At Santa Ana, which was founded in 1633 but moved here in 1660, dense forest has been partially removed to reveal a settlement that had over 7000 Guaraní inhabitants at its peak. The enormous 140-sq-meter plaza attests to its importance. The muscular church’s thick walls and surrounding photogenic strangler figs lend a dramatic effect to what must have been a magnificent building, though none of its decorative embellishments remain. The cemetery, used into the latter half of the 20th century, is now neglected.
On the left side as you enter the main plaza you'll spot the ruins of a small chapel. Behind the church, a channel and reservoir remain from what was a sophisticated irrigation system.
