I would probably never have gone to Paraguay if this site hadn't won a separate place on the World Heritage List. As stated above, it represents the same heritage as the missions just across the border in Argentina and Brazil. However, the Jesuit mission of Trinidad probably is the best of them all. There was one other visitor when I arrived at the complex. As a whole, it looked well-maintained.

The site is huge, with a cathedral-like church as the central point. There's another church on site - there were two cemeteries and two kinds of housing as well. Always one for the missionaries and one for the natives. Not really a utopia, after all, wasn't it?

The Trinidad church still has great sculptures. Despite its partly ruined state, one can easily imagine this to be a classical catholic church. Even the crypt and the baptismal font have survived. The site in general looks very peaceful. The grounds are covered with little white flowers, like snowflakes. Its setting reminded me a lot of another outpost WHS, the Buddhist Vihara at Paharpur (Bangladesh).

About 11 km down the road lies Jesus de Tavarangue. This site looks if it has a different layout from the others, or it might be that much of the housing has gone. The only large monument still standing upright is the colossal church.

Entrance to the sites costs 5000 guaranis each. Small denominations of Argentinian pesos are accepted too, but you will get the change in guaranis. I visited both locations on a half-day trip from the Argentinian border town of Posadas. A local taxi driver who I'd hired for the day drove me there. The border crossing in and out of Paraguay earned me four more impressive stamps in my passport, but was without any hassle.