Laishí: Mission History and Water Landscapes

Laishí combines Franciscan mission history with places where museums, river landscapes, and seasonal recreational activities take center stage. In San Francisco de Laishí, you’ll find historic traces of the mission; Villa Escolar and the area around Herradura offer other distinct points of interest.

If you’re looking for a hotel, it’s best to first decide what you want your trip to focus on: mission and industrial history in San Francisco de Laishí, the museum and Río Bermejo in Villa Escolar, or the lagoon and summer events in Herradura. This way, you can choose places based on your interests and then compare specific hotel offers.

Franciscan history in San Francisco de Laishí

A notable technological milestone is part of the mission’s history: it introduced the province’s first automobile, a Ford T. The Misión San Francisco de Asís was founded in 1901 on the banks of the Riacho Salado by Father Pedro Iturralde as a Franciscan mission. Its first chapel was built from local palm materials and also served as a school. There, Indigenous people learned to read and write and about the Catholic religion.

The Franciscan sisters also left their mark on the area’s architecture. They built the “Sagrado Corazón de Jesús” church, a convent dedicated to the education of Indigenous women, and a boarding school. The Convento Franciscano is an Argentine National Historic Monument. Built around 1913, it preserves period artifacts such as photographs, telephones, typewriters, clocks, records, and books.

The Museo Histórico “San Francisco de Laishí” preserves objects and records relating to the history of the mission and the province. A guided visit to the museum with a local guide is available. Together with the religious buildings, it offers insight into different aspects of mission history: education and religious life, as well as the everyday objects that have been preserved.

San Francisco de Laishí also has an industrial history. The Ingenio azucarero was an important center where sugar, corn flour, cracked corn, sugarcane syrup, and cigars were produced. The area also had a timber industry and carpentry workshops. Completed in 1905, the bridge known as the “puente viejo” served as a port: products from the sugar mill were shipped from there on barges and small steamers.

Museum and Río Bermejo in Villa Escolar

The Museo Provincial de Ciencias Naturales in Villa Escolar opened on September 8, 2013, to house a paleontological collection described as the most important in northern Argentina. In addition to the collection, the museum displays examples of the area’s present-day flora and fauna. Here, evidence of extinct life sits alongside nature as it exists today.

Another way to experience Villa Escolar is to visit the Río Bermejo. Visitors come to fish and to take in its banks and the surrounding natural environment. The town thus combines natural history exhibits in the museum with a river landscape that is also of interest for water-based activities.

Opened in 2020, the Parque Acuático in Villa Escolar has two swimming pools, one for adults and one for children, as well as water play equipment. If you’d like to include this attraction in your travel plans, check visitor access for your travel dates in advance.

Herradura, the lagoon, and summer events

Herradura lies near Laishí on the Río Paraguay. The waterways in the area include the Salado, Coltapick, and Ramírez rivers. Some flow into Laguna Herradura, which in turn drains into the Río Paraguay. Herradura is accessible via RN 11 and RP 1; a local road then leads to the town.

Visitor facilities in Herradura include a boat launch and information services at the Camping Municipal visitor center. The Complejo Provincial del Timbó offers spacious camping areas with barbecue grills, restrooms, tables, and benches. In summer, the beach area at Laguna Herradura is sometimes open free of charge, with lifeguards and recreational activities available. Access is occasional and seasonal, so it’s worth checking current visitor information before your trip.

The Fiesta Nacional de la Corvina de Río takes place every summer in Herradura. The program includes live music and participation by food businesses and artisans; admission is free. The program and access rules may vary from one edition to another. One documented edition, in 2026, also included a traditional fishing competition from rowed boats. If you’d like to plan your trip around the festival, check the dates for the relevant edition.

Discover more destinations: Herradura, Pirané, Pilcomayo Department, Formosa Department.

For the main travel overview: Formosa.