Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0Santa María de Fe
A peaceful Jesuit town with a Baroque museum, embroidery artisans and howler monkeys in the plaza.
What it is
Fifteen kilometers from San Ignacio, Santa María de Fe keeps the scale of a reduction (Jesuit mission town): a large tree-lined plaza surrounded by the old Guaraní residences with their galleries. In one of them, the Diocesan Museum of Jesuit Art displays dozens of Baroque images — saints, nativity scenes and scenes of the Passion — across six rooms. Local women artisans embroider and weave tapestries depicting local scenes, and a family of carayá (black-and-gold howler monkeys) lives in the plaza's trees. A place to slow down.
What to see and do
- The Diocesan Museum of Jesuit Art and its six rooms
- The Jesuit plaza with its Guaraní residences and howler monkeys
- Tapestries and embroidery by local artisans
- The Kurusu Cerro chapel, a favorite on Good Friday
- Ykua Teja, a water spring from the Jesuit era
Did you know…?
The carayá (howler monkeys) in the plaza are looked after by the community and can be spotted among the trees.
The French naturalist Aimé Bonpland, Humboldt's travel companion, lived here in confinement on the orders of the dictator Francia: he taught trades and studied medicinal plants.
History
The reduction was founded on 8 September 1647 by the Jesuit Manuel Berthot under the name Nuestra Señora de Fe and was moved because of bandeirante (Portuguese-Brazilian slave raider) attacks before settling here. Its original church was lost to a fire in 1889. Today the community promotes tourism and handicrafts with the support of solidarity projects.
Tips
- Museum admission: ₲20,000 per person (call ahead to check opening times).
- Don't feed the monkeys: they are cared for so that they stay wild.
- Combine it in one day with San Ignacio and Santa Rosa.
Diocesan Museum: admission ₲20,000; opening times vary (check before you go).
Best time: Autumn, winter and spring; Holy Week for Kurusu Cerro.
What to try
- Homemade local sweets
Activities
Nearby
San Ignacio · Misiones
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San Ignacio Guazú y su Museo Diocesano de Arte Jesuítico
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Santa Rosa de Lima y la Capilla de Loreto
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Hills around the Jesuit town with reddish rocks in odd shapes, medicinal plants and a rocking boulder.
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San Juan Bautista, cuna de Mangoré
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San Miguel, Capital de la Lana
Hand-woven wool ponchos, blankets and sweaters, sold right on Route PY01.
Researched and reviewed in September 2026 with 5 sources. A second reviewer checked dates, coordinates and lodging. Hours and prices may change.