Santa Cruz de la Sierra

No reviews yetCity Santa Cruz Department, Bolivia

Edificios en Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Santa Cruz Department, Bolivia

Santa Cruz de la Sierra 3, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Santa Cruz Department, Bolivia

Museo de Historia regional Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Santa Cruz Department, Bolivia

Casa de Cultura, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Santa Cruz Department, Bolivia

About Santa Cruz de la Sierra

Bolivia's largest and fastest-growing city sits in the warm eastern lowlands, a world away from the Andean image of the country. Santa Cruz de la Sierra mixes a relaxed colonial centre of arcaded streets with broad avenues, ring roads and lively neighbourhoods, and its people, the cambas, are known for an easygoing tropical style and a love of music and carnival.

The city was founded in the 16th century and moved west to its present site at the end of that century, but its boom came in the 20th century with agriculture, cattle and natural gas. The heart of town is still Plaza 24 de Septiembre, framed by the brick cathedral, the Casa de la Cultura and shady arcades, while Equipetrol and the outer rings hold restaurants, malls and nightlife.

Green escapes are close: a botanical garden with monkeys, the Biocentro Güembé butterfly park and the dunes of Lomas de Arena. Santa Cruz is also the gateway to the Jesuit Missions of Chiquitos, Samaipata and Amboró National Park. Carnival before Lent is the city's biggest party.

Best seasonMay to September is drier and a little cooler; carnival before Lent is the liveliest time.

Ideal stayTwo to three days for the centre and nearby parks, plus extra days for Samaipata or the Jesuit Missions.

ArrivingViru Viru International Airport, north of the city, has flights from across South America and from Madrid.

12 Places Locals Love in Santa Cruz de la Sierra

Landmarks 1

Plaza 24 de Septiembre

Named for the date of the 1810 uprising against Spanish rule, the main square is shaded by tall trees and ringed by arcaded coloni...

Temples and Shrines 1

Cathedral Basilica of St. Lawrence

The Catedral Metropolitana on the main plaza is a large brick church with twin towers, completed in the early 20th century on the...

Arts 1

Casa de la Cultura Raúl Otero Reiche

This cultural centre on the west side of the main square hosts changing art exhibitions, concerts, film screenings and theatre, an...

Museums 1

Museo de Historia Regional de Santa Cruz

Run by the city's public university, this museum in a colonial building near the plaza traces the story of eastern Bolivia, from I...

Neighborhoods 1

Equipetrol

West of the centre, Equipetrol is the city's most fashionable district, with glass towers, hotels, cafés and many of the best rest...

Food and Drink 1

Avenida Monseñor Rivero

A short drive north of the plaza, this avenue is lined with cafés, ice-cream parlours and restaurants with outdoor terraces, and h...

Shopping 2

Mercado Los Pozos

One of the city's traditional markets, Los Pozos sprawls over several blocks east of the centre with stalls of tropical fruit, jui...

Ventura Mall

On the fourth ring road, Ventura Mall is one of the largest shopping centres in Bolivia, with international and local brands, a ci...

Parks 1

Jardín Botánico de Santa Cruz

The botanical garden on the eastern edge of the city protects a large patch of native forest crossed by shaded trails. Besides lab...

Nature 2

Biocentro Güembé

Across the Piraí River from the city, this nature park combines a large butterfly dome, an orchid garden, aviaries with toucans an...

Lomas de Arena Regional Park

Just south of the city, this protected area surprises visitors with tall pale sand dunes rising beside freshwater lagoons and patc...

Family 1

Noel Kempff Mercado Zoo

The municipal zoo focuses on animals of South America, with big cats such as jaguars, tapirs, monkeys, reptiles and many colourful...

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Photo: Rodolfo Barriga, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

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Photo: Parallelepiped09, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Ruditaly, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Parallelepiped09, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

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