Santa Cruz is a city often overlooked by backpackers and travelers as they rush through their South American trip. But if you take the time to explore and get to know the people you will find a city rich in stories, hospitality, and a city creating its own history in the making.

Santa Cruz is a city of contradictions - its geographic location brings the first. The city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra is located in the eastern part of the country at 416 m above sea level.  While Bolivia is well know for its Altiplano and the Andes mountain ranges, being famous for having the highest “everything” but the largest single territory of the whole country is found within the tropical department of Santa Cruz. The weather is semi-tropical and usually sunny, blessed with a temperate climate through winter; baking summers often require the refreshment of a swimming pool or visit to the local aqua park.

A source of political conflict and contradiction within the country is perception of affluence. If you visit this city after the rest of Bolivia you will think you have traveled to a completely different country. It is a wealthy city – the average (reported) cruceñan wage is more than 4 times the average Bolivian wage, if you stick to just the first 3 rings (about ¼ of the cities actual physical space) you will see big houses, expensive 4x4 vehicles, fancy restaurants and clubs and bars that charge similar prices to its neighboring country, Brazil. But all this façade hides a city that it’s growing quickly (now 10+ rings) and will struggle to keep up with basic services for those who are unable to pay for it - the poor, the unemployed, the disabled, the old and of course the children.

Of course the worst contradiction of all is the nasty rumor that there is nothing for travelers in Santa Cruz. The city may not have the worlds highest this or the coldest that… but surely a few things like – a beach dumped in the middle of the city (Las Lomas de Arena), mirrors mirrors down the mountain (Espejillos), UNESCO World Heritage sites (Missiones Jesuiticas), and a giant rock used for historic communication 1500 years before Incas which are just some of the things a guide book WONT tell you about is enough to get you interested…..?