Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz may surprise you with its small-town feeling, colonial buildings and relaxed tropical atmosphere. Bolivia’s largest city oozes modernity yet clings stubbornly to tradition. The city center is vibrant and thriving, its narrow streets crowded with suited businesspeople sipping chicha (a fermented-corn drink) at street stalls. Locals still lounge on benches in the main square listening to camba (eastern lowlands) music, restaurants close for siesta and little stores line the porch-fronted houses selling cheap, local products.

This is not the Bolivia that you see on postcards, but it is the place with the greatest population diversity in the country – from the overall-wearing Mennonites strolling past goth kids, to the Japanese community, altiplano immigrants, Cuban doctors, Brazilian settlers and fashionable cruceños (Santa Cruz locals) cruising the tight streets in their SUVs. It’s worth spending a few days here, eating at the international restaurants and checking out the nightlife.

Explore Santa Cruz

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Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Santa Cruz.

  • Gardens

    Jardín Botánico

    Santa Cruz's lush botanical gardens, 12km east of the city center, make for a tranquil escape from the urban scene. Covering more than 200 hectares, the…

  • Cathedral

    Basílica Menor de San Lorenzo

    Although the original cathedral on Plaza 24 de Septiembre was founded in 1605, the present structure dates from 1845 and wasn’t consecrated until 1915…

  • Tower

    Bell Tower

    There are good city views of Santa Cruz from the bell tower of the Basilica Menor de San Lorenzo.

  • Dunes

    Lomas de Arena

    This protected area, 12km south of Santa Cruz, is a strange and striking sandy desert that seems out of place in Santa Cruz's humid environs. It's a good…

  • Zoo

    Zoológico Municipal Fauna Sudamericana

    Santa Cruz zoo has a collection of native birds, mammals and reptiles kept in pleasingly humane conditions, although the llamas are a bit overdressed for…

  • Cultural Center

    Casa Melchor Pinto

    This cultural center is in the impeccably restored family home of Dr Melchor Pinto Parada, a wealthy and influential cruceño who died in 1982. There are…

  • Museum

    Museo de Historia Regional

    In the former home of the Gutiérrez Jiménez family, completed in 1920, this museum has four rooms with displays covering regional history. The first is…

  • Museum

    Museo de Arte Sagrado

    Inside the cathedral, the Museum of Sacred Art displays a collection of religious icons, vestments and medallions. Most interesting are the gold and…

  • Museum

    Museo Guaraní

    A small but interesting and professionally presented exhibition of Guaraní culture, located close to the zoo. The curator is happy to explain the…

  • Park

    Parque El Arenal

    Locals relax around the lagoon at Parque El Arenal, but it's best not to dawdle in the area at night. On an island in the lagoon, a bas-relief mural by…

  • Gallery

    Museo de Arte Contemporáneo

    In an appealing 1920s building with a breezy central patio, this small gallery displaying temporary exhibitions is worth a look for its thought-provoking…

  • Church

    Iglesia San Roque

    Named after the Jesuit San Roque González, this rather plain church is most notable for its single bell tower. The church is open for 15 minutes before…