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Jesuit Missions in Bolivia

Concepcion, Bolivia - Jesuit Missions - Santa Cruz, Bolivia - historical churches

"Jesuit Missions tour in Bolivia"

If your interests are 16th & 17th century history, visit the beautiful, historical churches on the Jesuit Missions tour. The tour focuses on colonial art, religion, culture, history, and is set in numerous small towns of the tropical lowlands of eastern Bolivia.

In the late 16th century, the Jesuits (a religious order in the Catholic Church) set out to save the souls of the indigenous people. These missionaries set up numerous settlements throughout the eastern lowlands of Bolivia near these indigenous tribes.

Today you can visit these old settlements, known as the Jesuit tour where you find old churches that have been preserved and restored. Many of these old churches were built between 1690 and 1760.

Many of these churches contain gold/silver fixtures and were constructed with wood beams and ceilings that have been polished and carved with different designs using natural colors of the Amazon area.

The entire Jesuit Missions tour consists of seven towns; San Javier, Concepción, San Ignacio, Santa Ana, San Miguel, San Rafael, and San José. Traveling the entire circuit takes about four days, which gives you a sufficient amount of time to appreciate the architecture, history, culture and other town attractions.

Though it is not necessary to travel the entire Jesuit missions circuit. Two of the most popular and impressive churches to visit are the Concepcion and San Javier churches, which are the closest and easy to reach from Santa Cruz. About a 5 hours drive from Santa Cruz, Bolivia

The Churches

San Javier Jesuit Mission
Was the first mission town established in 1691 and the church of San Javier was built between 1749 and 1752. The town once had 3,000 people at its peak. The church is constructed entirely of local wood, with woodcarvings painted with local dyes. The mission is between Concepcion and San Ramon off the main road. Another attraction is the nearby hot springs.

Concepción Jesuit Mission
This church is considered as the jewel of the region. The church was built somewhere between 1730 and 1753. The church was declared a national monument and is also recognized by UNESCO. The restoration began in 1975. The town has a damn where you can swim and jump off the bridge into the waters. Just a few miles from Concepción you can hike to Piedra de Santa Teresita, a rock that stand 1,650ft (500m) high. The hike there you might encounter monkeys and is a great place to hike and spot bird life.

San Ignacio Jesuit Mission
San Ignacio is a town of about 20,000 people, although it doesn't feel that big because the town doesn't seem that busy. The town has a variety of places to eat and shop. You'll also find handcraft workshops where artisans use natural materials and production techniques inherited from their ancestors. The church was built between 1748 and 1761. The church hosts a big music festival a couple of times a year.

San Miguel Jesuit Mission
Founded in 1721, San Miguel is a small and dusty town. To get inside the church, you have to go into the yard by the bell tower and ring the bell of the priest's door. People say that the the inside of the church has the most beauty. Inside you'll find the front altar is carved wood from floor to ceiling and painted in gold. The walls are painted with floral designs with pictures of different saints.

San Rafael Jesuit Mission
San Rafael was founded by Father Jose de Arce, the same priest who started the mission at San Francisco Javier. At one time the town had over 5,000 people. Today it has 1,000. The San Rafael church was built between 1747 and 1749. The church has decorative paintings on the outside and wooden carved columns. The altar is covered in gold and you find paintings of the saint San Rafael over the main altar.

San José Jesuit Mission
The train from Santa Cruz arrives here around midnight. It is a small safe town. The settlement was the first Jesuit mission in Bolivia and was founded in 1691. The church is the only one of the Jesuit Missions that is built from stone, since there is a lack of trees in the area, Other missions were built from wood. This highland area is also great for hiking.

Santa Ana Jesuit Mission
Santa Ana is the smallest of the missions and was built in 1755 by priests who came to help with the smallpox epidemic. The church is small and simple, which makes it appealing. The paintings on the walls are of angels, flowers and musicians. The town also has a dam where you can swim.

Map & Distance

Santa Cruz to San Jose...........162 miles (265km)
San Jose to San Rafael...........80 miles (130Km)
San Rafael to Santa Ana..........15 miles (25km)
Santa Ana to San Ignacio.........28 miles (45km)
San Rafael to San Miguel.........24 miles (40km)
San Miguel to San Ignacio........22 miles (36km)
San Ignacio to Conception........111 miles (182km)
Concepcion to San Xavier.........38 miles (62km)
San Xavier to San Ramon..........32 miles (52km)
San Ramon to Santa Cruz..........88 miles (143km)

Getting There

By Guided Tour

There are numerous travel agencies in Santa Cruz that offer the Jesuit Missions tour. Travel agencies usually provide an English speaking guide, transportation and meals. Prices will vary depending on the number of people going, what you want to see and length of trip.

By Train

The Santa Cruz to Brazil railroad passes through San José. The train usually arrives in San José at midnight. There are taxis available at the train station to bring you to your hotel. You'll have to get on the bus to reach other Jesuit towns.

By Road

You can rent a car and drive by road to the Jesuit missions. The roads are paved, but can get rough in some sections. Make sure to bring a map.

By Air

You can get to the Jesuit Missions by air taxis (small airplanes) that leave from the El Trompillo Airport in the city of Santa Cruz and arrive in the most important Jesuit missions, which have landing strips controlled by the national airport authority.

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