What to See in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia: Free Audio Guide

Santa Cruz de la Sierra offers a distinct introduction to Bolivia, contrasting sharply with the high-altitude Andean destinations in the west. Located in the eastern lowlands, this warm and fast-growing city features a tropical savanna climate, a relaxed pace, and a lively street culture that make it an inviting stop before exploring the rest of Bolivia. To help you navigate the city on your own terms, Neywo provides a free audio guide for Santa Cruz de la Sierra featuring 24 narrated places.

What to See in Santa Cruz de la Sierra

Plaza 24 de Septiembre and the Cathedral Basilica

The city’s social and historical life centers on Plaza 24 de Septiembre, named after the 1810 independence movement uprising. At its center stands a statue of local independence hero Ignacio Warnes, surrounded by lush palm trees and everyday gatherings. Right on the square sits the Cathedral Basilica of St. Lawrence, the city’s main Catholic church. Rebuilt in an eclectic style around 1838 by French architect Felipe Bertres, the cathedral also houses the Museum of Sacred Art, which displays 17th-century gold-embroidered robes and intricate wooden sculptures.

Historic and Cultural Landmarks

Just a short walk away, the Casa Municipal de Cultura Raul Otero Reiche occupies a building that blends Neo-Colonial and Art-Deco styles, having started as a 1912 cinema before becoming a seat of departmental governance. Nearby, the Contemporary Art Museum (MAC) is housed in a restored 1910 colonial-era residence known as the House of the Three Turkeys, featuring a serene central courtyard and rotating displays of modern works. For ecclesiastical architecture, the mid-19th-century Church of Saint Andrews preserves an elegant wooden structure with Tuscan-style columns and a carved fronton.

Museums and Local Markets

The Museo de Historia Regional, housed in a historic building once belonging to a prominent local family, explores regional heritage through exhibitions on Chiquitano culture and artifacts from pipeline excavations. Meanwhile, the Noel Kempff Mercado Museum of Natural History showcases thousands of scientific specimens, including fossils of a giant ground sloth. For traditional crafts, Paseo Artesanal La Recova features 51 small thatched-roof houses where artisans sell leather goods, wooden sculptures, and jewelry made with bolivianita.

Parks and Outdoor Spaces

The Central Urban Park serves as the green heart of the city, complete with sports courts, bike paths, and a fountain of dancing waters synchronized with music and lights at dusk. Its western entrance features the Summit of the Americas Monument designed by Swiss architect Mario Botta. Further out, the Botanical Garden of Santa Cruz spans over 180 hectares across subtropical and dry Chaco forest zones, offering walking trails alongside a serpentine stream and hundreds of native plant and bird species.

Explore Santa Cruz de la Sierra with Neywo

Discover the city at your own pace with the Neywo Santa Cruz de la Sierra audio guide. The app tells the story of each place as you reach it, with no group and no schedule to follow, and narrations available in 11 languages.

Whether you are planning a trip through Sucre, Potosi, La Paz, Copacabana, or Cochabamba, download Neywo and let the city’s history unfold around you.