Ñuflo de Chávez Province

Named for the explorer and founder of the departmental capital (and largest city in Bolivia), Santa Cruz de la Sierra, and carved out of Chiquitos Province in 1915, Ñuflo de Chávez is one of the better-known provinces of the Chiquitania, as it is home to two of the loveliest and most accessible mission towns, San Xavier and Concepción. As these are the first two settlements one normally encounters along the Jesuit Missions Circuit, as well as the largest in the region, each receives a fair number of travellers. The main road (Routes 9 and 502) is paved until 15.5 miles (25 kms) past Concepción, when it becomes packed earth.

The province is a perfect introduction for those who wish to see the Chiquitania by road, as the main route is paved for much of the way (your back with thank you for this) and the scenery beautiful (your eyes with thank you as well). The terrain is mostly vast, rolling plains, watered by several Amazon tributaries; in the south it is given over to cattle raising. The northern half is sparsely populated and covered with lush vegetation - including some of Bolivia's last primary growth rain forest - broken only by the occasional range of low-lying hills.

Not Vermont: Santa Rosa de Mina, Ñuflo de Chávez Province

This territory was roamed originally by the Chiquitano, whose descendants still maintain a nominal presence here, although they are found in greater numbers in neighbouring Chiquitos Province. Nowadays one is more likely to encounter a rancher or farmer than a tribal elder - and as the region opens itself to agribusiness and eco-tourism, the occasional foreign businessman as well.

In fact, the beautiful scenery and relative ease of transport throughout the southern half of the province are increasingly making this part of the province a popular destination, so much so that it now boasts luxury cabañas along the route to San Xavier (itself the site of many country homes for wealthy families from Santa Cruz). The north, on the other hand, is almost wholly without infrastructure, although it does contain part of the 3.5 million-acre (1.4 million-hectare) former Reserva de Vida Silvestre Ríos Blanco y Negro. This pristine, primeval rainforest - until recently a protected area but now in a state of well, who knows - contains such a diverse spectrum of wildlife that new species are still being discovered almost every month.