TRIPS
Updated Wednesday, March 27, 2024-23:49
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The Jesuit Road is the main tourist corridor in South America, one of the most complete in the world,
comparable to the Silk Road
, the Trans-Siberian Railway or North American Route 66. It is a destination that shares a single, unique and genuine identity along the itinerary that the
Society of Jesus followed for more than 200 years
to establish itself in South America.
Made up of five countries - Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay (and perhaps soon also Chile), the Jesuit Trail combines a wide variety of
religious, architectural, oenological, cultural, gastronomic, economic and natural
elements that come together today. to form an unmatched legacy, still valid in these countries. Following this route you can visit up to 55 heritage sites, of which 19 are declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. And natural jewels unique in the world, such as the Iguazú Falls. These are some of the milestones of the Camino:
Argentina: stays and wine
There are many destinations in the country where the Jesuits left their mark, from education to music, gastronomy, crafts and architecture. The most evident legacy is reflected in the different architectural groups made up of religious and secular buildings, illustrative of an unprecedented religious, social and economic experience that took place between the 17th and 18th centuries and lasted more than 150 years.
The
Jesuit ranches
of Caroya, Jesús María, Santa Catalina, Alta Gracia and La Candelaria, as well as the
Jesuit Block of Córdoba
and the reductions of San Ignacio Miní, Santa Ana, Nuestra Señora de Loreto and Santa María la Mayor, in the province of Misiones have been a World Heritage Site since 2000.
Other of the most attractive tourist activities in Argentina is following the
Wine Trails in Córdoba, Salta and Tucumán
. It turns out that in Córdoba, the wine tradition began with the Jesuits when, at the Jesuit Estancia of Jesús María, the first vineyards in the territory were planted. Currently, people are invited to discover different experiences that go beyond wine, relating to the culture and history of the province.
Obispo Trejo Street in the Jesuit Block of the Argentine city of Córdoba.SHUTTERSTOCK
And for nature lovers, a great gift:
the Iguazú Falls
, which have been chosen as one of the seven new natural wonders of the modern world in 2011. The Iguazú National Park has 275 waterfalls, but is also home to more of 2,000 species of plants and inhabit numerous species of endemic and endangered fauna.
Bolivia: Chiquitanía and more
The six towns of San Francisco Javier, Concepción, Santa Ana, San Miguel, San Rafael and San José, located in the ancient territory of the Chiquito Indians, still constitute a living heritage in Bolivia today. One of the best ways to visit the Jesuit missions of Chiquitanía is from
Santa Cruz de la Sierra
aboard the
Eastern Express.
The train tour combines landscapes, history and endless unforgettable experiences. As we pass through the Bolivian territory, it is also very worth visiting the
Noel Kempff Mercado National Park
, located near the border with Brazil. It is one of the largest and most remote parks in the Amazon region.
Brazil and its missionary peoples
The
Moconá Falls
are a unique spectacle in the world that can be enjoyed from the sides of Argentina and Brazil, where excursions and
nature and river tourism activities
are offered .
Furthermore, in Brazil, historical and cultural immersion in the seven
Guarani Jesuit reductions
of the State of
Rio Grande do Sul
, the southernmost state of the country, is recommended to understand the meaning of the missions, true self-sustaining cities built in the middle of the jungle. Brazilian between the years 1682 and 1707.
Of the seven, it is essential to visit
São Miguel das Missõoes,
recognized by UNESCO as World Heritage in 1983, although all of them are very interesting to learn about this great missionary work. You can also get to know them by bicycle. Cyclists can stay in small rural hotels and family inns so that the cultural immersion is complete.
São Miguel das Missõoes.SHUTTERSTOCK
Paraguay: missions and native forests
The centuries-old
Jesuit Route of Paraguay
crosses the current departments of Misiones, Itapúa and Alto Paraná. The Jesuit missions of the
Santísima Trinidad del Paraná
and
Jesús de Tavarangüe
are also recognized as world heritage sites by UNESCO. Of the first, the richness and variety of its ornamental remains sculpted in stone stand out, in addition to the grandeur of its Plaza Mayor. The second is also one of the most complete examples of Jesuit urbanism although, due to the expulsion of the Society of Jesus, this Mission was left unfinished.
To explore the untamed nature of Paraguay you can visit the
falls of the Monday River
surrounded by the native and well-preserved forest. Located near the border with Brazil and Argentina, 10 km from Ciudad del Este, the landscape is full of paths in the middle of the vegetation that take visitors to viewpoints and walkways from where it is possible to contemplate the 40-meter depression of the river. .
Uruguay: rural stays
Already in Uruguay, the Camino de los Jesuitas surprises us with vast meadows for the reproduction of
cattle
, introduced at the beginning of the 17th century. And the Jesuits used the Uruguayan territory, initially, to supply the missionary towns with livestock, and later as an enclave for breeding establishments.
The main ranches they founded in these lands are
Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados,
on the coast of the Santa Lucía River, and the ranch Del Río de Las Vacas or De Nuestra Señora de Belén, today known as
Calera de las Huérfanas.
The latter, founded by the Company in 1741, was considered the "greatest civilizing advance of its time in our rural environment." With more than 140,000 hectares and a population of 250 people, the ranch was dedicated mainly to the production of lime to supply the works of the cities of Buenos Aires, Colonia and Montevideo.
Another of the landmarks, already in terms of nature of the Camino as it passes through Uruguay, is the
Quebrada de los Cuervos
, an exceptional place for hiking and bird watching. This is a protected landscape located in the Eastern mountain ranges, which act as a corridor between the Maldonado mountain ranges, in Uruguay, and the subtropical forests of Río Grande do Sul, in Brazil.
More information at www.caminodelosjesuitas.com
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