Santa Ana de Velasco

Santa Ana de Velasco, founded in 1755, holds the distinction of being the only mission founded by one individual, the Jesuit missionary Fr. Julián Nogler. It holds two additional key distinctions: It is also is the only reducción that has its original church still almost wholly intact (although restoration on it is ongoing), and has the only church built after the expulsion of the Jesuits in 1767. Roughly equidistant from San Ignacio de Velasco to the northwest and San Rafael de Velasco to the south, it is a quiet little town (the smallest of the mission settlements, with barely 300 souls) with a timeless feel to it. Most people arrive here from San Ignacio, and proceed quickly along to San Rafael, San Miguel de Velasco , and thence back to San Ignacio (unless completing the trek to San José de Chiquitos in the south). To do so, however, is to commit a mistake of the first order.

In fact, with its grassy plaza and houses built off of it in rectangular fashion, Santa Ana most closely resembles what the reducciones looked like when founded three centuries ago. Very little has changed, and were it not for the presence of electricity and the occasional motor vehicle, the entire town could be mistaken for a colonial outpost still. The entrance to the town is still marked by the Stations of the Cross, exactly as it would have appeared to an eighteenth-century visitor. Santa Ana (along with several other Chiquitos towns) still preserves the offices of cacique (roughly equivalent to the modern-day alcalde or mayor) and cabildo (a sort of town council), which were set up by the Jesuits centuries ago to give the natives a level of official representation.

Plaza of Santa Ana de Velasco: where time stands still

Apart from its beautiful church (the most indigenous of the mission templos, as it was built entirely by natives without Jesuit assistance or direction), Santa Ana is famous for its music. The church's original organ and diatonic harp are still functional, and during the church's restoration, thousands of missionary-era musical scores were discovered. The church also houses some priceless artwork (along with a very cool mission-era sun dial), and there is a tiny museum off the plaza (once the lodgings of the Bolivian patriot Andrés Ibáñez). Behind it is the artesanía known as the Centro Artesanal, run by Fidencio Hernando Lazaro.

As one would expect from the above, Santa Ana, as with the other Chiquitos missions, also hosts the increasingly famous International American Renaissance and Baroque Music Festival "Misiones de Chiquitos" (held every other April in even'numbered years, e.g., 2006, 2008).

And then there's, uh...um...well.... Were it not for the fact that there are usually two meandering about the square at any given time, this would be the proverbial one horse town. But this is precisely why a trip to Santa Ana is so important. It is the most authentic mission settlement of them all, and its relatively small size makes it much easier to take in all at once, so to speak, than the larger Chiquitos missions.

Church of Santa Ana original column support carvings

In the immediate vicinity, there is the Embalse (reservoir) Pauro where you can cool with the locals, and you can see the still-operating Minas de Caolín, where lime is extracted to aid in the white-washing of buildings, exactly as it was when the Jesuits were here. This ancient tradition is still observed in some Chiquitos locales, including - surprisingly - much more urban San Ignacio. You could take a side trip to the nearby indigenous community of El Teré, which is locally known for its brickmaking and ceramic ware. Further out of town are the westernmost serranías of the Chiquitania, a sure indication that the Pantanal lies to the east and the Sureste Cruzeño to the south.

But let's go back to that church organ again for a minute. It is original, and dates to c. 1750. And it still puts out a tune. The boy playing it in the photograph below is Francisco Rocha, the son of the current custodio (custodian or vicar) of the church, Luís Rocha. This is one of the few colonial-era customs still intact in the Chiquitania. The Rochas have held this position (considered a great honour in colonial times), passed down in an unbroken line from father to son for more than two centuries. If you arrive and the church is closed, stand near the gate for a few minutes. If you see a kid on a bicycle looking at you from a distance, wave to him: that's Sr. Luís' son Francisco, the heir apparent, as it were. He'll come blazing over and open the church for you. His sister Antonía Esther makes a great guide, too, even if she is only nine years old.

¿Cómo podemos servirle? De facto Santa Ana tourist guides

Of course, I climbed all over the templo once I was in, including up to the organ loft. As I marvelled at the antiquities, Francisco asked if I wanted to hear anything. Assuming he was joking, I said: "Sure, do you know anything by The Dandy Warhols?" He thought about it for a minute, then nonchalantly sat down in front of a priceless organ and proceeded to slam out a Baroque hymn that would level a forest a mile away. It sounded like a calliope and and Wurlitzer organ playing simultaneously. Never take anything for granted in Bolivia....

: Play that funky music, white boy

Places to Shop in Santa Ana

Places to Eat in Santa Ana
N.B.: Santa Ana at present has only one telephone number: 962.9214. This connects with the local ENTEL operator. Upon answering, tell him or her what establishment you are looking to be connected with. They'll then either put you through (rarely) or take a message for you (almost always).

Places to Stay in Santa Ana
At present there are two places to stay in Santa Ana (unless you count El Tacú above, which also functions as a pensión), as most visitors return to San Ignacio or head south to San José de Chiquitos. However, Comunidad Valenciana - which by the way has a small museum featuring native handicrafts - is run in cooperation with Hombre y Naturaleza, a wonderful ecological awareness group that runs guided tours of local sites of interest. They are acknowledged universally as one of the best outfits of their kind, and also have operations in Concepción and Puerto Suárez.

When to Visit Santa Ana

But Does Santa Ana Have A...?