The department of Santa Cruz, in the geographical heart of South America in the east of Bolivia covers an area of 370,621 Km2, which is equivalent to 34% of the total area of Bolivia. It is therefore the largest department of the country

Santa Cruz offers a variety of natural landscapes with one of the highest biodiversity indices of the continent because of the integration of elements from the Amazon, the Boreal Chaco and the Andes. Its cultural heritage reflected in its architectonic and historical monuments, its culture expressed in its customs and ancestral traditions, its artistic expression and living people, turn this region into an authentic destination where diversity and adventure promise visitors an unforgettable experience. All this in a setting in which the people’s hospitality is the most remarkable feature.

Because of its physical and human geography, Santa Cruz is an important Tourist Destination. Three sites in this department have been acknowledged internationally as Natural and Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Visit and get to know Santa Cruz de la Sierra, the capital city of Santa Cruz. And enjoy a comprehensive variety of hotels, hostels and the varied local gastronomy. The department of Santa Cruz has 15 provinces and 150 cantons. The department of Santa Cruz and its capital city Santa Cruz de la Sierra are located in the Bolivian Amazon, with an extremely beautiful natural wealth.

Tourist attractions

The Ethnographic Museum El Arenal at the Isla de los Murales. This museum has a collection of utilitarian and decorative crafts of various indigenous ethnic groups - Guarayos, Chiquitanos, Ayoreos, Izoseños, Tupi–Guaraní – and of the mestizo culture of the valleys.

The Museum of Natural History Noel Kempff Mercado, which is part of state university Universidad Autónoma Gabriel René Moreno, holds a valuable collection of plant and animal species, fossils, rocks and minerals. The museum has several dinosaur fossils found near the city.

The Casa de la Cultura opened its doors in 1978, as a space for conferences, theater, concerts, movies, video projections, courses and workshops, exhibitions of paintings, pictures, sculptures, and other activities. And it has a library specialized in regional publications. Another attraction of the city is the South American Wildlife Zoo, which has a varied collection of South American fauna and valuable species that are not found anywhere else, such as the borochi or maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachiurus), the bush dog (Speothos venaticus) and the solitary hog (Catogonuswagneri).

Cabins at the Piraí River. A few minutes away from the city center, you can find a group of native, rustic cabins that house many small restaurants where you can try the rich cuisine of Santa Cruz. The ideal place for a day out.

Attractions on the outskirts of the city

The Samaipata fort is the most important archeological site in the eastern lowlands, which was declared Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. Different Pre-Columbian cultures settled here and later, this place was used as an Inca ceremonial site. The architectural technique used in the ruins is Pre-Columbian, e.g. rock carvings and zoomorphic representations.

Jesuit Missions. Take a trip to the missions of San Javier and Concepción, the most important sites in the Bolivian east! While visiting the eastern lowlands in the east with their agriculture and livestock activities, you can also visit the Sapocó lagoon and dam and have a swim in the crystal-clear water.

Cotoca is the place where the city of Santa Cruz settled when moved from Chiquitos, at 20 Km from the capital city. Here is the famous sanctuary of the virgin of Cotoca, the patron saint of the department of Santa Cruz. Cotoca is an interesting pottery center offering the rustic ceramics that are typical of the region, as well as a variety of delicious regional dishes. Palmira Lagoon: This lagoon is located at 8 Km south from the city behind the Palmasola oil refineries. In the weekend, the people from Santa Cruz meet here to watch jet-ski races.

Espejillos, at 40 Km from the city. A recreation site where one can enjoy quiet and beauty. Crystalline waterfalls of 20 meters high form layered cataracts, wells and pools.

Porongo, at only 18 Km from the city, is a picturesque village on the banks of the Piraí River with a small 18th century church. It looks like the city of Santa Cruz before its explosive growth in the last 40 years, besides having retained the old ways.

Ecotourism Attractions

In the extensive lowlands, there are natural parks, forest reserves and navigable rivers where you can practice boating and fishing the whole year round. There are also possibilities for safaris and expeditions in the Amazon area.

The Amboró National Park near the towns of Warnes, Montero and Portachuelo is another opportunity to penetrate further into the magic forest of the Bolivian lowlands. First, you reach Buena Vista and then the Amboró park, a unique ecological park with endemic plants and animals where you can practice ecotourism activities, take many pictures and camp.

Noel Kempff Mercado park: A park with a rich and extraordinary diversity of plant and animal species. A dream trip for ecotourists who will not find this enormous variety of habitats in a single place anywhere else: forest landscapes, plateaus and flood plains, with waterfalls, virgin forests, rivers and bays where you can observe the local fauna.

El Palmar sand dunes: Large dunes or sand dunes without any vegetation at around 16 Km south from the city. At the foot of the dunes, there are crystalline lagoons where swimming and camping can be alternated with walks in the extensive sand dunes, horse-riding or surfing. You can also simply observe the local birds in the pampa.

The Pantanal is a unique destination in the world where you can marvel at the immense forest, swamps and the plant and animal resources. An opportunity for excursions, photo safaris, observation of the fauna and flora during the day and at night, boating and horse trips, besides sport and artisanal fishing.