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That rarest of finds. A bustling metropolitan city off the beaten track.
Images of Santa Cruz
Expect: Tropical weather, intrepid travellers, sexy boutiques, busy bars and trendy locals. Pack: Deodorant, insect repellent, Che's Bolivia Diaries, and spare insect repellent.
Santa Cruz
The road from Sucre to Santa Cruz winds scenically (read slowly) through the Alti Plano down into the Bolivian Amazon. A sleepless night of near-crashes, mechanical breakdowns and crying babies (including a whining puppy) had seen me descend 2,500 metres in one hefty dose of 18 hour bus travel. The distance may only be 250 odd kilometres, but I'd boarded in the dry cold of the Andes and arrived in the sweaty humidity of the tropics. As the Cruzeños (residents of Santa Cruz) will doubtless tell you, Bolivian Amazonia is Un otro mundo (if you can't translate then you're in trouble) from the high Andean plateau you see in all the brochures. Despite linking the first and third largest cities in Bolivia, this route remains one of the most dangerous 'main' roads in South America. The faint-hearted won't need to think twice about flying. Of the dozen people I met that had dared the journey, all agreed it was one of the worst of their lives, and two had broken bones to prove it. But if you like to brag to other travellers about just how hardcore you are, here's your chance.
Bolivia's largest city overflows with attitude and flavour. Whether it's the honking horns coming from the permanent traffic around the Plaza de Armas, the boy racers testing the limits of their new sound systems along the Equipetrol, or the rich population diversity (and the tasty food it brings with it); Santa Cruz does not feel like anywhere else in Bolivia. The Cruzeños have also made it known that they see themselves as independent, overwhelmingly voting for provincial autonomy in the 2006 referendum.
Santa Cruz is one of those rare, but perfect things; a flourishing and populous city (with all the conveniences you would expect) located off the beaten track. "We don't get many backpackers coming through here", an American volunteer, who'd lived in Santa Cruz for nine years, told me as we enjoyed a cold Ducal overlooking the Plaza de Armas. Santa Cruz serves as a kind of oasis for intrepid travellers and serious volunteers. Whether arriving shattered on the 'Death Train' from Brazil, preparing for a trek deep into the Bolivian Jungle, or picking up a copy of The Bolivian Diaries and embarking on a pilgrimage to the site of Che Guevara's execution; Santa Cruz is the perfect base. Here you'll bump into the most interesting type of traveller, and be able to share tips and tales over a well-deserved sushi or Italian espresso.
Districts of Santa Cruz
recommended books
- destinations
- Argentina
- Chile
- Peru
- Bolivia
- Iguazu Falls
- San Telmo, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Santiago, Chile
- El Calafate, Patagonia
