Jesuit Missions of Chiquitos

Understand

The missions consist of six towns which were founded as reductions by Jesuits in the 17th and 18th century and survived as a living heritage:

1 San Javier 2 Concepción 3 Santa Ana de Velasco 4 San Miguel de Velasco 5 San Rafael de Velasco 6 San José de Chiquitos There are some additional missions which are not under UNESCO protection:

1 San Ignacio de Velasco 2 Santiago de Chiquitos Between San José de Chiquitos and Santiago de Chiquitos is the town of Chochís with its marvelous sanctuary and mysterious "devil's thumb". Besides the missions, the Chiquitania region boasts pristine natural beauty.

Getting there

The towns are situated in a remote part in eastern Bolivia. The main access point to the mission settlements is Santa Cruz which is well connected by national and international flights and bus routes. Alternatively, San José can be reached from Quijarro / Corumbá (Brazil) on the "death train" if it eventually resumes service (as of 2025, people say it's been suspended since 2020). A third option is to take a Santa Cruz bound bus from Trinidad and change in San Ramon for transport to San Javier. There might be the odd bus running between San Ignacio and Cáceres in the northern Pantanal.

Go next

A trip to the Jesuit Missions of the Chiquitos can be combined with a visit to some of the best wildlife and nature destinations in South America. You can get to the southern Pantanal by taking a train from San José to the border with Brazil at Quijarro / Corumbá. The northern Pantanal can be reached by bus from San Ignacio to Cáceres in Brazil. North of the mission circuit lies Noel Kempff Mercado National Park. Access from the Bolivian site on public ground transport is difficult and slow. Ask in San Ignacio for the occasional bus heading north. West of the missions lies Santa Cruz with good connections to all places of interest in Bolivia. For instance, after visiting Jesuit Missions you can book a tour to Cochabamba, called the garden city of Bolivia, La Paz, the administrative capital of Bolivia, visiting the sinister Moon Valley, and Tiwanaku, an archaeological site and UNESCO World Heritage site.