Jesuit Missions of Chiquitos
Bolivia · Llanos · 400 m
Description
The Jesuit Missions of Chiquitos are a cluster of former mission towns scattered across the lowland forests east of Santa Cruz, founded between 1691 and 1760 to bring the Chiquitano people into settled Christian communities. Jesuit builders and Indigenous craftsmen worked side by side to raise timber churches that fuse European Baroque forms with Amazonian materials and motifs, an architectural style found nowhere else in South America. Six of these churches, in San Javier, Concepción, San Miguel, San Rafael, Santa Ana and San José de Chiquitos, survive largely intact and together form a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Concepción, home to the most fully restored church and a small museum of mission-era art, serves as the practical hub for visiting the wider circuit. Every two years the towns host an international festival of Renaissance and Baroque American music inside the churches themselves.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 2 to 6 days (optimal 4 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: May – September
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Concepción Cathedral
- San Javier Mission Church
- San José de Chiquitos Mission Complex
- San Miguel de Velasco Mission Church
- San Rafael de Velasco Mission Church
- Santa Ana de Velasco Mission Church
- San Ignacio de Velasco Mission Church
- Concepción Museum of Mission Art
- International Festival of Renaissance and Baroque American Music (April, biennial)
- Baroque organ and choir workshops
- Chiquitano wood carving workshops
- San Javier cheese and dairy farms
- Concepción central plaza
- Santa Cruz–Chiquitos scenic drive
- Lomas de Arena day trip from Santa Cruz(Day trip)