The Province of Misiones

The Province of Misiones is trapped in between Paraguay and Brazil and is famous for the beautiful Iguazu Falls in the far north and for the Jesuit Missions, which lend their name to the province. The original ecosystem consisted of subtropical rainforest that can still be found intact in Iguazu National Park and Mocona Provincial Park. The original people of the area are the Guarani who were subjected to the Jesuit evangelization in the area. In this province, it is possible to visit a number of Jesuit ruins that offer an insight into the Jesuit way of life and practices in the region. Today, the Guarani communities live in marginal circumstances as their original habitat, the rainforest, has been largely destroyed. Many now live in cities, which fact has of course altered their traditional way of life immensely. Another distinct aspect of the region is the multitude of different European cultures present here due to past waves of immigration. Many of these communities remain isolated, speaking their original language and keeping their cultures intact. The economy of the province is dominated by the production of tea, yerba mate and lumber.

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The Jesuit Missions

An entire chapter could and perhaps should, be dedicated to the history of the Jesuit Missionaries in the northeast of Argentina; however, we shall only briefly discuss them below. The Jesuit priests arrived soon after the initial conquistadors, and developed methods to spread the words of Jesus throughout the indigenous communities of the region. The areas most affected by the missionaries were the Provinces of Cordoba and Misiones. The phenomenon began in Brazil and Paraguay where the Jesuits and entire tribes of Guaranies fled to escape the slave hunters known as Paulistas. Their escape was of a mythical standard as they traveled around the Parana River and passed by Iguazu Falls before eventually settling in the Province of Misiones.

The Jesuits organized communities of Guaranies who at their height numbered between 3,000 and 4,000 people. They constructed small towns, organized around a church and central plaza. Each family had its own place to live while pubescent boys and girls were housed in separate buildings. The Guarani chiefs supplied order and ensured that work was completed. The Jesuits used the Guarani music and rituals in order to guide them and channel their energy in a productive way. Musical instruments were made and became a profitable form of external commerce while also providing a means of well-paying work for the craftsmen in the City of Buenos Aires after the missions were destroyed. The missions reached such a high level of economic organization and prosperity that they created envy and became a threat to the Spanish Conquistadors who had to force work upon the native population. While the Jesuits were successful in motivating the Guarani, through peaceful methods, the Spaniards could only do so by the use of force. In 1767, Spain and Portugal both decided to expel the Jesuits by declaring their presence illegal. The missions were destroyed and the native populations were left to themselves.

It was not until the beginnings of the Twentieth Century when the missions were found deep in the tropical forest of Misiones that their worth was recognized. Today the ruins offer a unique insight into a truly unique experiment in the history of Evangelization.

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Iguazu Falls, Mocona and the Jesuit Missions

We dedicate three days to the north of Misiones, visiting Iguazu National Park from the Argentine and Brazilian sides and visit the Project of Community Tourism in the “Aldea Fortin Mborore”. We also travel to the mine of “Wanda” that produces semi-precious stones. Crossing the central hills of Misiones we reach the City of San Pedro at which point we board 4x4 trucks and travel 70km to the “Mocona Provincial Park”, located on the edges of the Uruguay River. From here we visit the famous cascades of “Mocona”, walk along the jungle paths of the “Reserva Biosphera Yaboti”, and practice kayaking. We spend the night in the “Refugio Mocona”, located in the middle of primary growth tropical rain forest. We continue our journey, venturing to the Jesuit Missions of San Ignacio and Santa Ana and the house where the poet Horacio Quiroga once lived. From San Ignacio, we then travel to Obera, the second-largest city of the province where immigrants from all over Europe settled in the past. In Obera we are the guests of the “Cooperativa Rio Parana” where we visit the project of “Yerba Mate Titrayju”.

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The Province of Corrientes

This province is located to the south of Misiones extending north and west to the Parana River and east to the Uruguay River. An extended part of the territory is occupied by wetlands, which conform the “The Natural Reserve of Ibera”, created by the Government of the Province of Corrientes in 1983. The area consists of lagoons and marshlands that are extremely rich in wildlife such as jaguars, tapirs, and many species of bird. The excursions begin from the “Colonia Carlos Pellegrini”, at the local ranger station. The majority of the rangers used to work as fishermen, giving them a unique knowledge of the local flora and fauna enabling them to guide and control poaching. There are many trails throughout the hills, which provide an excellent opportunity to view the local plants and wildlife including the “caraya” monkeys. Corrientes is also a land of strong cowboy, culinary and music traditions.

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