WHY YOU MUST VISIT SANTA CRUZ BOLIVIA WHEN TRAVELLING IN BOLIVIA

WHY THE SANTA CRUZ DEPARTMENT MUST BE PART OF YOUR BOLIVIAN ITINEARY

( PART 1 )

Sadly many new age travellers and bloggers only visit places to boost their instagram or readers likes, this means only visiting the same old tired places with little to no imagination of exploring new destinations. We would like to show the more intrepid travellers out there the magical locations of the department of Santa Cruz.

1: JARDIN DE LAS DELICAS WATERFALLS

Just 3 hours from the city of Santa Cruz, these spectacular waterfalls are a must visit attraction in Santa Cruz

SAN MIGUELITO JAGUAR CONSERVATION RESERVE

This amazing private Reserve is just 3.5 hours from Santa Cruz and offers one of the most exciting Jungle trips in Bolivia. Activities include hiking, night walks, setting up and checking camera traps, boat rides, community visits, fishing, 4WD safaris and much more. This area has some of the highest density of Jaguars on the planet.

LOMAS DE ARENA PROTECTED AREA 

  Just 14km from Santa Cruz, this amazing protected area provides travellers one of the best attractions of Bolivia. With over 3000 hectares of dunes and close to 9000 hectares of savannah and forests this Protected area is a nature lovers paradise. Here you can go birdwatching, hiking, swimming in lagoons, sloth watching or even Sandboarding.

In Part two we will explore other amazing tourist attractions and hidden destinations of the Santa Cruz department.

WHY YOU MUST TRY SANDBOARDING IN BOLIVIA

SAND BOARDING AND WIlDLIFE IN LOMAS DE ARENA

Adventure trips in Bolivia

Like most of Santa Cruz , this incredible desert is largely unknown by tourists, however those who do visit are often spoilt with incredible views, wildlife watching opportunities and Sandboarding adventures of this spectacular Protected Arena.

The 13, 353 hectare Lomas de Arena is just 14km from the City of Santa Cruz and is the perfect escape from the city , whats even more magical is that you often have the entire desert and surroundings to yourself !!

In addition to the San Boarding and amazing views, the wildlife especially birdwatching is incredible, this park hosts over 286 species of birds which is 21 percent of all of the birds found in Bolivia.

For those who dont want to go sandboarding there are plently of other options, some of the treks take you to incredible views such as this !! If you are lucky you can see the Caybara, Toucans and even the Iconic Sloth !! 

For adventure seekers, Sandboarding is a MUST and these dunes offer excellent sandboarding fun for people of all ages.

If lucky you can see the Iconic Sloth in Lomas de Arena

If you are a photographer then Lomas de Arena is a must visit destination, the views especially in the evenings are something out of this world !! 

IF YOU LIKE ADVENTURE, WILDIFE , BIRDWATCHING OR PHOTOGRAPHY then Lomas de Arena is a MUST VISIT destination in Santa Cruz Bolivia

SAND BOARDING IN SANTA CRUZ  BOLIVIA

LOMAS DE ARENA 

When you hear about Sand boarding in South Amercia instantly you think of the Peruvian tourist Meca of Huacachina  which is famous for its natural deserts , huge amounts of tourists and Sandboarding, however we are here to tell you there is an excellent alternative called Lomas de Arena in Bolivia. Unlike Huacachina you can literally visit Lomas de Arena and have the entire place to yourself, this of course also helps with wildlife viewing and its not uncommon to see Sloths, Monkeys, Toucans , Caimans, Capybara and Pumas have been recorded 

Exploring the Natural desert of Lomas de Arena  without another Tourist in sight !! 

Lomas de Arena is a 14,000 hectare PROTECTED AREA and is located just 20 km from the city of Santa Cruz Bolivia, this protected area not only offers tourists excellent sandboarding , but treks to see colored lagoons, birds, wildlife and many different types of forests.

Where Jungle meets desert, and not another tourist in sight !! 

Getting here is not easy, like many places in Bolivia the park lacks infrustructure , the roads are poor and a strong 4WD is required, for travellers on an extreme budget its possible to catch public transport to the front of the park however its over a 7km trek to the start of the dunes which is extremely hot and at time dangerous, lone female travellers have been reported to have been assulted here so its not recommened. The safest and easiest way to explore Lomas de Arena is by a tour company as they know the roads, the best areas to see wildlife and can teach you how to sandboard.

A 3 toed Sloth which we encountered during a trip to Lomas de Arena in Santa Cruz Bolivia

So if you plan on travelling to South America this year make sure you stop by Santa Cruz Bolivia and explore a real hidden treasure in Lomas de Arena Natural Desert