Tourism in the City of Santa Cruz, Bolivia

In Santa Cruz de la Sierra, you will enjoy excellent and distinguished hotel and lodging services and you will taste the varied gastronomy of the place.

The department of Santa Cruz has 15 provinces and 150 cantons.

Santa Cruz is located in the Amazon area of Bolivia, so, it possesses a tropical natural extraordinary beauty.

Tourist Attractions

· The Cathedral Museum of Sacred Art where it is possible to appreciate a fine collection of religious art divided in four rooms: cut out in wood, liturgical ornaments, silver ware and picture gallery (besides a section of jewelry and medals). The museum is located inside the Cathedral.
· The Arenal Ethnographic Museum. It presents a collection of different materials and traditional decorations made by ethnic groups as the Güarayos, Chiquitanos, Ayoreos, Izoseños and Tupi-Güaraníes.
. The Noel Kempff Mercado Natural History Museum. It is under the jurisdiction of the René Moreno Autonomous University. It keeps a valuable collection of botanic samples, animals, fossils, rocks and minerals. Some dinosaur fossils were found not so far away from the city.
· Casa de la Cultura has been working since 1978. It contains a lecture room and a theater where concerts, movies, videos, courses, workshops, and painting, photograph and sculpture exhibitions take place. Besides, it has a library specialized in regional publications.

Another attraction is the Zoological Park of South American Life; this park presents a variety of South American animal species like: the borochi or mane wolf (Chrysocyon brachiurus), the mount dog (Speothos venaticus) and the solitary hog (Catogonuswagneri).

· Cabañas del río Piraí. This tourist place is located few minutes away from downtown. It is a group of rustic buildings and small restaurants which present an exquisite variety of typical “cruceños” dishes (from Santa Cruz). It is an ideal place for picnics.

Attractions in the surroundings of the city

. The Samaipata Fort. This fortress is the most important architectural edification of the oriental part of Bolivia. It was nominated Cultural Human Patrimony by the UNESCO. There, the Inca culture established an important ceremonial center. These ruins present pre-Columbine architectural techniques such as the rock sculpting and zoomorphic representation.

· Las Misiones Jesuitas. The Jesuit Missions comprehend a marvelous trip towards the missions of San Javier and Concepción which are the most important Jesuit missions to the East of Bolivia. Also, you will find excellent and beautiful agriculture and cattle areas. The Sapocó Lagoon and the dam of the same name are ideal places to bath, swim and enjoy the crystalline waters.

. Cotoca. Here, the famous sanctuary of the Virgin of Cotoca, the protector of the department of Santa Cruz, is situated. Cotoca is located 20 kilometers away from the city. This is an interesting rustic pottery center and it has a delicious regional gastronomy.

. Palmira Lagoon. This lagoon is located 8 Km. to the south of the city behind the Petroleum Refineries of Palmasola. Here, the enthusiastic residents gather up on weekends in order to watch the popular Jet Ski races.

· Lomas de Arena del Palmar. They are big sand dunes without vegetation. They are located 16 kilometers to the south of the city. There are crystalline water lakes where it is possible to swim. Camping areas can be found too. Horse-riding and the observation of flat land birds can be practiced as well.

· Espejillos. It is located 40 Km away from the city. This is an agreeable location which is very popular thanks to its tranquility and beauty. Here, you will be able to observe high crystalline waterfalls and quite rivers.

· Porongo is located 18 Km from the city. It is placed on the Piraí riverbank. This picturesque population keeps its ancestral aspect and customs.

Ecotourism

In the extensive area of Santa Cruz, there are national parks, reserves and navigable rivers where it is possible to practice fishing and different aquatic sports. It is also possible to carry out special safaris or expeditions through the incredible Amazonia.

. Amboró National Park. It is located nearby the populations of Warnes, Montero and Portachuelo, and few kilometers from the magic forest area of Buena Vista. Amboró is a unique ecological park that contains endemic vegetation and animal life. In this zone, ecotourism activities can be carried out. There are photographic and camping areas too.

. Noel Kempff Mercado National Park. This park contains an abundant and extraordinary diversity of flora and fauna species. Here, you will enjoy a marvelous trip in order to appreciate woody landscapes, plateaus, flood-prone zones, waterfalls, rivers and admirable bays.

· The Pantanal. This is a unique destination in the world where it is possible to admire immense forests, swamps and incredible quantity of flora and fauna. It is recommendable to take photographic safaris and other trips like horse riding, walks and sailing in order to observe the impressive flora and fauna. Fishing and some aquatic sports can be practiced.

Ethnic Groups

There are four big ethnic and linguistic groups that inhabit Santa Cruz; they are divided in different tribes and nations: the Chirigüanos or Güaraníes, the Arawacos or Sirionós, the Chiquitanos and the Güarayos.

Hotels in the city of Santa Cruz