The Sureste Cruceño - Getting There

Travelling to the Sureste Cruceño is a simple matter, made all the more so because there aren't many options outside of a good 4WD. If you have that, you can't go wrong. There are only so many places you can get to, and fortunately, there's generally only one way in and one way out.

Travel by Auto
If you have the wherewithal to rent a 4WD, by all means do so. You'll have to do so in Santa Cruz (or possibly San Ignacio de Velasco nowadays). There are a number of outfits that will rent you one, the best amongst them being A. Barron's (3.3420160). Timing is everything: the rainy season (December through February) is no time to travel the Chiquitania. You can't get through: Roads wash out, bridges collapse, and everything is a soaking mess. Any other time of the year is fine, though.

If you go this route, your way is clear: Either be normal and descend upon the Sureste Cruceño from the north by way of San Ignacio (assuming you wish to take in the Jesuit Missions Circuit first), or be an idiot and head due east from Santa Cruz, paralleling the Santa Cruz-Brazil railway. Bolivian officials hoping you may have some connexion with the World Bank solemnly will intone that plans do exist for paving the rough track that parallels the railway. And this time they are telling the truth. Work is "scheduled" to be completed this year (2011), and the section between San José de Chiquitos and Puerto Quijarro finally has been asphalted...not that this will help you much along the intervening 165 miles (265 kms) of dirt and sand track and the innumerable construction-related detours.

Travel by Train
A trip to the Sureste Cruceño is also a trip through it. In which case, travel by train - via the notorious tren de muerte - also makes great sense. You'll go from Santa Cruz to Puerto Quijarro (or vice versa, if you're entering Bolivia from Brazil), with stops at San José de Chiquitos, Roboré, and a handful of microscopic towns along the way. You can get on or off at any of these smaller destinations (good luck finding accommodations), stay a day or two to explore, and then resume travel later, as long as you make your intentions clear when purchasing tickets. The only problem is that this is a very, very narrow gauge railway, and, uh, well...you get the idea what can happen if everyone sits on the same side.

Still on track...barely	Not any more

For the latest train timetables, go here. You can download a copy of schedules and prices (including those for bus routes), here. Tickets, especially for round-trip passage, should be purchased in advance at the bimodal railway/bus station in Santa Cruz, located at the intersection of Avenida Brasil and Tres Pasos, between the third and fourth anillos (3.3488482). If making the trip in reverse, onward tickets may be purchased at the station in Puerto Quijarro (976.2204). More information on train travel is found on the Pantanal - Getting There page, as the vast majority of train passengers are en route to or from that area.

In 2005, the government unveiled a service, entitled the "Tren Misionero", which operates during Semana Santa (Holy Week), although if enough interest is shown, service may be expanded. This is definitely the best way to travel by rail if you are fortunate enough to be in Santa Cruz at this time. It travels as far as Roboré, and has all mod cons and amenities. Best of all, travel is during daylight hours, which affords views of the spectacular landscape travellers otherwise miss on the nocturnal trains.

Travel by Bus
This is very similar to travelling by train, in that the sole route is from Santa Cruz straight across Chiquitos Province until you reach San José de Chiquitos. (There is no bus service to the Pantanal.) Transbolivia and Jenecherú are two carriers that make this trip: The schedule and price list for both lines is here. As with train service, there are several stops along the way. Some are planned, others are more arbitrary. If the driver decides it's time for a siesta, or he's hungry, you'll stop...unless you want to take the wheel. If the road is impassable, a bridge is out, or the bus detours into a ditch in a vain attempt to bypass a rough stretch (this happens more than you care to imagine), you'll most definitely stop. And you'll get out. And you'll push. It's not fun. When it's 40°C in the shade and a sand storm is whipping about you, it's really not fun. The moral? Take the train. Better yet, rent a 4WD.

Perhaps not such a great idea after all