Santiago de Chiquitos

Santiago de Chiquitos is an absolutely mandatory side trip along the Santa Cruz-Brazil railway line, and one of last of the original Jesuit mission towns. Founded as Santiago Apóstol in 1754 by the missionaries Frs. Gaspar Troncoso and Gaspar Campos, it was the eighth Jesuit mission settlement (only Santa Ana, founded the following year, and Santo Corazón, founded in 1760, are newer), and was relocated a decade later to its current spot at the foot of the beautiful Serranía Santiago range, about 14 miles (22 kms) east of Roboré. If you're in Roboré and want to visit this lovely town but are bereft of a vehicle, there are taxis that will take you for about US$10 round trip, or a micro (local bus) you can catch for about US$1.

As with the Chiquitania as a whole, the pace of life here is slow and calm. Along with Roboré, Santiago has a reputation for having a very healthy climate and extraordinarily long-lived inhabitants. Given its bucolic setting, pretty surroundings, and agreeable weather (it is somewhat sheltered from the heat by the serranía), it is easy to understand why it is often referred to as la Shangri-la del Sureste Cruceño ("the Shangri-la of the Southeast") or even la Antesala del Cielo ("Heaven's Waiting Room"). Put another way, if you were daft enough to honeymoon in the Chiquitania, this is where you would want to go. Perhaps you wouldn't be so daft after all: Santiago, with scarcely 1,000 inhabitants) also has a reputation as being the safest town in Bolivia. (As of mid-2006, no serious crime has been recorded here in more than 35 years.)

Heaven's waiting room: outside Santiago de Chiquitos

Where to Go
You should start with the church, which has been restored three times. And...uh... well, you'll end with it, too. This is, after all, a small town. But that's only as far as in-town sights go. Actually, before you go anywhere, you should check with Shannon Trilli. She's the tall Texan who pretty much single-handedly has put this town on the map for tourists, and knows it and the area better than anyone else. Drop her an email before you arrive and you can't possibly go wrong.

The area around the town is fascinating territory. In fact, it is the only municipality located in the gorgeous (and environmentally unique) Departmental Reserve Valle Tucavaca. To help preserve and promote this ecological gem, Santiago is home to the interactive, multi-media Centro de Interpretación del Bosque Seco Tropical (Tropical Dry Forest Interpretation Center), "El Panorama". Operating under the aegis of the acclaimed conservation non-profit group Fundación para la Conversación del Bosque Chiquitano, this is a mandatory stop. Located just in front of the Serranía Santiago, its setting alone is worth the trip. For maximum impact, stop first at the tour guide association (see below, located just a block east of the plaza), and have a guide accompany you.

Santiago, as with several other Jesuit mission towns, also plays host every other April for the prestigious International American Renaissance and Baroque Music Festival "Misiones de Chiquitos". (If you've read anything about the other mission settlements, you've probably come to accept this as the norm for these little towns by now.) Strange as it may seem for a town the size of Santiago, it also boasts a Tourist Guides Association (Asociación de Guías de Turismo), and with good reason. You'll want to hook up with them before setting out, as there are myriad hiking and trekking options in the area. Prices for these trips range from a paltry Bs. 40 for a half-day hike to Bs. 80 for a full-day excursion. You won't miss the change and you definitely won't forget the experience.

Cave paintings: Santiago de Chiquitos

To start with, there are dozens of caves, caverns, and rock faces all over that boast superior pre-historic paintings. Some are protected, but in most cases they're exactly as they were thousands of years ago. It's an amazing experience to wander about these silent stone galleries unencumbered, free to photograph as you like. The locals - even little children - never abuse this privilege; neither should you. The easiest to get to are Motacú and El Banquete (the latter is also a great spot for fossil hunting), both to the northwest out of town.

Keep heading in the same direction and you'll approach the foothills of the Serranía Santiago, which is amongst the best hiking terrain in the country. Here you'll see some interesting wind-carved rock formations, natural stone bridges, petrified forests, and possibly the oddest rock formations anywhere on earth. The Arco de Don Rómulo, Puente del Mono, Cañon de San Marcos, and Cueva Miserendino in particular are must sees. Anyone in town knows how to get to these spots although using a guide is again the best approach. Day expeditions to them are very popular; townsfolk often head out on horseback for picnics here.

Santiago also has the good fortune to have a number of crystal-clear pools, waterfalls, and small rivers on all sides. Ask anyone how to get to these places. Soledad, La Colina, La Muela del Diablo, Las Mercedes, and especially Quituniquiña are popular. If it's a hot day, you can do no better than to relax in one of the myriad pozos (small natural pools) that dot the landscape: you'll swear you're in heaven. Las Cachuelas is also a popular nearby balneario. The nearby Río Aguas Calientes, southeast of town, with its thermal waters, is also a top spot. Ecological trails are very popular in Santiago, with at least seven operating, each to different destinations. At all costs, be sure not to miss a trip to El Sendero Turístico y Mirador El Órgano, where there are interpretive trails that afford wonderful views and tell the story of the mysterious Valle Tucavaca.

Seeing is believing: Chiquitano dry forest in the Valle Tucavaca

A bit further east, heading towards another Jesuit settlement, Santo Corazón, you will find what is truly the continent's last paradise. The Valle Tucavaca (often misspelled as Tucabaca, as "b" and "v" sound similar to the Bolivian ear) is gorgeous beyond description. The valley - where it is so quiet one can hear a bird miles away - is the ecologically unique Chiquitano dry forest, with thousands upon thousands of wild orchids, flanked by millennia-old, wind-eroded rocks (especially popular are the Arco de Don Rómulo and the Puente del Mono) on one side and a petrified forest on the other. This place is a psychedelic cross between a primeval forest and something out of "The Wizard of Oz". If any place deserves the sobriquet "mind-blowing" it is the Valle Tucuvaca.

As noted above, Santiago is the only community that is located within the limits of the Valle de Tucavaca Municipal Reserve, which is considered not only the best preserved stretch of Chiquitano dry forest in South America, but also the most pristine tropical dry forest environment in the entire world. Declared a protected area by the prefectural government (but not the federal government...yet), this reserve occupies more than a third of the municipality of Roboré.  

Places to Eat in Santiago

The following establishments are listed alphabetically, and are not in any other particular order. Most hotels and other accommodations have their own restaurants and consequently are not included in this list.

Santiago is small enough that most establishments, let alone houses, do not have telephone service. The way around this is to call the local ENTEL office at 313.5590 and ask for information about these places (and in the case of accomodations) to make reservations. Seriously!

Places to Stay in Santiago

When to Visit Santiago

As with the towns in Guarayos, and its fellow Jesuit mission towns of San Javier and San José de Chiquitos , Santiago is rich in tradition. Several times a year you can see displays of now-dimly recalled traditions, often in the form of dancing, that are unique to this town (or have become extinct elsewhere). These are still largely unknown to the outside world. Ask at the alcaldía if there are any performances scheduled when you are there.

A traditional - and now nearly extinct - Chiquitania dance

But Does Santiago Have A...?