Santa Cruz Off The Beaten Path

Espejillos is a small resort and campsite 20 minutes west of Santa Cruz crossing the Piraí River. This is a little paradise in the middle of the rainforest. Check out more pictures of Espejillos in my travelogues!

Tourists visiting Bolivia often overlook the Jesuit Missions of eastern Santa Cruz. However, these rare churches are very unique in its nature and architecture. They were built in the 17th century by the Jesuit missioners and the Chiquito Indians. They present a combination of European Baroque art and the spirituality and artistic expressions of the natives. If you go during Catholic Holy Week or during a Catholic festivity you will see great musical performances and dances from the native people. The most famous missions are Concepcion, San Javier, San Jose, San Miguel, San Rafael, Santa Ana, Asuncion and San Ignacio. San Javier is the easiest to get to. You can either take a bus or fly there from Santa Cruz (tiny airplanes). There are plenty of hotels and hostels to stay. While in the mission check out the little town around the church, they are very well preserved and they have not change much since colonial times.

CARTAGENA


(1993 pop. 616,231), capital of Bolívar dept., NW Colombia, a port on the Bay of Cartagena in the Caribbean Sea. It exports oil, coffee, and platinum. Manufactures include leather and tobacco products, cosmetics, and textiles. Tourism is a growing industry. Cartagena was founded in 1533 and became the treasure city of the Spanish Main, where precious stones and minerals from the New World awaited transshipment to Spain.

Although the harbor was guarded by 29 stone forts and the city was encircled by a high wall of coral, Cartagena suffered sackings and invasions—in 1544, 1560, and in 1586 (by Sir Francis Drake). In 1741 it withstood a three-month British siege. The city was the first of those in Colombia and Venezuela to declare (1811) absolute independence from Spain. Known as the Republic of Cartagena, it was one of the bases used by Simón Bolívar to launch his campaign to liberate Venezuela. In 1815 the city was besieged and captured by the Spanish general Pablo Morillo, who inflicted savage reprisals on the population. Captured by rebel forces in 1821, Cartagena was incorporated into Colombia.

After the revolution the city lost its importance and did not regain it until the 20th cent., with the improvement of communications and the laying of a pipeline to the oil fields of the Magdalena basin. Shady plazas and narrow cobblestone streets make Cartagena one of the most picturesque cities in Latin America.

Points of interest include walls and fortifications from colonial times, a 16th-century cathedral, and the Univ. of Cartagena.

This shows you the size of the Island Fortress which is the most visited Bolivian location. Most cruise ships who offer the South Caribe locations include this beautiful and fascinating location as a part of their itinerary.

Typical Santa Cruz country houses are call 'Pahuichi' and you can find them in while traveling in the country side by the rural roads, to see this you have to get out of the paved roads.

The pictures show the churches of Concepcion (above left) and San Javier (below right). The both are tipical from the region, the one in San Jose is larger and is made out of stone.