Ins and outs

There are two routes to the Jesuit missions. The first is by road from Santa Cruz east through Cotoca to Puerto Pailas (41 km out of Santa Cruz) where it crosses the Río Grande and continues to Pailón (another 7 km). From there the road heads north, to San Ramón, 179 km from Santa Cruz, where the road branches northwest to Trinidad and northeast for 43 km to San Javier. All of the road is paved, but some of it is bumpy, because of the number of timber trucks and - believe it or not - a bizarre taste for asphalt on the part of some lichen-like creatures that live on the roadside!

The road then heads east, for 63 km to Concepción and then on to San Ignacio de Velasco, 171 km and four hours from Concepción. Three kilometres out of Concepción the pavement gives way to packed earth for the rest of the way. Two roads head south to San Rafael; one via San Miguel and the other via Santa Ana (these three mission settlements are best visited as day trips from San Ignacio; otherwise, if in private transport doing the circuit, the shortest route is from San Ignacio to San Miguel and San Rafael - a good, fast road - then up to Santa Ana and back down again). One road continues east from San Ignacio to San Matías - a hellishly taxing trip of 323 km along barely passable roads - and the Brazilian border. A second road from San Ignacio heads south to San José de Chiquitos. From here you can complete the circuit by catching the Quijarro-Santa Cruz train back to Santa Cruz. If you're in private transport heading for Santa Cruz, this is one stretch where you'll be pleased you had a jeep - the road is mostly terrible and, on the last stretch leading up to Tres Cruces and from there to Pailón, simply appalling.

You should spend at least five days on the Jesuit missions route. The most interesting time to visit is Holy Week or at the end of July, when many of the settlements celebrate their patron saint festivals. As rich as the region is in cultural heritage, it is still very much a frontier. This is one of the best regions outside of the Altiplano to sample true Bolivian culture before the inevitable onslaught of mass tourism operators take over (as is already happening in other parts of the country). Tours can also be organized from Santa Cruz .