The Jesuit mission ruins of San Ignacio Mini

If you're travelling to or from Iguazu Falls, you might want to make a stop at the tumbleweed town of San Ignacio. Set a few blocks back from the highway, the superstar attraction here is the atmospheric Jesuit mission ruins of San Ignacio Mini, which are ever-so-slowly being reclaimed by subtropical jungle.

San Ignacio Mini was founded in 1631 by Jesuits intent on 'civilizing' the Guarani indigenous tribe, and at its peak was home to around 4,500 people.

The ruins themselves are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and while there are no longer roofs on any of the crumbling buildings, many original walls and floors remain intact. In eerie silence, you can wander through forested ground, past abandoned living quarters, a 100-square-metre Plaza del Armas, a cemetery, cloisters, priests' house, a classroom, a kitchen, a prison, workshops and an imposing baroque-style facade of a red sandstone church. 

Attached to the ruins is a fine interpretative centre which outlines the goals of the Jesuit reducciones and the culture of the Guarani people.

For those dropping into town for a couple of hours, a number of restaurants serve good-value lunch menus. If you want to stay the night, San Ignacio also has a fair selection of hotels and guesthouses. 

The ruins are a 20-minute walk from the main highway and bus terminal. San Ignacio lies one hour north of Posadas and five hours south of Iguazu Falls.