Discover East BOLIVIA
Day 1: Arrival Santa Cruz
On arrival into Santa Cruz, you will be transferred from the airport to your hotel. En route to your hotel, take some time to see how real Bolivian life is entrenched thoughout this city. While Santa Cruz is the business capital of Bolivia it still has traditional Bolivian aspects such as afternoon siestas, low rise buildings, a diverse culture and many alleyways full of crafts and local fresh produce. The city is saturated with local life. That's what makes Santa Cruz an attractive destination.
When you arrive into Santa Cruz the afternoon is at your leisure, we recommend having a stroll around the city, sample the local cuisine, browse the stalls, have a local beer and watch the locals!
Day 2: Santa Cruz – Concepcion (Mission Tour)
Early in the morning we will pick you up from your hotel in Santa Cruz to take you to San Javier (225 km/140miles) for our Jesuit Mission journey.
The first and oldest church, Jesuit Mission (1691) was founded with the name “San Francisco Xavier¨. After visiting the church and its museum we continue our journey towards the second Mission called ¨Concepción de La Virgen Maria¨ (Concepción), founded in 1709 and served as a mission place for the Christianization of the locals. On the way we will see palm tree savannahs and will stop at the Parador Las Piedras, definitely a photogenic spot with it's big granite rock formations. In Concepción we will visit the museum and the church. Check-in at the hotel in Concepción where we will spend the night.
Day 3: Concepcion to San Ignacio
Today we will drive to San Ignacio (171 km from Concepción). Of the 12 originally founded Jesuit Missions, San Ignacio represents the 7th Mission, founded in 1748 (476 km/296miles from Santa Cruz). San Ignacio has the highest number of inhabitants of all the Missions. We will spend the night in San Ignacio.
Day 4: San Ignacio
After breakfast we will take off to the Missions of San Miguel (1721), San Rafael (1695) and Santa Ana (1755). Santa Ana is the penultimate Mission founded before the expulsion of the Jesuits in 1767. It is the most native in its art expression.
In all these villages (where it seems time stood still for 300 years) you will be able to enjoy the typical scenery of the Chiquitania (the last undiscovered Paradise), the museums and the handicrafts, workshop galleries where native artisans still carve the wood using the same techniques they learned from the Jesuits and enriched with their own expressions of art.
They create religious images and beautiful music instruments. We will spend the night in San Ignacio.
Day 5: San Ignacio to Santa Cruz
Return to Santa Cruz (approximately 8 to 9 hours). We will have lunch in Concepción or San Javier. When you return to Santa Cruz you will spend the night in the same hotel as your first night and the night will be at your leisure.
Day 6: Santa Cruz departure
After breakfast your journey through East Bolivia will finish and you will depart from Santa Cruz. We have included a transfer to the airport for your onward journey.