Chiquitos Province

Chiquitos Province is an administrative region in Santa Cruz Department featuring historical Jesuit missions across forests, rivers, and mountain terrain. Three municipalities serve as administrative centers, connected by roads to major cities in the department.

The province developed from Jesuit settlements founded in the 17th and 18th centuries that organized numerous indigenous communities. These missions served as centers of education, music, and religious instruction until the Jesuits departed the region.

Local communities maintain strong musical traditions rooted in the Jesuit period, regularly performing Baroque compositions in restored colonial churches that dot the region.

The region is best explored by car, as settlements are scattered across roads with varying conditions depending on the season and local maintenance. Administrative centers offer basic services, while more remote areas have fewer facilities.

Mennonite communities who migrated from Russia have established settlements throughout the province since the 20th century, shaping its agriculture and settlement patterns. Their distinctive traditions and building styles stand apart from the rest of the region.

Location: Santa Cruz Department

Inception: January 23, 1826

Elevation above the sea: 296 m

Website: http://santacruz.gob.bo/turistica/provincia/chiquitos

GPS coordinates: -18.00000,-60.00000

Latest update: December 7, 2025 19:25