The Jardín Botánico Municipal stretches over more than 200 hectares on the eastern fringe of Santa Cruz, a strip of preserved Chiquitano dry forest with marked trails, lakes, and a small zoo of native wildlife. It is the easiest way to see what the land around the city looked like before the soybean fields and cattle ranches took over.
Howler monkeys, capuchins, and dozens of bird species live in the canopy; capybaras and caimans loaf in the lakes. There is a viewing tower for a treetop perspective. Take the trans bus heading out along the Avenida Cristo Redentor, or a taxi — it is too far to walk from the centre. Come in the early morning when the wildlife is most active and the heat is still bearable.