The Wanda Mines are one of the attractions most visitors include when touring Iguazú, since they hold Argentina's most important semi-precious stone deposit. Here you can see how the stones are extracted and follow the whole production process, from raw rock to finished jewelry and ornaments.
As you walk through the site, you'll be amazed by the colors and shapes of the quartz crystals, amethysts, agates and topazes. Some pieces show hexagonal, bipyramidal and octahedral prisms. Amethyst — with its near-violet color — is the stone found most often in the veins of the Wanda Mines, along with topaz, agate, jasper and rock crystal.
The tour also takes you through the tunnels where the rock face is worked to obtain the rock crystals that, after several chemical and cutting processes, become valuable decorative pieces.
Several mining operations run in Wanda, where stones are not only extracted but also cut, polished and turned into everything from ornaments to jewelry. To get a full picture of one of Argentina's most important mines, and to walk through the different sections of the deposit, the workshops and the sales rooms, we recommend the Wanda Mines tour, which includes transportation and a specialized guide.
The Wanda Mines make for a short excursion that's easy to fit into your stay in Iguazú: you can visit in half a day, or combine it with the San Ignacio Miní Ruins for a fuller day out in Misiones. Along the way, on National Route 12, you'll also catch views of the Paraná River and, on the other bank, neighboring Paraguay.
If you're already picturing yourself walking through tunnels of amethyst and quartz crystal, now's a good time to book your excursion to the Wanda Mines or to plan your full trip with one of our Iguazú travel packages, which bring together the falls, local food and adventure in a single itinerary.
Opening hours for the Wanda Mines
The Wanda Mines are open every day from 8 am to 6:30 pm. Entry is on Boleslao Jejer street, in the town of Wanda, 50 kilometers from Puerto Iguazú.
The full tour of the deposits takes approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Children under 8 don't pay admission, and payments can be made in cash or by credit or debit card.
How much does admission to the Wanda Mines cost?
Ticket prices vary by season, so we recommend checking the official Compañía Minera Wanda website before your visit.
How long does a visit to the Wanda Mines take?
The guided tour lasts between 1 hour and 1 hour and a half, depending on the group's pace.
History of the Wanda Mines
The Wanda Colony, home to the famous deposits, was founded in 1936 by a group of pioneers, most of them Polish. Its name honors a Polish princess known for her kindness and beauty, who lived in the city of Kraków and sacrificed herself for her country by throwing herself into the Vistula River rather than marry the heir to the German throne.
This small immigrant town grew gradually, and by the mid-1940s it already had a functioning port, medical care, shops, warehouses, storage sheds belonging to the Compañía Introductora de Buenos Aires (where Kentucky tobacco was stored), and several sawmills.
The settlers of Wanda grew tobacco, tung, citrus and other subsistence crops. As the colony grew, the national government built schools, health centers, a civil registry office and a National Gendarmerie post.
The colony developed slowly at first, and much faster once paved roads arrived. Around that time, the first yerba mate plantations also appeared, an industry led by several settlers, including the German Otto Bemberg, who, after years of falling short of the profits he expected, decided to close his company and compensate his workers with land. Many of them settled on those lands, including the couple Víctor Enebelo and Amalia Bogado.
While washing clothes in a stream, Amalia cut herself on a violet-colored stone: it was an amethyst, though she didn't know it until years later, when her son Higinio returned to Misiones after working in Minas Gerais, Brazil. When he saw the stone his mother kept at home, he drew on what he'd learned in Brazil to explore the area and contacted the province's mining authorities. Once the presence of geodes was confirmed, he was granted permits to work the basalt rock.
Years later, his sons Higinio and Héctor Enebelo began exploring the land and confirmed the existence of a mine with semi-precious stones. They registered the find with the provincial Directorate of Mines and Geology under the name Selva Irupé, in 1976.
These semi-precious stones exist in the region because the bedrock beneath the province of Misiones formed during the Tertiary period, roughly 150 million years ago, and went through several lava flows from deep within the Earth. As the lava cooled, pockets of gas became trapped inside it, giving rise to the basic rock (basalt) that is the parent rock of the region's semi-precious stones.
What stones you'll find at the Wanda Mines
Many people assign meaning to stones based on their colors, energy and properties: some use them to bring balance to a home or office, while others prefer to carry them as amulets or protection.
Every stone found at the Wanda Mines is a form of quartz, and their names vary depending on how they formed. When air enters the gas pockets in the deposits and cools quickly, it produces agate and jasper; when it cools slowly, it instead produces rock crystal, topaz and violet amethyst. Each stone can also show different shades of the same color and either natural or pressure-formed shapes.
Below is the meaning traditionally given to each of the semi-precious stones found at the Wanda Mines.
Jasper
Known as "the supreme nurturer," jasper is said to provide support in times of stress and to bring calm and fulfillment. It's considered a great ally for aligning the chakras.
Aragonite
For a very long time, aragonite has been linked to truth, understanding and a clear perception of reality. It's also associated with nourishing body and spirit, with freedom, tolerance, clarity, confidence and the insight needed to solve everyday problems.
Violet amethyst
An interesting fact about this mineral is its name: the word "amethyst" comes from the Greek amethystos, meaning "sober." In fact, one of the qualities traditionally attributed to it is countering drunkenness, along with easing stress and physical tension, bringing peace and good luck. Its violet color is said to bring calm to anxious people and to support a good night's sleep.
Yellow topaz
Yellow topaz is said to be a gem that channels its power toward attracting positivity and good things into its owner's life. It's also known as the "luck stone" and is widely used as an amulet: it's believed to reinforce good deeds, dispel negative thoughts, and is especially used as protection against envy.
Geode
Considered of great spiritual value — the most powerful of the whole stone family — geodes are linked to innocence, nobility, purity and strength, and are seen as a major source of positive energy.
Rock crystal
One of the purest minerals that exists, thanks to its unrefined, jagged, pointed structure. It's transparent, with smooth faces, and has piezoelectric properties. It's credited with various spiritual qualities: it's said to promote the expansion of the soul and even to open connections with other entities. Some also believe that sleeping near this mineral encourages prophetic dreams, and that its structure and resonance amplify the energy of any other stones it comes into contact with.
Rhodochrosite
Rhodochrosite represents selfless love and compassion. It's said to inspire a dynamic, positive attitude and to be excellent for the heart, helping to process painful emotions. It's also considered a spiritual stone that opens higher consciousness and psychic abilities.
Citrine
Citrine has been used since the 5th century BC as an energizing stone to attract joy, self-esteem and prosperity. It's said to recharge energy, purify the blood and boost the immune system. It's also credited with heightening psychic awareness, promoting restful sleep, and helping banish fear and nightmares.
Blue agate
Blue agate is said to strengthen emotional and mental flexibility and improve decision-making. It stands out for its hardness — historically hard enough to be used in the armor of various ancient civilizations — which is why it's considered a protective stone that helps balance internal spiritual energies.
Interesting facts about semi-precious stone production
Of all the minerals extracted at the Wanda Mines, 95% break during the process, and only from the remaining 5% is it possible to obtain a whole geode. For a stone to become a piece of jewelry, it needs color, hardness and good crystallization: only 1% ends up in fine jewelry, while the rest goes into costume jewelry and handicrafts.
Radar equipment is used to locate the minerals, which are then freed using the vibrations produced when the rock is broken. As they strike with the hydraulic hammer, miners can tell when a geode is near, because the sound changes.
The difference between a precious stone and a semi-precious one comes down to the mineral's hardness and transparency. Amethyst is a special case, since its value depends on the intensity of its violet color: the darker the stone, the higher its quality. Quartz crystals, for their part, take on a particular shape depending on their molecular structure, which is determined by the chemical element that forms them: hexagonal or bipyramidal prisms, or octahedrons.
The Wanda Mines shop
After touring the deposits, visitors can head to the shop and jewelry store, where gems, ornaments and stones are displayed and sold. Next to the shop is the workshop where semi-precious stones are turned into jewelry pieces — an area visitors can also access.
Compañía Minera Wanda, which runs the mining and production operations as well as the shop, aims to create the best and most varied range of products using semi-precious stones and ornamental rocks, covering every stage of the process: from extracting the mineral, through processing, to selling it in its stores. The team includes gemologists, mining technicians, cutters, faceters, designers and master goldsmiths.
Both the shop and the goldsmith's workshop are open every day. The master goldsmiths keep training through courses in Argentina and abroad, which allows them to craft all kinds of jewelry that combines finely faceted gems with top-quality metal settings and detailed handmade finishes, achieving a quality on par with the world's finest jewelers. The workshop also includes areas for metal tinting, laminating and casting, used to make jewelry findings.
Beyond the tour of the deposit and the shop, the site offers extra activities for visitors who want to stay longer: a restaurant, a theme park and, soon, a paleontology museum. It's a good option if you're planning to spend more than an hour and a half there, or if you're traveling with family and want to combine the educational tour with lunch on site.
At the Wanda Mines shop you'll find a wide range of quality, well-designed products. The most popular pieces are silver jewelry set with gems, citrine bracelets, faceted amethyst earrings and rhodochrosite necklaces. If you're looking for a gift, there are ornaments such as rhodochrosite owls, blue agate slices, aragonite vases and agate slices.
For those who enjoy collecting stones, there are sky-blue topaz and amethyst geodes in various sizes and shapes, as well as faceted amethyst and citrine gems. All products can be paid for in cash or by debit or credit card.
How to get to the Wanda Mines from Puerto Iguazú
There are two ways to get to the Wanda Mines from Puerto Iguazú. The first is by car, driving 50 kilometers along National Route 12 to the town of Wanda, where you turn onto Boleslao Jejer street, which leads directly to the entrance of the deposits. Once inside, well-marked walking trails let you tour the whole site.
An important tip before you go: more than one mining operation runs in the area, and not all of them offer the same experience or belong to the original deposit. Where the access road splits, make sure to follow the signs toward Compañía Minera Wanda, the historic operation built on the Selva Irupé deposit. If you're traveling on your own, it's worth confirming the name of the operation before getting out of the car or bus, to avoid any confusion at the entrance.
The second option is by bus, from the Puerto Iguazú terminal (Av. Córdoba 200), where the Expreso Singer line departs every two hours toward the Wanda Mines. The route runs along RN 12, and passengers get off in the town of Wanda.
Can I go by car on my own, or do I need to book a tour?
Both options work. You can drive there yourself along National Route 12, take the scheduled bus from the Puerto Iguazú terminal, or book a tour with transportation and a guide, which is often combined with a visit to the San Ignacio Miní Ruins.
What's the difference between Compañía Minera Wanda and other deposits in the area?
Compañía Minera Wanda is the original operation, built on the Selva Irupé deposit discovered in 1976. More than one mining venture operates in the area, so it's worth paying attention to the signage when you arrive to make sure you're entering the one you're looking for.