Ñuflo de Chávez established Bolivia’s city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra during the year 1560 in honor of his native city in Spain. Santa Cruz was known as the supplier of rice, sugar, fruit, and cotton during the 16th century. It remained prosperous until the end of the 1800s. Today, Santa Cruz has over a million residents based in the Instituto Nacional de Estadística or INE.
Santa Cruz is situated at 416 meters altitude above sea level. It has a semi-tropical climate and sunny weather and temperature of 32C or 90F during summer and 21C or 70F during winter. Short downpours of rainfall transpire during the winter while a single downpour may last for several days in summer. Surazos or heavy, chilly winds are experienced in Santa Cruz from the treeless plains of Argentina.
Getting to Santa Cruz can be done either by land, train, or air. Some of the most popular attractions in Santa Cruz include the following:
• Plaza 24 de Septiembre – This main attraction in Santa Cruz is best for relaxing under tall trees.
• El Fuerte de Samaipata – Also referred to as the Fortress, this main attraction in Santa Cruz is a huge complex of Inca ruins, which is 120 km southwest of Santa Cruz.
• Parque Nacional Noel Kempff Mercado – This popular attraction in Santa Cruz is known for its unbelievable sceneries that include rainforests, waterfalls, and rivers. It also has an assortment of flora and fauna including pink dolphins, river otters, spider monkeys, tapirs, alligators, and caimans, among others.