Overview
Eastern Bolivia is little visited by tourists but it is brimming with variety, vitality and living history. Prosperous Santa Cruz, the dynamic, rapidly expanding capital of the region, can seem a bit more like Brazil (just a few hours away by road) than the Bolivia of the altiplano. Riches have been accrued from oil, cattle farming, agriculture, logging and, historically drugs. You may see the wealthy élite's SUVs with darkened windows cruising round the sultry streets.
Outside the city, highlights are legion: the ecosystems of multi-altitude Amboró and Noel Kempff Mercado National Parks are among the most biodiverse on the planet. In the rugged hills, unspoilt, red-roofed Spanish colonial-style villages abound. The the Ruta del Che (Che Guevara Trail) takes you through wild mountain ranges and canyons to the places which feature in the narrative of the last days of the revolutionary's campaign.
Aside from Che's exploits, the region has been the theatre for other huge chapters of human drama, the vestiges of which remain. Wild tribes – fabled to have founded a sophisticated civilisation - repelled the conquistadores only to be subdued by Jesuit missionaries; there's a circuit of stupendously ornate restored Jesuit churches deep in the countryside. The rubber boom brought immense riches and sophisticated towns. Following the decline in the rubber industry abandoned missions, railways, mansions and mills lie alongside vast cattle ranches; but now eco-tourism has spurred a revival.
Holidays Santa Cruz and the Oriente
From expertly designed Private Journeys to trail-blazing Group Tours, browse our range of carefully crafted holidays.
Private Journeys
Bolivia
Signature Bolivia: The final frontier
(based on two people sharing & excluding flights)
Group - Discovery
Bolivia
Zampullin: Vistas of Bolivia
(based on two people sharing & excluding flights)
Things to do
We proudly offer the widest range of activities, excursions and one-of-a-kind experiences across all our destinations, tried and tested personally by our travel experts.
Accommodation
Browse our unrivalled portfolio of accommodation . Every option has been carefully chosen by our team of travel experts, so you can rest assured that you’ll relax in utter comfort.
Where to go when - our guide to Santa Cruz and the Oriente
The weather in Santa Cruz and the Oriente is wide and varied
The dynamic city of Santa Cruz and the surrounding eastern lowlands enjoy a hot, semi-tropical climate year round, with lows of 15°C and highs of 31°C. You can visit stunningly bio-diverse national parks, follow in the footsteps of Che Guevara or explore historic Jesuit missions at any time of year, but for the driest and most pleasant weather aim for April - November.
View our Santa Cruz and the Oriente weather guidePapagaio
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