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We offer holidays to the four corners of the globe. If you want specialist advise please phone our travel team and we will be happy to help.
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- Destinations
- South America
- Bolivia
- Santa Cruz de la Sierra
Santa Cruz de la Sierra
Commonly known as Santa Cruz, the largest city in Bolivia was
founded in 1560 by Spanish conquistador Ñuflo de Chávez. In
contrast to many cities in Bolivia, Santa Cruz is a mere 1,365 feet
(416m) above sea level and enjoys a tropical environment that makes
it an ideal break from the often harsh conditions of the Andes.
Many travellers visit Santa Cruz only as a transit destination, as
flights to Bolivia have an easier time landing there than
navigating the mountains around La Paz. Santa Cruz is a fascinating
travel destination in its own right, however.
A traditionally wealthy city through railroads and oil refining,
downtown Santa Cruz is a pretty area with many shops, restaurants
and museums. Strolling through town is a great way to take in the
beautiful colonial architecture, evident in the numerous
cathedrals; and both locals and tourists take advantage of the
idyllic climate to gather in the Plaza 24 de Septiembre to play
chess, feed the pigeons, or sip a glass of wine at an outdoor
cafe.
The city is known as the fashion capital of Bolivia, and
locally-made clothing is a popular Santa Cruz souvenir. Its
cosmopolitan ambience extends to art galleries, museums, discos and
restaurants, which offer the widest selection in Bolivia.
The convenience and comfort of Santa Cruz makes it an ideal base
to explore some of the most popular attractions in Bolivia,
including Park Amboro, and the historical Jesuit missions. There
are also daily flights to La Paz, or (decidedly less comfortable)
buses available.
Information & Facts
Language
Spanish is the official language, but only 60 to 70% of
the people actually speak it, and then often only as a second
language. The other main languages are Quechua and
Aymar.
Money
The official currency is the Boliviano (BOB), which is divided
into 100 centavos, and is tied to the US Dollar. Money can be
exchanged at exchange bureaux called
casio de cambiosin the main centres, at banks and hotels.
Banking facilities are good in the main cities and ATMs cater for
Visa, Cirrus and MasterCard. Many hotels and other tourist-oriented
institutions accept US Dollars. Major credit cards, including
MasterCard, Diners, Visa and American Express, are accepted in the
bigger hotels, restaurants and shops. Travellers cheques can be
exchanged in
casio de cambiosin the major cities and are best taken in
US Dollars to avoid additional charges.
Time