Santa Ana Jesuit ruins

A mission built alongside the Guaraní people

The Santa Ana Ruins are what remains of a reduction founded in the 17th century, with origins in 1633. The Jesuits built it together with the Guaraní people, following the common model of the missions: a large central plaza surrounded by the church, the priests' residence, workshops and Indigenous dwellings. The Jesuits were expelled from the Spanish dominions in 1767, and the town declined. In 1817 it was attacked, looted and burned, and it stayed abandoned for more than 80 years. At the start of the 20th century the area was resettled by European immigrants and criollos.

What you can see on site today

When you enter, the central plaza is in front of the entrance. The church keeps walls about 8 meters high and semicircular staircases, which according to guides are unique among the missions. Around it you can make out remains of houses, a school, workshops and the priests' cloister. There is also a cemetery and the cotiguazú, the house for widows, lone women and orphans. The site has parking, a ticket office and a guide.

A more natural and less visited site

Santa Ana is better preserved in a more natural state than San Ignacio. Much of the site is still covered by native forest, and the ruins blend with the vegetation. Maintenance and wall consolidation work is carried out to keep the site standing. Because it gets fewer visitors than San Ignacio, it is a good choice if you want to explore at an easy pace.

Protection and place in the World Heritage site

The ruins were declared a Provincial Historic Monument and Place in 1969, and a National Historic Monument in 1983. In 1984 they became part of the World Heritage site Jesuit Missions of the Guaranis, together with San Ignacio Miní, Nuestra Señora de Loreto and Santa María la Mayor, and with São Miguel das Missões in Brazil. The inscription groups five sites in two countries, and Santa Ana is one of them.

Getting there

The Santa Ana Ruins are in the Candelaria department, about 2 km from the town of Santa Ana, on National Route 12. They sit between Posadas and San Ignacio, roughly 45-50 km from Posadas. From the Santa Ana toll booth on RN 12, drive about 3.8 km and turn at the height of a yerba mate establishment. After that, there are about 800 m of paved road to the parking lot. Note: GPS sometimes shows a wrong route through the frontage road, so follow the route signs instead.

Tips

• Check the hours before you go: the site opens from 7:30 to 18:00, and the last guided tour leaves at 17:30, but this can change by season.
• One ticket covers four missions and is valid for 15 days from purchase. You can buy it online at the official digital ticket office.
• If you plan to combine your visit with San Ignacio Miní, the same ticket covers both ruins.
• Allow extra time to walk at an easy pace: the site gets fewer visitors than San Ignacio and has a lot of forest around it.
• Keep in mind that animals are not allowed inside the site, and smoking is prohibited.
• Check your GPS carefully near the frontage road and follow the indicated route to the parking lot.