UNESCO Jesuit Missions · Cañon Chochis · Valley de Tucavaca · Aguas Calientes Thermal River
Overview
East of Santa Cruz lies one of Bolivia’s most extraordinary and least-visited cultural landscapes: the Chiquitanía — a vast lowland plain that in the 17th and 18th centuries became the setting for one of the most ambitious missionary projects in the Americas. The Jesuit missions of the Chiquitanos, six of which are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, transformed the regional culture in ways still visible today: in the architecture, in the music, in the ritual calendar, and in the faces of the local communities.
This 4-day tour is designed as the most comprehensive single itinerary through the Chiquitanía, combining the UNESCO mission towns of San José de Chiquitos and Concepción with the dramatic sandstone landscapes of Cañon Chochis and the village of Santiago de Chiquitos, the remote natural wonder of the Valley de Tucavaca, and the extraordinary thermal river of Aguas Calientes — a natural river heated by volcanic activity, where guests bathe in clear, warm water surrounded by wild forest.
Accommodation is provided in comfortable local hotels. All transport is private 4WD, essential for the rougher roads to Tucavaca and Aguas Calientes. English-speaking guide throughout.
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Early morning hotel pickup in Santa Cruz. The drive east along the lowland highway takes approximately 3–4 hours, crossing progressively drier Chaqueno landscape as we enter the Chiquitanía proper. Arrival in San José de Chiquitos — the most intact of all the Jesuit mission settlements and the most architecturally striking, with its extraordinary 18th-century stone mission complex, unique in Bolivia for being built in stone rather than wood.
The guide leads a full orientation of the mission buildings — the church, the cemetery chapel, the bell tower and the college — explaining the remarkable history of how the Jesuits and Chiquitanos collaborated to build this complex using only local materials and indigenous labour, inspired by Baroque architectural plans brought from Europe. Afternoon free to explore the town plaza, the artisan market and the surrounding streets. Overnight in San José de Chiquitos.
Morning departure from San José northwards towards the dramatic sandstone cliffs of Cañon Chochis. The landscape changes completely as the plains give way to vertical red sandstone walls and the famous chapel of the Virgen de Guadalupe, built directly against the cliff face in one of the most photogenic settings in eastern Bolivia. The nearby village of Santiago de Chiquitos is a perfectly preserved colonial settlement with a small Jesuit mission church — quieter and more intimate than San José, and much less visited.
Continued drive to Concepción, a UNESCO mission town with one of the finest baroque churches in South America — recently and beautifully restored. The guide covers the art, the history and the continuing musical tradition of the Chiquitanos, whose choral and orchestral festivals keep alive the sacred music the Jesuits brought from Europe in the 18th century. Overnight in Concepción.
Return south to the Valley de Tucavaca — one of the wildest and least-visited landscapes in the Chiquitanía, a broad valley flanked by ancient sandstone ridges covered in dry Chaqueno forest. The route requires the 4WD vehicle on unpaved tracks through cattle country. The valley floor opens into a series of seasonal wetlands and granite outcrops that make for excellent wildlife watching — jabiru storks, raptors, capybara and occasional deer are common sightings. The guide conducts a walking exploration of the valley, explaining the geology and ecology of this transition zone between the Chaco and the Cerrado. Overnight in accommodation near the valley.
The final morning of the tour visits Aguas Calientes, one of Bolivia’s most unusual natural features: a river naturally heated by volcanic activity to a comfortable bathing temperature, flowing through forest with a backdrop of rugged hills. Guests swim or soak in the clear warm water surrounded by nature — a memorable final experience before the drive back to Santa Cruz. Return to Santa Cruz hotel by early evening.
Our team replies within a few hours. We also speak Spanish and English.