Santa Cruz City Tours and Sites

City tours can be taken individually or in groups offered by most travel agencies and tour operators. Most of the better hotels also offer them on their own. There are many interesting sites to see within the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra and even more regional sites nearby. Many of these make for a nice day trip and others, just slightly farther from the city may necessitate an overnight stay. There is something for anyone’s taste in travel or leisure. The following are some city sites you can visit on your own without the need to pay for a guide.

Most city tours will likely take you to the Plaza 24 de Septiembre soon after you arrive. The city is built in concentric circles called rings that extend out from this plaza. You can see a map of this on my Santa Cruz page. You can rest here, play chess on one of the may permanently installed chess tables (bring your own pieces), walk around and people-watch, or try to catch a glimpse of one of the “osos perezosos” (three-toed tree sloths) moving around in the trees above. (Please don’t feed them or touch them – they have very long claws and despite how slow they are, they can be dangerous. They are also a protected species so don’t interfere with their natural diet please).

On the southeastern corner of the plaza you’ll immediately see the Catedral de San Lorenzo (St. Lawrence Cathedral) which has a beautiful interior and is over 400 years old. One of its main attractions is its Museo de Arte Sacro (Museum of Sacred Art) inside, where you can view centuries-old gold and silver religious artifacts. You might also be able to convince one of the priests to let you visit the catacombs, deep down under the church. Behind the church on the other side of the block is another restful plaza.

This is not usually part of the typical city tours, but the second concentric city ring (Segundo Anillo) has several roundabouts similar to the ones you’d see in Paris. Each time you get to a roundabout you know you’re at the intersection of a major avenue that crosses through the concentric rings like the spokes on a bicycle wheel (consider the main plaza the wheel hub). Each of these roundabouts has a small plaza and a statue which marks a historic personage or point in the city’s history. It’s an interesting one-hour city tour to take a taxi and circle the Segundo Anillo.

On the Eastern side of the plaza there is a large 3-storied building called Shopping Bolivar. This is one of the main shopping malls in Santa Cruz. There are arcades, clothing, high-tech and hobby shops, and several very large souvenir stores of interest. The Northern side of the plaza houses the Bank of Argentina and several other government offices. Along this sidewalk (Junin/Bolivar Street), just a block to the West is the city’s main post office (Correo Nacional) across from which you’ll find bookstores, jewelry stores, souvenir shops and international newspaper stands.

On the Western side of the plaza you’ll see the Casa de Cultura next to the Cine Palace (Palace Movie Theater). This is Colon/Independencia Street. This “House of Culture” is run by the city tours office and there are always interesting arts and crafts exhibits and you can learn about the local culture and indigenous groups. It also has an art gallery and sometimes there are music recitals and orchestras so be sure to ask at the office as you enter. The exhibits often spill out onto the sidewalk or plaza and some are organized as competitions.

Four blocks southwest of the plaza is 7 Calles. This is a massive outdoor market that covers several city blocks. Here you can find anything you need from toiletries to clothing and shoes, souvenirs, groceries and many MANY tailors. There are several small and very inexpensive hotels in this area. By the way, there are only 6 streets and I don’t know why it’s called 7 Calles (7 Streets).

Two blocks up from 7 Calles you’ll find a small brightly painted, straw-roofed building. This houses Artecampo, one of the most popular souvenir shops for tourists (and always a stop on the guided city tours). All proceeds from the handcrafts sold here go back to the artisans that make them (they are more expensive than in other stores but are not sold for profit so you know you’re contribution is truly benefiting the artisans and their families). They are very beautiful and are brought in from all over the nation.

If you walk straight North from Shopping Bolivar on Calle 24 de Septiembre Street about 8 or 10 blocks, you’ll arrive at the tallest building in Santa Cruz. This is the blue-glassed Palacio de Justicia (Palace of Justice, the department’s supreme court). You’ll have to show your I.D. as you enter, but you can take one of the elevators or, if you’re up to it, you can walk up to the top floors. The stairwell is completely glassed in and gives you the chance to take photos of the city from a high point. Not a usual stop on the guided city tours.

Straight across from the court building is a 3-story brick building with a small attached plaza called Plaza del Estudiante (Student’s Plaza). This is the city library (Biblioteca Municipal). It also has a few small offices inside, like the office used by the group that organizes the annual Film Festival and the Baroque Music Festival. If you read well in Spanish, you can spend some time here being a bookworm.

At this plaza, and running North of it is a street called Monseñor Rivero. The entire street is lined with bakeries, bars, cafes, and other eateries. This is one of the most popular night spots in town. It’s one of the city’s social focal points and a great place to spend an evening watching all the socialites “cruise” the avenue. It can be quite congested, but is located precisely between the 1st and 2nd concentric rings so if you take a taxi to get there, you can easily walk up and down the main thoroughfare from there.

Equipetrol is our other hot nightlife spot and is located just 10 blocks away. Here, Avenida San Martin (the main avenue that cuts through the Equipetrol neighborhood) is transformed into a brightly-lit, colorful, and noisy unending row of chic night spots with bars and cafés and discotheques one after the other (well, OK it's not unending but it does go on for about 6 blocks on both sides of the street).

In southeastern Santa Cruz, about 15 blocks from the central plaza is the Parque Urbano (Urban Park). This is a large, sprawling park where concerts are sometimes held. On Sundays there are small fairs with rides and cotton candy and other snacks for children. There is also a running track that circles the entire park. On either corner of the park you’ll see two tall brick “buildings” that are actually lookout towers.

About 8 blocks straight South of the plaza you’ll come to Plaza Blacutt. This covers an entire city block and is a nice place to just lounge and relax. There is a large grocery store here, a huge bowling alley and many other small eateries all around the plaza and is a nice place to spend a Sunday afternoon. Two blocks West of here you’ll come upon our huge soccer stadium (Estadio Tahuichi) where the regional and national teams play against each other.

If you prefer to spend your time watching animals than people, one of our best parks is probably our zoo (El Zoológico). For a small entrance fee (about $2) you can see all types of endangered tropical species including jaguars, macaws, many snakes, monkeys and other interesting animals. You can walk around easily with children and strollers, there are many benches to rest on, and several vendors who sell toys and snacks. Sundays get hectic – it’s a major family outing on Sundays, but during the rest of the week there is usually no line at all to get in. Don’t expect this to be as luxurious as a U.S. or European zoo. Volunteers are doing the best they can. Most of these animals are rescued from people who thought they would have them as pets (stupid!) and when I was little, this zoo was nothing more than a row of wooden and steel-barred cages lined up on tables on a street, so things have improved quite a lot! City tours don't usually take you here but they might drive by it. You won't see anything that way as the entire zoo is circled by hedges.

If you’re willing to get a bit sandy, you can visit the Cabañas del Piraí (Cabins on the Piraí River). This is a long dirt road lined with small palm leaf-covered huts on either side where you can taste delicious local baked items at tea time. The road ends at the river which, during the rainy season, will swell to great depths and will not have a beach. During the dry season the river very wide and so low you can almost walk across it (however, even if the water is low the currents are strong) and there are places where the sand is mucky and feels like quicksand so you should always be very careful where you step. You can enjoy an afternoon here, rent a 4-wheeler to scoot around on, or hire a horse for a short ride. On Sundays this gets very congested and I suggest going here with one of the guided city tours for your safety, only because unfortunately, hundreds of young people like to come here and there is sometimes an issue with drug use on Sundays and after sundown.

The “cabañas” rest on what used to be the city’s famous Jardín Botánico (Botanical Gardens); however, in the 1980’s a great flood washed it out and completely destroyed it (along with several entire neighborhoods including Equipetrol). You can now visit our new and even more beautiful Jardín Botánico located straight East of the city on the road that leads to Cotoca. And why not make a day trip out of it? Visit Cotoca too!

If you’d like a bird’s eye view of the city, you might want to head for the El Trompillo Airport where several helicopter service companies have their hangars as some offer airborne city tours. For a sort-of-high price, you can take a whirl over the city and get some spectacular photographs of the city and its famous concentric rings. It’s worth it! You’ll get an amazing view of the sierras to the West (which is why Santa Cruz is called Santa Cruz de la Sierra).

Check out my tourism and ecotourism sections for other nearby destinations and my things to do section for descriptions of many more fabulous places to visit and forms of recreation. You'll also find LOTS more in my pages on parks and gardens (including water parks, swimming pools, city parks, etc.) and museums (which includes a listing of art galleries too). Before making your travel plans, get more information on restaurants hotels, events, holidays and transportation.

If you plan to live here we’ve got lots of ideas and special tips for you too! Throughout Santa Cruz you’ll see signs that say “Es Ley del Cruceño la Hospitalidad” (Hospitality is the Law in Santa Cruz). I know you’ll find that to be true!

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