Puerto Quijarro: Nature on the Tamengo Canal

Puerto Quijarro combines time on the water with wildlife and nature watching: Pantanal flora and fauna can be observed along the Tamengo Canal, which is also suitable for boat trips. The Zona Franca offers a different perspective on the town. When looking for a holiday rental, it helps to first decide what matters most on your trip: should your stay focus mainly on nature and water, or include shopping as well?

At the Tamengo Canal and in Tamarinero

At the Tamengo Canal near Puerto Quijarro, you can observe the flora and fauna of the Pantanal. The canal is suitable for boat trips and gives nature watching a clear focus on the water. For anyone interested in wetlands, this is a distinctive part of the town’s character.

Tamarinero is the access point to the Tamengo Canal and Laguna Cáceres. The area is a place to observe the flora and fauna of this large wetland, and is also suitable for trips in small boats. This means that, alongside the canal, Laguna Cáceres and the option of taking a small-boat trip offer specific points to consider when planning.

Another named boat trip runs from La Playita “El Encuentro Pantanero” to the border with Brazil. An August 2024 report mentions this trip. If you want to include this particular tour in your plans, check in advance whether it is currently being offered.

A different focus: the Zona Franca

Puerto Quijarro has a Zona Franca, where imported goods can be purchased tax-free. This gives you the option of including shopping alongside nature and water activities. You can choose a holiday rental as part of your trip planning without combining nature watching, a boat trip, and shopping into a single itinerary.

Otuquis at the municipal level

The Otuquis National Park and Integrated Management Natural Area was established in 1997. Its jurisdiction covers the provinces of Germán Busch and Cordillera, as well as the municipalities of Puerto Suárez, Charagua, El Carmen Rivero Torres, and Puerto Quijarro. The name therefore refers to a protected area whose jurisdiction spans several provinces and municipalities.

More landscapes and culture in the wider Santa Cruz destination

In the wider Santa Cruz destination, the Valles Cruceños offer a distinctive landscape. They cover approximately 13,000 km² and lie at elevations between 1,200 and 2,000 metres. They include the provinces of Florida, Vallegrande, and Caballero in the Department of Santa Cruz. The Valles Cruceños are home to inter-Andean dry forest, Bolivian-Tucuman forest, Serrano Chaco, subtropical rainforest, and Puna vegetation. These vegetation types give an impression of the diversity of this regional landscape.

The Área Protegida de los Valles Cruceños in the wider Santa Cruz destination is reported to have 374 bird species, including the endemic red-fronted macaw and the Andean condor. This is an inventory figure that may change as further research is conducted. Alongside the different vegetation types, these specific bird species are another aspect of the region’s natural heritage.

Noel Kempff Mercado National Park is also part of the wider Santa Cruz destination. It is home to viable populations of numerous globally vulnerable or threatened vertebrate species; their status may change over time. The park includes evergreen rainforests, palm forests, Cerrado, swamps, savannas, gallery forests, and semi-evergreen dry forests. These different habitats offer another opportunity to explore nature in Santa Cruz.

Chiquitano culture developed mainly in Chiquitanía, in the Department of Santa Cruz. It combines the traditions of the Indigenous Chiquitano people with Jesuit influences introduced in the 17th and 18th centuries. Alongside its landscapes, the wider Santa Cruz destination therefore also has a cultural history shaped by these two influences.

For an overview of the wider destination: Provincia de Germán Busch.