Places / South America / Bolivia
Santa Cruz de la Sierra
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At a glance
- Country
- Bolivia
- Region
- Santa Cruz
- Population
- 1.6 million
- Best time to go
- May to September
- Main airport
- Viru Viru International (VVI)
- Coordinates
- 17.78°S, 63.18°W
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Overview
Santa Cruz is Bolivia's largest city and a world away from the Andes: hot, humid and lowland, with a relaxed, outgoing culture known as camba. Its rapid growth has spread it out in rings around a small colonial core.
The city itself is easy-going rather than packed with sights, but it is a superb base. The cloud forests of Amboró, the hill town of Samaipata and the UNESCO-listed Jesuit mission churches of the Chiquitos region are all within reach.
Things to see
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Photo: Marcotbb, CC BY-SA 4.0 Plaza 24 de Septiembre
The shady main square, lined with colonnaded buildings, is where the city comes to sit, talk and people-watch in the evening.
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Photo: AriomPardo, CC BY-SA 4.0 Cathedral Basilica of St Lawrence
The brick cathedral on the plaza, with a bell tower you can climb for views over the city's terracotta rooftops.
Tickets and tours -
Photo: Natalia Rivera from Bogota, Colombia, CC BY 2.0 Biocentro Güembé
A large nature park on the edge of the city with a butterfly house, orchid garden and natural pools.
Tickets and tours -
Photo: Gabriel Millos, CC BY-SA 2.0 Lomas de Arena
A regional park of surprising sand dunes and lagoons just south of the city.
Things to do
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Photo: Dpasten, CC BY-SA 4.0 Samaipata and El Fuerte
A pretty hill town a few hours west, below a huge carved rock that was a pre-Inca ceremonial site.
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Photo: Ángel M. Felicísimo, CC BY-SA 2.0 Amboró National Park
Hike through cloud forest with giant ferns and birdlife on the edge of one of Bolivia's most biodiverse parks.
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Photo: Bamse, CC BY-SA 3.0 Jesuit Missions of Chiquitos
Travel east to see richly decorated eighteenth-century mission churches still at the heart of village life.
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Eat at Mercado Los Pozos
A big covered market for tropical fruit, juices and lowland snacks like cuñapé cheese bread.
Where to stay
Centro
Inside the first ring road, near the plaza, museums and cafés.
Hotels in CentroEquipetrol
The modern district of restaurants, bars and business hotels.
Hotels in Equipetrol
Getting around
Taxis and ride-hailing apps are the easiest way to get around. The city is laid out in concentric rings (anillos), which makes it simple to navigate.
Viru Viru airport is around 15 kilometres north of the centre, about 30 minutes by taxi.
When to go
May to September is the dry season, cooler and less humid, though cold southern winds called surazos can bring sudden chilly spells. The rest of the year is hot and wet. Carnival in February or March is the city's biggest party.
Plan your trip to Santa Cruz de la Sierra
Guide last checked October 2026. Opening times and prices change, so check before you go.