to an upsurge of anti-Jesuit sentiments the mission was abandoned in 1768 and finally destroyed in 1817.

The Mission is a World Heritage Site and the beautiful ruins have recently been restored. You will see the remains of the magnificent red sandstone church with its 2-meter thick walls and tiled floor. You will also see the main square, a cemetery, a monastery and the houses of the Guarani Indians. A striking feature of the ruins is the glorious decorative carving done by the Guarani people.

The site has a museum where you can find out about the history of the mission and the indigenous Guarani Indians.

Lunch is not included in your tour but you will be able to purchase something to eat at San Ignacio.

On the second part of your tour you will visit Wanda Mines, a treasure trove of semi-precious stones. Millions of years ago in this locality, molten lava bubbled up through fissures in the earth. When it cooled, it created deposits of beautiful crystals of amethyst, quartz, agate and other stones used in jewelry.

During this guided excursion, you can visit the quarry, and see quartz crystal, amethysts, topaz, and agate in their natural state. There is also a shop where you can buy sculpted stones and jewelry.

The tour takes about 10 hours in total. At the end of a fascinating trip you will be dropped back at your hotel.