Late on a Sunday afternoon, the tables along Monseñor Rivero fill with people ordering coffee and watching the light drop behind the trees, and the whole city seems to have agreed to slow down at the same hour. That is Santa Cruz at its most itself: warm, low-lying, unhurried in the evening even when the day has been busy.
The city suits travellers who want a tropical base in Bolivia rather than a high-altitude one, and who are happy to spend a morning on a riverbank or a sand dune and an evening on a boulevard. It also works well as a staging point for excursions further out, including treks in Park Amboro and Noel Kempff, river boat trips in the Amazon region, and cultural excursions to the Jesuit Missions.
This guide covers the sights and experiences within and just outside the city, followed by a one-day plan and answers to the questions visitors ask most often.
Top things to do in Santa Cruz de la Sierra
1. Plaza 24 de Septiembre (Principal Plaza)
The city's main plaza is where locals and visitors gather to sit, talk and watch each other. There are benches and small tables set out for chess, pigeons to feed, and cafes and restaurants around the edges. The city's main cathedral stands on the plaza and is worth a look in its own right.
During the day you can pay to enter the cathedral's small museum and climb to the top of the belltower, where you get a view over the plaza from above. Combine the climb with a slow circuit of the square and a coffee at one of the surrounding places.
2. La Plaza on a Sunday night
Come to La Plaza on a Sunday at around 23:00, when the square is quiet enough to feel the breeze, relax and close your eyes for a while. It is a different experience from the daytime plaza, and a good way to end a day in the city.
While you are there, get a "cafe con leche" or "cafe cortadito" from one of the vendors, particularly if you see the name "Cafe Marcelino" on their shirts.
3. Monseñor Rivero (Boulevard Cruceño)
This is where most people spend the late afternoon, with the boulevard coming to life from around 17:00. It is a place to walk, sit and eat rather than a single sight, and it gives you a good sense of how the city spends its evenings.
Time your visit for the late afternoon so you catch the boulevard as it fills up, and pair it with dinner nearby rather than treating it as a quick stop.
4. El Rio Pirai
The river is the feature that means most to Santa Cruz residents, and it is worth seeing simply to understand the city's relationship with it. It runs along the western side of the city.
Combine a visit with the Cabañas del Rio Pirai in the west part of the city, where you can taste local dishes close to the water.
5. Cabañas del Rio Pirai
Little houses sit close to the river in the west part of the city, where people entertain and where you can taste some local dishes. It is a relaxed, food-led way to spend time by the water rather than just looking at it.
They are reachable by minibuses, which you can find by walking west from the central plaza. Ask around if you are unsure which one to take.
6. Cathedral of Santa Cruz belltower
Climbing the church tower of the Cathedral of Santa Cruz is a short, inexpensive way to get above the plaza and see the centre from a different angle. The cost is Bs. 3.
Do it during the day, when the cathedral's small museum is also open, and combine it with time on Plaza 24 de Septiembre below.
7. Jardín Botánico Municipal (Zoológico Municipal)
This is a modest but pleasant zoo focused on South American animals, with a food court and some kiosks inside. It is an easy, low-key outing rather than a full day.
Entry is Bs. 10, and minibus 32 verde serves it. Many micros pass by the entrance, including the one to Cotoca, so you can pair the two in a single trip.
8. Sloths of Cotoca
At the plaza of Cotoca you can go sloth spotting with your camera and try to find the six or so sloths in the treetops without help from locals. They sit high up, motionless, looking like a roundish part of the tree, though you may catch a face or their fingers.
Do not expect much movement; the pleasure is in the search. Since micros to Cotoca pass the zoo entrance, the two make a natural combination.
9. Biocentro & Resort Güembé
This nature park has a large aviary, a butterfly conservatory, a monkey island, a monkey enclosure and other animals, plus a few swimming pools and a restaurant. It sits a few kilometres outside Santa Cruz and is well maintained, with the aviary a particular highlight.
A shuttle bus leaves from Ventura Mall daily at 10:00, 11:00, 12:00 and 13:00, with return buses at 14:30 and 16:45; the single fare is Bs. 10 and the bus stops on Cuarto Anillo street in front of the mall, unsignposted but labelled Güembé. Park entrance is Bs. 140, so plan to spend enough time there to make it worthwhile.
10. Lomas de Arena
An impressive sand desert where you can walk over dunes and watch birds and ants. There is a marketplace near the ticket office where you can buy water and food.
Minibus 21 runs every five minutes; ask the driver to stop at Lomas de Arena, and catch it at the crossroads on the east corner of El Trompillo airport on the 2nd ring. From the ticket office it is a 7.5 km road to the desert, about 1.5 hours on foot, or you can ask for a "mototaxi". Entry is Bs. 10.
11. Yvaga Guazu park
Out of the city on the road to La Guardia, this park is said to resemble the vegetation of large national parks such as Madidi and Noel Kempff Mercado, making it a reasonable substitute if you cannot reach those. Its name translates as "big paradise" in the Guarani language, and guides are available in Spanish.
Catch a minibus with red markings somewhere close to the 2nd ring on the street leading to La Guardia, and ask the driver to stop at Yvaga Guazu park.
12. CineCenter
A movie theatre complex on the 2nd Ring with a variety of film offerings, a food court, a shopping mall and some high-end cafes and restaurants. It also has a 3D theatre, a video arcade and an indoor playground for small children.
It is a good option on a Sunday, when other parts of the city are quieter.
13. Estadio Ramón Tahuichi Aguilera
The main stadium, inside the 1st Ring, hosts soccer games and the occasional high-profile concert. It gets crowded during The Clasico, when Santa Cruz's two main teams, Oriente Petrolero and Blooming, play each other.
Use caution at the stadium, as fans are often drunk and rowdy.
14. Bowling downtown
A downtown bowling alley where you can rent bowling shoes, which are not included in the price per hour. There is a food and beverage kiosk inside.
It is expensive, so treat it as an evening treat rather than a cheap filler.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at Plaza 24 de Septiembre, walk the square and pay to enter the cathedral's small museum and climb the belltower for the view over the plaza. If you have time before lunch, take minibus 32 verde to the Jardín Botánico Municipal (Zoológico Municipal) and continue on to Cotoca to look for the sloths in the plaza trees.
Afternoon: Head west to El Rio Pirai and the Cabañas del Rio Pirai, where you can eat local dishes by the river. If you would rather be outdoors further out, take minibus 21 to Lomas de Arena instead and walk the dunes, buying water at the marketplace near the ticket office.
Evening: Go to Monseñor Rivero from around 17:00 as the boulevard fills up, then finish at La Plaza around 23:00 on a Sunday, feeling the breeze and getting a "cafe con leche" or "cafe cortadito", ideally from a vendor whose shirt says "Cafe Marcelino".
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to climb the cathedral belltower?
Entry to the cathedral's small museum and the climb to the top of the belltower cost Bs. 3. The same climb is also listed at Bs. 3 for the church tower of the Cathedral of Santa Cruz.
How do I get to Lomas de Arena?
Take minibus 21, which runs every five minutes, and ask the driver to stop at Lomas de Arena. The right place to catch it is the crossroads on the east corner of El Trompillo airport on the 2nd ring; ask people there if you are unsure. From the ticket office it is a 7.5 km road to the desert, about 1.5 hours on foot, or you can ask for a "mototaxi".
Is there a shuttle to Biocentro & Resort Güembé?
Yes. A shuttle bus runs from Ventura Mall daily at 10:00, 11:00, 12:00 and 13:00, with return buses at 14:30 and 16:45. The single fare is Bs. 10, and the bus stops on Cuarto Anillo street in front of the mall; the stop is not signposted, but the bus carries Güembé labels.
What can I do outside the city?
You can book excursions such as trekking in Park Amboro and Noel Kempff, a river boat trip in the Amazon region, and cultural excursions to the Jesuit Missions. Closer in, Yvaga Guazu park on the road to La Guardia offers vegetation said to resemble that of the big national parks, with guides available in Spanish.
Decide which of these fits your days, check the shuttle and minibus times before you set out, and you have enough to start planning a trip to Santa Cruz de la Sierra.