Skip to content
Iglesia jesuítica de la Chiquitanía boliviana — misiones jesuíticas UNESCO en el oriente boliviano
— Ecosystem · Bolivian Chiquitanía447m

San Ignacio
de Velasco, Bolivia.

The hub of the eastern Chiquitanía. Jesuit church in active use. Gateway to Santa Ana, San Rafael, San Miguel. Starting point for San Matías AMNI and Noel Kempff Mercado Park.

What to see ↓Mission circuit ↓Gallery ↓
Population
~46,000
Altitude
447m
From Santa Cruz
8–10h bus / 1.5h flight
Jesuit mission
UNESCO 1990
Nearby missions
Santa Ana, San Rafael
Nearby reserve
San Matías AMNI
— What to see in San Ignacio

Baroque history. Extreme nature.

San Ignacio combines the UNESCO Jesuit legacy with the most remote nature of eastern Bolivia. Few destinations offer this combination of history, culture and biodiversity in such a compact radius.

⛪
San Ignacio Jesuit Church
San Ignacio de Velasco's church forms part of the UNESCO Jesuit Missions of Chiquitos circuit. The current structure is a faithful 20th-century reconstruction of the original Guaraní Baroque — wood, mud and lime, hand-painted interior decoration. The complex includes the central plaza, church and traditional Chiquito craft workshops.
🎵
Baroque Music Festival
San Ignacio is part of the circuit of Bolivia's International Festival of Baroque and Renaissance American Music, held in odd-numbered years (2025, 2027…). One of Latin America's most important early music festivals, with groups from Europe and across the Americas.
🌿
Surrounding Chiquitano Dry Forest
San Ignacio is surrounded by the Chiquitano Dry Forest — the world's largest dry tropical forest (>150,000 km²). The flora and fauna of the Amazon-Cerrado transition are accessible from the city outskirts with a guide.
🦜
Birding in Cerrado & Chiquitanía
The San Ignacio area is in the heart of a birding hotspot: the transition between the Chiquitano Dry Forest and the Bolivian Cerrado. Emblematic species: blue-and-yellow macaw, toucans, buff-necked ibis, and several parrot species endemic to this transition zone.
— Eastern mission circuit

San Ignacio as base point.

—Hub
San Ignacio de Velasco
The largest city of eastern Chiquitanía. Logistic hub, accommodation, flights.
30km northMost pristine
Santa Ana de Velasco
The least altered mission on the entire circuit — in continuous use since the 18th century.
70km southExceptional
San Rafael de Velasco
Church with notable conservation of the original altarpiece and Guaraní Baroque paintings.
100km southCrafts
San Miguel de Velasco
Famous for its lutherie workshops (instrument making) and Chiquito traditional crafts.
— FAQ

Frequently asked questions.

Get in touch →

San Ignacio de Velasco is eastern Bolivia's largest Chiquitanía city (~46,000 people) in Santa Cruz department, ~560km from Santa Cruz city. It is part of the Jesuit Missions of Chiquitos UNESCO World Heritage circuit (1990) and serves as the logistics hub for the eastern missions — Santa Ana de Velasco (30km), San Rafael (70km) and San Miguel (100km). It is also the primary gateway for San Matías AMNI (Bolivia's largest protected area, 2.9M ha) and Noel Kempff Mercado National Park.

Two options: (1) Bus from Santa Cruz Bimodal Terminal: ~8–10 hours, price ~$15–25 USD, daily services. (2) Regional flight: ~1.5h with BoA or TAM Bolivia to San Ignacio Airport (SGO). Flights also connect to Trinidad. The flight is strongly recommended if time is limited — the bus journey is long on a partly paved road. From San Ignacio you need a rental car or local operator to reach the outlying missions and reserves.

San Ignacio de Velasco is surrounded by three other missions on the eastern Chiquitanía circuit: Santa Ana de Velasco (30km north) — the most pristine mission, in continuous use since the 18th century; San Rafael de Velasco (70km south) — remarkable conservation of original altarpiece and Guaraní Baroque paintings; San Miguel de Velasco (100km south) — famous for lutherie workshops and traditional Chiquito crafts. All four form the eastern cluster of the UNESCO circuit (total circuit has 6 missions).

The International Festival of Baroque and Renaissance American Music of Bolivia (Festival de Música Barroca y Renacentista Americana) is held in odd-numbered years (2023, 2025, 2027…) in the Chiquitanía missions, including San Ignacio. It is one of Latin America's most important early music events, attracting groups from Europe, South America and North America to perform in the UNESCO churches. During the festival, the missions come alive with concerts, dance and cultural events.

— Plan your Chiquitanía circuit

Jesuit baroque.
Extreme nature.

We design your Chiquitanía circuit with missions, nature and complete logistics.

Book a consultation → $90 · €85 · Bs. 623Chiquitanía ecosystem →