Why Go? The Bolivian Oriente is not what you generally see in Bolivi-an tourist brochures. This tropical region, the country’s most prosperous, has a palpable desire to differentiate itself from Bolivia’s traditional highland image. The region’s agriculture boom in recent years brought about a rise in income and a standard of living unequalled by any other Bolivian province.

Though Santa Cruz is Bolivia’s most populous city, it retains a small-town atmosphere despite its cosmopolitan population. From here visit the charming Jesuit mission towns with the country’s loveliest examples of Jesuit archi-tecture. Pre-Inca ruins hide near the small town of Samaipa-ta; revolutionaries make a pilgrimage to where Che Guevara met his maker on the Che Trail around Vallegrande; and there are miles of trekking and tons of wildlife at the little-disturbed Parque Nacional Amboró. If you want a look into a part of Bolivia that defies the stereotype, this is the place to be.

When to Go

Jan Give in to de-sire at the Buena Vista Chocolate Festival on the last Sunday in January.

May-Aug The best time to visit lowland Chiqui-tania to avoid the worst of the heat.

Oct Join the faithful at Valle-grande’s Che Fes-tival, in memory of the legendary revolutionary.

F DNOSAJJMAMJ

Santa Cruz°C/°F Temp Rainfall inches/mm

0

8/200

4/100

6/150

2/50

10/50

0/32

-10/14

30/86

40/104

20/68

Santa Cruz & Gran Chiquitania

Santa Cruz ....................240Buena Vista ...................251Parque Nacional & Área de Uso Múltiple Amboró ......................... 253Samaipata .................... 255Vallegrande ..................260La Higuera ....................262Gran Chiquitania ..........262Jesuit Missions Circuit ...........................264Quijarro ........................269

Best Places to Eat » Taj Mahal (p 246 ) » Yorimichi (p 246 ) » Naïs (p 246 ) » Latina Café (p 259 ) » La Casa del Telegrafista

(p 262 )

Best Places to Stay

» El Pueblito (p 258 ) » Senses Boutique Hotel

(p 245 ) » La Posada del Sol (p 258 ) » Gran Hotel Concepción

(p 265 ) » Los Aventureros (p 245 )

17-santa-cruz-granchiq-bol8.indd 23817-santa-cruz-granchiq-bol8.indd 238 22/02/2013 12:04:52 PM22/02/2013 12:04:52 PM

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

SANTA CRUZ &

GRAN

CHIQ

UITANIA

SANTA CRUZ &

GRAN

CHIQ

UITANIA

SANTA CRUZ &

GRAN

CHIQ

UITANIA

239

Che

Tra

il

(145

km)

(145

km)

(New

Roa

d)To

Coc

haba

mba

To C

ocha

bam

ba(O

ld R

oad)

To C

amir

i (10

0km

);Y

acui

ba

To Y

acui

ba

ParaguaiRío

payGua

o

Grande

Río

Yapacaní

Río

Río

San

Pabl

o

Río Parapetí

Río Piray

Río Ichilo

Co

chab

amb

a

Chuq

uis

aca

San

ta C

ruz

Vis

taBu

ena

Berm

ejo

Pam

pagr

ande

Mat

aral

Các

eres

San

Mat

ías

Cor

umbá

Qui

jarr

o

Sant

iago

de C

hiqu

itos

El C

arm

en

Sant

a A

nade

Chi

quito

s

San

Igna

cio

de V

elas

coSa

nta

Ana

de V

elas

co

San

Raf

ael

de V

elas

co

Con

cepc

ión

San

Ram

ón

San

Juliá

n

San

Mig

uel

de V

elas

co

Tape

ras

El P

ortó

n

Col

onia

42

Qui

mon

eSa

n Jo

sé d

e C

hiqu

itos

Fort

ínR

avel

o

Rob

oré

Puer

to P

aila

sPozo

del

Tigr

e

Agu

asC

alie

ntes

Puer

to

Mon

tero

War

nes La G

uard

ia

Gre

ther

Port

achu

elo

Yap

acan

í

Sam

aipa

ta

Puca

rá

San

Javi

er

Cot

oca

Oki

naw

a

Parq

ue N

acio

nal

Kaa

-Iya

del

Gra

n C

haco

Parq

ueN

acio

nal

Car

rasc

o

su

nsa

raS

era

ní

S

os

loab

Sa

nD

in

íaer

raS

ne

Sa

ír r

ana

Se

d

sé deC

nL

laso

o

iqu

hJ

i t

ay

ou

ar

eG

lan

Lo

sd

di l

Co

rl

n t

la

Or i

a

e

er

s

65ºW

65ºW

64ºW

58ºW

59ºW

61ºW

62ºW

60ºW

17ºS

18ºS

19ºS

58ºW

59ºW

60ºW

61ºW

62ºW

17ºS

19ºS

64ºW

63ºW

Lag

una

Upe

raba

Lag

una

Lag

una

Man

dior

é

Gua

iba

Lag

una

Con

cepc

íon

Pant

anal

Pant

anal

Gran C

haco

Bañ

ados

del

Izo

zog

Bañ

ados

de

Otu

quís

BR

AZIL

Air

port

Inte

rnat

iona

lV

iru-

Vir

u

Vol

cán

Lagu

na

Los

Espe

jillo

s

Los

Vol

cáne

s

La

Paj

cha

4

4

7

Mis

sions

Jesu

it

Cir

cuit

Múlt

iple

Am

bo

róÁ

rea

de

Uso

Par

que

Nac

ional

&

Sai

pin

a

Cho

chís

San

taC

ruz

El Fu

erte

Val

legr

ande

La

Hig

uer

a

010

0 km

050

mile

s

�1 S

avor

the

inte

rnat

iona

l cu

isin

e in

cos

mop

olita

n Sa

nta

Cruz

(p 24

0 )

�2 T

rek

the

still

-unt

ouch

ed

wild

erne

ss a

nd s

pot r

are

wild

life

at P

arqu

e N

acio

nal &

Área

de

Uso

Múl

tiple

Am

boró

(p

253 )

�3 E

xplo

re th

e pr

e-In

ca

ruin

s of

El F

uert

e (p

256 )

in

Sam

aipa

ta

�4 G

et re

volu

tiona

ry o

n th

e Ch

e Tr

ail (

p 260

) in

Valle

gran

de a

nd L

a H

igue

ra

�5 A

dmire

the

rest

ored

ar

chite

ctur

e ar

ound

the

won

derf

ul J

esui

t Mis

sion

s Ci

rcui

t (p 2

64 )

�6 V

isit

the

brea

thta

king

and

re

mot

e sa

nctu

ary

at C

hoch

is

(p 26

9 )

�7 O

gle

an e

ndan

gere

d m

acaw

at L

a Pa

raba

Fre

nte

Roja

Lod

ge (p

261 )

nea

r Sa

ipin

a

Sant

a C

ruz

& G

ran

Chi

quit

ania

Hig

hlig

hts

17-santa-cruz-granchiq-bol8.indd 23917-santa-cruz-granchiq-bol8.indd 239 22/02/2013 12:04:57 PM22/02/2013 12:04:57 PM