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Santa Cruz is in Bolivia’s Amazonian Basin, surrounded by jungles, with the hot, humid climate of a rain forest. So the existence of a massive field of sand dunes just sixteen kilometers south of the city is a geological marvel. On our very last day in Bolivia, we visited Las Lomas de Arena, declared a National Park in 1990.

There wasn’t much practical information online about the dunes, so we arrived woefully unprepared. Entry to the park costs ten Bolivianos per person (about $0.14), but the gate is almost two miles away from the sand. Luckily, our taxi agreed to drive us most of the way, until the path became too difficult to navigate. The dunes were visible in the distance, so we paid the fare and prepared ourselves for a hike.

But boy, we picked the wrong day to visit sand dunes! A strong wind was gusting down from the north, sending sand flying at incredible velocities. Protecting our faces as best we could, we clambered to the top of the first dune and discovered a beautiful lagoon on the other side. The park is home to 286 different bird species who use the safety of the dunes’ lagoons for rest. We spotted a small falcon, and some other birds… that were colorful … Sorry, I’m not an ornithologist. But they were definitely birds.

Though our skin was under ceaseless attack by thousands of little sand bullets, we endeavored to explore a bit. But after thirty minutes of misery, with our eyes shielded and unable to enjoy the view, we decided to cut the trip short. Unfortunately the park’s entrance was over two miles away, but we got lucky and waved down a semi-truck going in our direction. For the price of a coke, the driver agreed to take us the rest of the way.

It wasn’t the most successful trip, but Las Lomas de Arena is a strange and beautiful spot. The heavy winds were bad luck, but in retrospect, we should have chosen to go with an organized tour operator that offered explorations in 4x4s. It’s the perfect area for that kind of excursion, and would have been worth the extra cost.

Location on our Bolivia Map
- Great Travel Insurance

Everything you need for the jungle!

Seven kilometers outside of Santa Cruz, the Biocenter Güembé combines aspects of a resort, a natural recreation park, a swimming pool, and a zoo. We visited for half a day and could happily have stayed for much longer, relaxing by the pool or exploring the grounds more thoroughly.

Upon entering the park, which costs 90 Bs ($13) a head, we immediately found ourselves face-to-face with a couple ostriches and a capybara sharing a grazing field. Güembé has a wealth of wildlife to discover, including an island full of monkeys, a turtle sanctuary, toucans and more parrots than you could ever care to see.

After taking a walk through the jungle paths, where Capuchin and Titi monkeys were fighting and frolicking overhead, we found the Butterfly Dome. If you have a crippling fear of butterflies, this might not be the place for you. Don’t snicker; lepidopterophobes actually exist in enough numbers to have an active forum. And as we walked around the dome, with thousands of butterflies flapping about our heads, I began to see the logic of fear. Butterflies are unpredictable in their movements and, if their ugly cricket-like faces are any indication, probably evil. Soon enough, I found myself wanting to scream whenever one brushed the back of my neck. “Butterfly Dome”. It could make a great horror film.

I was starting to panic, so we left the butterflies and entered an incredible aviary close by, filled with lush vegetation and home to innumerable exotic birds, such as toucans, parrots and peacocks, none of whom were shy of humans. There was also a squirrel standing on the railing, eating paint flecks. He was twitching weirdly and approached us in far too confident a manner. As Jürgen started to walk, then run away, the squirrel chased after him. Considering my freakout in the Butterfly Dome, the evidence is mounting that perhaps we’re not the world’s toughest guys after all.

We rewarded our chilling encounters with nature by hopping into some of the many swimming pools in Biocenter Güembé. The water felt great and we were all alone. The park is more than 24 hectares in size, but there were very few guests. Perhaps it fills up on the weekends, but we appreciated the relative solitude.

Güembé is ideal for families with kids, even if lovers of “authentic” nature might be disappointed. We ordered a nice lunch at one of the shaded picnic areas, and discovered that there was even a Wifi signal! Had we known that, we might have booked a night in one of the cabins. If you’ve got an extra day in Santa Cruz and are looking for a relaxing place to spend some time, Güembé is worth a look.

Location on our Bolivia Map
- Hostels and Hotels in Santa Cruz