Top of the World
Santa Cruz de la Sierra is a city in Bolivia known more briefly as Santa Cruz and is centrally located within the country. Compared to the main Bolivian cities, Santa Cruz is characterized by its location in the plain, which allows it to enjoy a tropical climate even in winter when the centres of the Sierra suffer the cold. Santa Cruz extends to the east of the Piray River and has a circular shape, where the main roads follow a ring-route developing along concentric circles. The centre of Santa Cruz is constituted by the Plaza Principal 24 de Septiembre, a regular and well-kept green area where on the numerous benches, in the shade of the palms and tropical trees, young and old can be found. The garden is also overlooked by the Cathedral of San Lorenzo, which dates back to the 19th century and was built on the site of a previous religious building.
Not far away is the Catedralicio de Arte Sacro Museum, which houses precious gold and silver artifacts from the Jesuit missions and which, as evidence of the great wealth of the colonial period, also preserves the sacred vestments and other ancient liturgical elements. On the square you will also find the Casa Municipal de la Cultura Raúl Otero Reiche, where you can admire the works of contemporary local artists, and the Museo de la Independencia, a small museum where you can learn more about the history of Bolivia and Santa Cruz. Not far away is also Casa Melchor Pinto, a cozy cultural center where there is also a beautiful library and a refreshment point.
