What to do and see in Argentina, Argentina: The Best Mines

Reviewed By ladytrave - Amsterdam, The Netherlands

It's about 45 minutes from Iguazú by public bus. The bus drops you at a dirt road from where it is a 3 km walk (and 3 km back) to the mine. There are also taxi's waiting and I took one for AR$300 return. The driver gave his phone number and I could call whenever I wanted to return. Within 10 minutes he was there to take me back to the busstop, perfect! Arriving at the mine there was a guide who spoke good English who gave me a private tour. It's a short tour, about half an hour including his replies on the many questions I had. But it was very interesting and amazing to see how all these different kind of semi precious stones are found in one place. I payed AR$100 entrance but the guides are not employed by the mine and depend on tips so I gave him a good one which he deserved. Included in the entrance is the museum and a small park where they show different plants and trees and you can listen to some Guaraní stories in English, Spanish or Portugese. Very nice! There is also a good restaurant. The shop where the guide drops you at the end of the tour is loaded with all kind of stones, jewelery and objects made of the semi precious stones. But very expensive, prices are in US$ and the strange thing is that they mix painted stones with the natural ones and there might be plastic as well, I don't know. But I think in a shop like this they should only sell the real thing as now if you want to buy you don't know what you are buying. Then it is much cheaper to buy elsewhere, in jewelery shops you know it's real (I hope) and in tourist shops not, but it is cheap and you can take the risk. I definitely recommend the mine, the museum and the park and if you are hungry the restaurant. But I also recommend not to buy anything in this confusing shop.