Argentina Travel Planet

Mailin

Mailín, Santiago del Estero

A small Argentine town in the northern province of Santiago del Estero, Mailín is an important part of the religious culture of the country. Though surrounded by beautiful landscapes, and with plenty of other things to see and do nearby, the most popular reason for coming to this little town is for the religious significance it holds.

Just 140 kilometers from the provincial capital of Santiago del Estero, Mailín is home to Santuario de Nuestro Señor, a grand church overlooking the main square. Here, the image of El Señor de los Milagros (The Lord of Miracles) is held and revered. It is a great image of Christ painted on a wooden cross, which was found in the trunk of a carob tree in 1736, and has since developed a strong devotion of those from all over Argentina, but most notably from the north.

This devotion is celebrated every year during one of the largest religious festivals in the country, and certainly the most important one in Santiago del Estero. Each year, 40 days after Easter, thousands make the pilgrimage to the small town, arriving a few days before the early May celebration begins.

The town doesn’t receive too much traffic during the rest of the year, at least not to the degree of what it sees during this important religious time. For that reason, the town is only equipped with one hotel, but this doesn’t stop the flow of people, who sleep in their cars and in tents to be in town for the event.

The festival lasts for 4 days, and is filled with processions and a large celebration on the fourth day. A week later, the children have their own day to celebrate, and on the last Sunday, the historic cross is transferred back to its temple.

No less than 120,000 people come from all over the country each year to be a part of the important celebration, making it the largest and most colorful in the province, and possibly in all of northern Argentina. The church has been named a National Historic Monument.

There are not many towns near Mailín, but the surrounding landscape is as beautiful as you would expect in a northern Argentine province. While different adventure-tourism activities can be done here, the true draw is the church and the annual festival.

The small town is accessed by route 34, which stems from the capital city of Santiago del Estero. As mentioned before, accommodations in the town are extremely limited, so it is best to plan the trip and make all necessary arrangements before arriving. The summer months tend to be quite rainy, but it is still a lovely place to visit, year round. For more information about Santiago del Estero, please visit this Argentina Travel Guide.