Santa Cruz borders Brazil to the East and Paraguay to the south and is mostly tropical and sub-tropical containing parts of the Amazon basin and rainforest to the North. Situated at the foot of the sierras where the Andes Mountain Range begins to rise off the tropical forest floor. Santa Cruz is the largest city in Bolivia and is now a modern and prosperous financial centre. This is a vibrant and exciting region with many things to do and see. There are a lot of traditions and cultures that the locals are proud of such as local cuisine, festival and arts.

See:

• Santa Cruz Museum of Modern Art – is a small museum that represents artist as well as national and international artists of the 20th and 21st Centuries and functions more as a gallery.
• Museo de Historia Natural Noel Kempff Mercado (NKM Museum of Natural History) – contains a collectionof thousands of fossils, botanical specimens, fish, reptiles, insects, amphibians, birds and mammals.
• Cathedral de San Lorenzo (St. Lawrence Cathedral) is over 400 years old and has a beautifully decorated interior. 
• Shopping Bolivar is on the eastern side of the plaza and is a large 3 storied building. This is one of the main shopping malls in Santa Cruz with arcades offering clothing, souvenir stores and much more.

Experience:

• One of the best zoos in Bolivia – Municipal Zoo features birds, reptiles, mammals from the region as well as endangered and exotic species.
• Parque Nacional Noel Kempff Mercado is a spectacular natural park with incredible scenery of waterfalls, rivers, rainforests and a wide variety of flora and fauna such as alligators, pink dolphins, spider monkeys, etc.
• El Fuerte de Samaipata (Fortress) – The entire Inca ruins complex of around 40 hectares was declared a World Heritage side by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in 1998. 
• Jesuit Missions tour – for those interested in the 16th and 17th century history, visit the beautiful historical churches on the Jesuit Missions. The trip focuses on art, religion, culture, architecture and history while experiencing beautiful landscapes around the numerous small towns.

Secrets of the City:

• Search for that unique gift typical of the area in one of the colourful markets and don’t be surprised if you end up keeping it for yourself.
• Museums, cathedrals, festivals and arts, culture very different to anywhere else you will ever experience.