Six churches. Six living communities.
San Javier
San Javier (1691) is the first Jesuit mission founded in the Chiquitanía. The current church was rebuilt in the 18th century and fully restored between 1987 and 2002 by Swiss architect Hans Roth — the same architect who led the restoration of all six missions. The interior woodwork, gold leaf altarpieces and carved columns are extraordinary.
Concepción
Concepción (1709) is considered by many architects the most harmonious of the six missions. The large central plaza — surrounded by the church, arcade and original community buildings — gives the strongest sense of how the missions functioned as complete urban systems. The cathedral's silver-plated altarpiece is unique.
San Miguel
San Miguel (1721) is the smallest and most intimate of the six missions. The church interior is smaller but arguably the most finely decorated — every surface covered in hand-painted geometric patterns by Chiquitano artisans. The community maintains active wood-carving and textile workshops in the mission buildings.
San Rafael
San Rafael (1747) is the most isolated of the missions — 5.5 hours from Santa Cruz along increasingly rural roads. The distance filters the tourists and what remains is a mission village of extraordinary quietness: the church faces an enormous open square, palm trees, and the sounds of the community going about its daily life. The interior frescoes were fully restored in 2010.
Santa Ana
Santa Ana (1755) is the last mission chronologically and the one that has changed least since its construction. The building is smaller than the others but the original structure — including the original bell tower, the atrium walls and the wooden interior — is the most intact of the six. It feels the closest to what a mission looked like in 1760.
San José de Chiquitos
San José de Chiquitos (1747) is the most architecturally extraordinary of the six — the only Jesuit mission in the Chiquitanía with a stone façade, carved from local sandstone by Chiquitano artisans under Jesuit direction. The complex includes four separate structures (church, mortuary chapel, sacristy and bell tower) in a unique architectural arrangement. It is reached from the east — via Roboré — or by the historic Ferrobus from Santa Cruz.
Three ways to do the circuit.
- Santa Cruz → San Javier (3h) → Concepción (4h total)
- Concepción → back to San Javier or continue to San Miguel
- Optional: San José de Chiquitos by Ferrobus
The two most accessible and complete missions. Ideal for a long weekend from Santa Cruz.
- Days 1–2: San Javier + Concepción (north circuit)
- Days 3–4: San Miguel + San Rafael (central zone)
- Days 5–6: Santa Ana + San José de Chiquitos (south/east)
- Day 7: Return to Santa Cruz (Ferrobus or flight from Roboré)
The complete 6-mission circuit. The recommended order allows natural progression and avoids repeated road sections.
- Days 1–7: Full 6-mission circuit
- Days 8–9: Chiquitanía Baroque Music Festival (when scheduled — odd-year July)
- Day 10: Add Parque Nacional Histórico Santa Cruz de la Sierra (Samaipata)
The extended version. In odd years, the International Baroque Music Festival of Chiquitanía (July) is one of the most extraordinary cultural events in South America.
Getting there and getting around.
How to do the circuit
- By car/4×4: most flexible — rental in Santa Cruz (~$80–120 USD/day with driver)
- By bus: regular buses Santa Cruz–Concepción (6h), Santa Cruz–San Rafael (8h)
- By Ferrobus: Santa Cruz–San José de Chiquitos 2×/week, ~6h, ~$15 USD
- Organised tour: 3–7 days from Santa Cruz with transport, guide and accommodation included
- Self-drive full circuit requires minimum 7 days and comfort with gravel roads
- North route (San Javier–Concepción–San Miguel–San Rafael–Santa Ana) and east route (San José) connect at Roboré
Tips for visiting the missions
- Visit missions mid-week: Saturdays and Sundays have more visitors
- Golden hour — sunrise or sunset — the red light on the facades is extraordinary
- Always hire a local guide at each mission — church wardens charge ~30 Bs and are worth it
- Respect active worship spaces — the churches are sacred places in use, not museums
- Chiquitano Baroque Music is heard at Sunday mass in almost all missions
- International Baroque Music Festival: July of odd years (2027, 2029…)
— Gallery
Bolivia in focus
Real photography from our routes. No stock images. Hover to explore.
The churches are waiting.
Start here.
45 minutes. We design your 6-mission Jesuit circuit with transport, accommodation and local Chiquitano guides.
$90 · €85 · Bs. 623