---
title: "Top 10 Things To Do in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia | Wimup"
description: "The 10 best things to do in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, ranked and mapped. The cathedral tower, Biocentro Güembé, the Lomas de Arena dunes, Los Pozos market and Samaipata."
url: https://wimup.com/city/santa-cruz-bolivia
type: City guide
updated: 2026-10-20
publisher: Wimup (https://wimup.com)
---

# Top 10 Things To Do in Santa Cruz de la Sierra

Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia · South America · By Wimup Editorial, 12 min read

Santa Cruz de la Sierra is Bolivia's largest city and its richest, a lowland boomtown at about 416 metres built on concentric ring roads. The colonial grid survives inside the first ring; the reasons to come are the forests, dunes and mission towns within a few hours of it.

## Quick answer

Give Santa Cruz three days. Spend the first in the centre: Plaza 24 de Septiembre, the cathedral bell tower, Lorgio Vaca's mural at El Arenal and breakfast at Los Pozos market. Spend the second outdoors at Biocentro Güembé or on the Lomas de Arena dunes. Use the third for Samaipata and El Fuerte. May to September is dry; add nights for the Jesuit missions.

## Quick facts

- **Best months:** May · Jul · Sep
- **Ideal length:** 3 days
- **Budget per day:** $40–80
- **Language:** Spanish
- **Getting around:** Taxis & Uber
- **Tourism board:** [Official site](https://culturayturismo.gmsantacruz.gob.bo/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

## The 10 best things to do in Santa Cruz de la Sierra

### 1. Start at Plaza 24 de Septiembre

Square · Plaza 24 de Septiembre, Casco Viejo

The square takes its name from the uprising of 24 September 1810, and General Warnes has stood at its centre since 1920. The cathedral, the Casa de la Cultura and the arcaded streets of the old grid all start here, so it is the natural first hour.

- **Time:** 30–45 min
- **Cost:** Free
- **Best at:** Late afternoon
- **Tip:** Walk the covered arcades around it; they are built for the midday heat

### 2. Climb the cathedral bell tower

Church · Catedral Basílica de San Lorenzo, Plaza 24 de Septiembre

Felipe Bertrés designed the brick basilica, begun in 1838 and consecrated in 1915. The bell tower gives the only high view of the old centre, and the sacred-art museum inside keeps four rooms of silver, vestments and carved wood.

- **Time:** 1 hour
- **Cost:** Church free; tower and museum ticketed
- **Best at:** Morning
- **Tip:** The museum opens weekdays only; on Sunday only the tower opens, from 15:00

Links: [Website](https://culturayturismo.gmsantacruz.gob.bo/articulos/catedral?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 3. Spend a day at Biocentro Güembé

Nature park · Camino a Porongo, Urubó, west of the Piraí

A nature park across the Piraí with a butterfly house, an orchid house, an aviary and a chain of natural pools. Entry covers the pools, kayaks and a guided walk, so it fills a whole day and is the city's best answer to the heat.

- **Time:** Half to full day
- **Cost:** Bs 180 adults, Bs 100 children
- **Best at:** Wednesday or Thursday
- **Tip:** Open Wednesday to Sunday from 9:30; bring swimwear

Links: [Website](https://biocentroguembe.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 4. Sandboard the dunes at Lomas de Arena

Regional park · Parque Regional Lomas de Arena, 12 km south

Pale dunes and seasonal lagoons in a regional park protected since 1991, about 12 km south of the centre. Sandboarding is the reason to go, and the light late in the day is the reason to stay.

- **Time:** Half day
- **Cost:** Tours bundle the entry
- **Best at:** Late afternoon
- **Tip:** Book a 4x4 tour; without one it is a micro and a 4–7 km walk on sand

### 5. Eat breakfast at Mercado Los Pozos

Market · Mercado Los Pozos, north-east of the centre

The traditional central market, on the north-east edge of the old town, and the place to taste the lowlands' fruit. Rough Guides calls it arguably the best food market in Bolivia.

- **Time:** 1 hour
- **Cost:** Pay by the stall
- **Best at:** Morning
- **Tip:** Order a fresh fruit juice at the stalls, then an empanada or a cuñapé

### 6. See the lowland animals at the city zoo

Zoo · Av. Noel Kempff Mercado, between the 2nd and 3rd anillos

Noel Kempff Mercado founded the zoo in 1979, and it keeps only South American species: about 2,000 animals of 250 species on 6.6 hectares. It is the easiest place to see the jaguars, tapirs and macaws of the region's forests.

- **Time:** 2–3 hours
- **Cost:** Bs 15 adults, Bs 5 children
- **Best at:** Opening time
- **Tip:** Open Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00 to 17:00; the animals are livelier early

Links: [Website](https://zoologico.gmsantacruz.gob.bo/Tarifas-Horarios/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 7. Find Lorgio Vaca's mural at Parque El Arenal

Park · Parque El Arenal, north-east of the plaza

A lagoon park a few blocks from the plaza, with Lorgio Vaca's bas-relief mural of the history of the Bolivian east on its island. Vaca began it in 1969 and rebuilt it after a 2010 explosion wrecked it.

- **Time:** 45 min
- **Cost:** Free
- **Best at:** Late afternoon
- **Tip:** Pair it with Los Pozos market, a short walk away

### 8. Walk the forest at the Jardín Botánico

Garden · Carretera a Cotoca, km 8.5

The municipal botanical garden is mostly native forest, about 200 hectares of it, east of the city on the Cotoca road. Toborochi trees and a tropical greenhouse are the set pieces; the forest trails are the reason to come.

- **Time:** 2 hours
- **Cost:** Check when booking
- **Best at:** Morning
- **Tip:** Guided visits run daily at set times; book one ahead

Links: [Website](https://jardinbotanico.gmsantacruz.gob.bo/Visitas-Guiadas/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 9. Visit the Noel Kempff Mercado natural history museum

Museum · Av. Irala 565

The state university's natural history museum, founded in 1986 and named for the biologist murdered in 1986 while surveying the park that now carries his name. Its collections are the clearest introduction to the lowland forests before you go into them.

- **Time:** 1 hour
- **Cost:** Check at the door
- **Best at:** Weekday morning
- **Tip:** Go before a trip to Amboró or the missions, not after

### 10. Day-trip to Samaipata and El Fuerte

Day trip · Samaipata, 120 km southwest

A carved sandstone ridge above the town of Samaipata, a ceremonial site of the 14th to 16th centuries and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998. The road climbs about 120 km into the hills, two to two and a half hours each way.

- **Time:** Full day
- **Cost:** Ticketed site
- **Best at:** Morning
- **Tip:** Stay the night in Samaipata if you can; the drive back after dark is slow

Links: [UNESCO](https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/883?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

## Best parks & nature in Santa Cruz de la Sierra

Six green escapes, from dunes on the city edge to a forest garden on the Cotoca road.

1. **Biocentro Güembé** (Nature park · Ticketed · Urubó): Butterflies, orchids and natural pools across the Piraí. Wednesday to Sunday. [Website](https://biocentroguembe.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
2. **Lomas de Arena** (Dunes · Half day · South of the city): Dunes and seasonal lagoons 12 km south, protected since 1991. Go by 4x4.
3. **Jardín Botánico Municipal** (Garden · Guided visits · Carretera a Cotoca): About 200 hectares of native forest, toborochi trees and a tropical greenhouse. [Website](https://jardinbotanico.gmsantacruz.gob.bo/Visitas-Guiadas/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
4. **Zoológico Noel Kempff Mercado** (Zoo · Bs 15 · 2nd to 3rd anillo): South American species only, about 2,000 animals. Tuesday to Sunday. [Website](https://zoologico.gmsantacruz.gob.bo/Tarifas-Horarios/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
5. **Parque El Arenal** (Park · Free · Casco Viejo): A lagoon park near the plaza, with Lorgio Vaca's mural on its island.
6. **Parque Urbano Central** (Park · Free · Inside the 2nd anillo): About 24 hectares of lawns and paths, the city's busiest green space at weekends.

## Best museums in Santa Cruz de la Sierra

Four, all small, all inside a short ride of the plaza.

1. **Museo de Historia Natural Noel Kempff Mercado** (Natural history · Av. Irala): The state university's natural history collections, founded in 1986.
2. **Museo Catedralicio de Arte Sacro** (Sacred art · Ticketed · Plaza 24 de Septiembre): Four rooms of silver, vestments and carved wood inside the cathedral. Weekdays. [Website](https://culturayturismo.gmsantacruz.gob.bo/articulos/catedral?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
3. **Museo de Historia Regional** (History · Calle Junín): The university's regional history rooms, in a family house finished in 1920.
4. **Museo Artecampo** (Crafts · Casco Viejo): Indigenous crafts from across the department. Tuesday to Saturday afternoons. [Website](https://culturayturismo.gmsantacruz.gob.bo/lugares/museo-artecampo?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

## Best markets in Santa Cruz de la Sierra

Three working markets, where the city buys its food and its everything else.

1. **Mercado Los Pozos** (Food market · North-east of the centre): The central food market. Come for fruit juices, empanadas and breakfast.
2. **Mercado La Ramada** (General market · Inside the 2nd anillo): The sprawling wholesale market around Calle Isabel la Católica. Mind your bag.
3. **Mercado 7 Calles** (Clothing market · Casco Viejo): Rows of clothing and textile stalls in the old centre, cheaper than the malls.

## Best restaurants in Santa Cruz de la Sierra

Six tables, from Camba cooking in a colonial patio to a Nikkei tasting menu across the river.

1. **El Aljibe** (Cruceño · $$ · Casco Viejo): Camba cooking in an 1880s house with a patio. Order the majadito with duck.
2. **Casa del Camba** (Cruceño · $$ · Av. Cristóbal de Mendoza): A big Camba dining hall since 1986, with folk music and dancers most nights.
3. **El Arriero** (Grill · $$$ · Equipetrol): The city's most-reviewed churrasquería. Come hungry for the grilled beef. [Website](https://elarrierobo.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
4. **Jardín de Asia** (Fusion · $$$$ · Equipetrol): Bolivian ingredients cooked with Asian technique, high above Equipetrol. Book ahead.
5. **Sach'a Huaska** (Nikkei · $$$$ · Urubó): Peruvian and Nikkei cooking with a pisco bar, on Latin America's 50 Best 51–100 list in 2022.
6. **Ken** (Japanese · $$$ · Primer anillo): The city's long-standing Japanese table on the first ring. Sushi and sashimi.

## Best nightlife in Santa Cruz de la Sierra

Four bars, from a pub over the plaza to live jazz in Equipetrol. Nights start late here.

1. **Beer Station** (Craft beer · Equipetrol): Craft beer in Equipetrol, with live rock on Friday nights.
2. **Aberdeen Alley** (Live music · Equipetrol): A bar-bistro with live jazz and other music Thursday to Saturday.
3. **Irish Pub** (Pub · Casco Viejo): A first-floor pub with a balcony view over Plaza 24 de Septiembre.
4. **Duda Pop Pub** (Bar · Casco Viejo): A small, eccentric bar in the old town, with burgers and cheap drinks.

## Best neighborhoods in Santa Cruz de la Sierra

Four parts of the city worth knowing, from the colonial grid to the suburbs across the Piraí.

1. **Casco Viejo** (Historic centre · Primer anillo): The colonial grid inside the first ring: the plaza, the cathedral, the arcades.
2. **Equipetrol** (Nightlife · Hotels · Between the 2nd and 4th anillos): The business and nightlife district along Av. San Martín, with the big hotels.
3. **Avenida Monseñor Rivero** (Cafés · Dining · 1st to 2nd anillo): Cafés, restaurants and bars from the Cristo Redentor to the Palacio de Justicia.
4. **Urubó** (Suburb · West of the Piraí): The new suburb across the Piraí, with malls, gated estates and Sach'a Huaska.

## Best day trips in Santa Cruz de la Sierra

Six trips out of the city, from a pilgrim town 17 km away to the Jesuit missions.

1. **Samaipata and El Fuerte** (UNESCO · Full day · Florida province): A carved ceremonial rock, UNESCO-listed in 1998, 2 to 2.5 hours southwest. [UNESCO](https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/883?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
2. **Amboró National Park** (National park · Full day · Buena Vista gateway): Mountain forest from Andes to lowland, a national park since 1984. Enter via Buena Vista.
3. **Jesuit Missions of Chiquitos** (UNESCO · Overnight · Chiquitania): Six mission towns, UNESCO-listed in 1990. San Javier is 3 to 4 hours east; stay a night. [UNESCO](https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/529?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
4. **Cotoca** (Pilgrimage · Half day · East of the city): The Virgen de Cotoca sanctuary, about 17 km east, and a potters' town.
5. **Espejillos** (Waterfall · Half day · Porongo): Clear rock pools and a 20 m waterfall about 30 km out. The last stretch needs a 4x4.
6. **Porongo** (Village · Half day · West of the Piraí): A small town across the Piraí, its San Juan Bautista church listed as heritage.

## Festivals & annual events in Santa Cruz de la Sierra (2026)

- **Carnaval Cruceño** (Feb): Comparsas, a corso in the Cambódromo and three days of street water fights. The dates move with Easter.
- **Semana Santa in the missions** (Mar): Processions in the Chiquitos mission towns, with their own baroque music. Moves with Easter, March or April.
- **Misiones de Chiquitos baroque festival** (Apr): Baroque and Renaissance music in the mission churches and the city. Every even year; the 2026 edition ran 17 to 26 April.
- **FITCRUZ theatre festival** (May): International theatre across the city, in the odd years between the baroque festivals. Late April or May.
- **Expocruz** (Sep): Bolivia's biggest trade fair, with over 2,000 exhibitors across ten days in the second half of September.
- **24 de Septiembre** (Sep): The department's anniversary, marking the 1810 cabildo abierto, with a civic parade and a public holiday.
- **Todos Santos** (Nov): On 1 and 2 November families gather at the cemeteries, and children sing at the tombs for coins.
- **Virgen de Cotoca** (Dec): Hundreds of thousands walk overnight to Cotoca for the 8 December Mass to the patroness of the east.

## Must-try dishes in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia

- **Majadito**: Seasoned rice with shredded charque or chicken, a fried egg and fried plantain.
- **Locro**: A hearty Cruceño soup of hen, rice and squash.
- **Sonso de yuca**: Mashed yuca and cheese, grilled on a stick or baked until golden.
- **Masaco**: Green plantain or yuca pounded with charque. A breakfast dish.
- **Cuñapé**: A small, chewy bread of yuca starch and fresh cheese. Best warm.
- **Keperí**: Beef marinated in sour orange, garlic and cumin, slow-roasted, with yuca.
- **Chicharrón de surubí**: Fried chunks of surubí, the big catfish of the lowland rivers.
- **Somó**: A cold, sweet drink of maize simmered with cinnamon and cloves.

## Santa Cruz de la Sierra transport & airports

- **Viru Viru International Airport** (VVI): Bolivia's busiest airport, about 15 km north of the centre. BoA flies to Madrid and Miami from here, and Copa, Avianca, LATAM, Gol and Aerolíneas Argentinas connect the region. [BoA](https://www.boa.bo/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- **Terminal Bimodal** (Bus · Rail): One terminal for long-distance buses and the Ferroviaria Oriental trains. The Expreso Oriental to Puerto Quijarro on the Brazilian border restarted in May 2026, leaving on Fridays.
- **Micros** (City): Minibuses and buses on more than a hundred numbered routes at a flat fare. They cross the anillos fast but take practice; ask your hotel for the line.
- **Taxis and Uber** (Door to door): The easiest way across a city this spread out. Uber operates here; for a street taxi, agree the fare first. Expect roughly Bs 50 to 90 from the airport. [Uber](https://www.uber.com/global/es-es/cities/santa-cruz/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

## Santa Cruz de la Sierra at a glance

- **Country:** Bolivia
- **Region:** Capital of Santa Cruz department, the eastern lowlands
- **Population:** 1,606,671 at the 2024 census; about 2 million in the metro area
- **Founded:** 1561 by Ñuflo de Chaves; moved to the Piraí in 1622
- **Nickname:** La Ciudad de los Anillos, the city of rings
- **Language:** Spanish
- **Currency:** Boliviano (Bs)
- **Time zone:** UTC-4, no daylight saving
- **Calling code:** +591, city code 3
- **Airports:** Viru Viru International (VVI), about 15 km north
- **Power:** 230 V, 50 Hz, plug types A and C
- **Emergency:** 110 police, 118 ambulance, 119 fire

## Interesting facts

- Santa Cruz is Bolivia's largest city, with 1.6 million people in the municipality at the 2024 census.
- The city stands on its third site. Ñuflo de Chaves founded it in 1561 far to the east, and it reached the Piraí in 1622.
- The plan is a set of concentric ring roads, the anillos, which is why locals give addresses by ring rather than by street.
- Santa Cruz department produces the largest share of Bolivia's GDP, about 31 percent in the 2023 preliminary figures.
- Cruceños call themselves cambas. The word was once a slur from the highlands and is now worn with pride.

## Santa Cruz de la Sierra travel FAQ

### How many days do you need in Santa Cruz de la Sierra?

Three. One for the old centre, the cathedral tower and Los Pozos, one for Biocentro Güembé or Lomas de Arena, and one for Samaipata. Add two or three nights if you are going on to the Jesuit missions of Chiquitos.

### When is the best time to visit Santa Cruz?

May to September, the dry season. Rain falls mostly from November to March. Between June and August a cold surazo wind from the south can drop the temperature to 10–15°C for a few days, so pack a layer.

### Does Santa Cruz have altitude sickness like La Paz?

No. The city sits at about 416 metres in the eastern lowlands, so the problem is heat, not altitude. It is a good place to start a Bolivia trip before going up to Sucre or La Paz.

### How do I get from Viru Viru airport to the centre?

By taxi, roughly Bs 50 to 90, or by Uber, which operates in the city. Airport micros are the cheap option. The airport is about 15 km north of the plaza, so allow half an hour, more at rush hour.

### Can you visit the Jesuit missions from Santa Cruz?

Yes, but not well in a day. San Javier, the nearest of the six UNESCO-listed mission towns, is three to four hours by road. Stay at least a night and add Concepción, or time the trip for the baroque festival in even-numbered years.

## Nearby guides

- [Sucre](https://wimup.com/city/sucre.md): Bolivia · 10 picks
- [La Paz](https://wimup.com/city/la-paz.md): Bolivia · 10 picks
- [Salta](https://wimup.com/city/salta.md): Argentina · 10 picks
- [All of South America →](https://wimup.com/south-america): 30 cities

Part of the [Bolivia guide](https://wimup.com/country/bolivia.md) · [South America](https://wimup.com/south-america.md)

## Sources

- [Santa Cruz de la Sierra tourism board](https://culturayturismo.gmsantacruz.gob.bo/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Climb the cathedral bell tower (official site)](https://culturayturismo.gmsantacruz.gob.bo/articulos/catedral?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Spend a day at Biocentro Güembé (official site)](https://biocentroguembe.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [See the lowland animals at the city zoo (official site)](https://zoologico.gmsantacruz.gob.bo/Tarifas-Horarios/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Walk the forest at the Jardín Botánico (official site)](https://jardinbotanico.gmsantacruz.gob.bo/Visitas-Guiadas/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Day-trip to Samaipata and El Fuerte: UNESCO](https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/883?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Museo Artecampo (official site)](https://culturayturismo.gmsantacruz.gob.bo/lugares/museo-artecampo?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [El Arriero (official site)](https://elarrierobo.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Jesuit Missions of Chiquitos: UNESCO](https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/529?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Viru Viru International Airport: BoA](https://www.boa.bo/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Taxis and Uber: Uber](https://www.uber.com/global/es-es/cities/santa-cruz/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- Rankings are Wimup editorial picks. Prices, durations and budgets are editorial estimates, not live quotes; check the official site before you go.