Getting around Santa Cruz de la Sierra from Buganvillas Hotel Suites & Spa, a hotel in Santa Cruz de la Sierra means choosing between walking, road transport and the city’s public transport options. The hotel is about 15 minutes by car from the city centre, while landmarks around the city take from 6 to 16 minutes by car.
- City centre: about 15 minutes by car or 43 minutes on foot from the hotel.
- Viru Viru International Airport: about 43 minutes by car from the hotel.
- Terminal Bimodal: on Avenida 3er Anillo Interno, between Avenida Brasil and Avenida Tres Pasos al Frente.
- Public transport: the municipal urban guide has a route selector for urban minibuses.
How should you plan getting around Santa Cruz de la Sierra?
Use the travel times as a starting point, then choose a mode for each leg rather than assuming every destination is equally walkable. From the hotel, the city centre takes about 43 minutes on foot or 15 minutes by car. Viru Viru International Airport is about 43 minutes by car.
For a separate airport journey, you can plan how to get from Viru Viru International Airport to the hotel. El Trompillo Airport is about 81 minutes on foot or 28 minutes by car from the hotel.
These are travel times, not distances, so compare them with your plans for the day. If you are heading into the centre, a car journey is much shorter than walking; for destinations outside the centre, check the route and transport options before setting off.
Taxis and other road transport
For road journeys around Santa Cruz, the U.S. Department of State advises using marked radio taxis, identifiable by the company name and telephone number displayed on the roof. It also notes that many taxis in Bolivia do not have seat belts.
Confirm the fare before a taxi ride, as taxis are not equipped with meters. The Government of Canada advises using a reputable taxi company or trusted ride-share app rather than hailing a taxi on the street.
It also warns about theft on public transport and in unofficial taxis, and urges extra caution with airport cabs in Santa Cruz and La Paz.
Minibuses, described by the U.S. Department of State as small vans with seating for 10 to 15 passengers, are widely used for travel within Bolivian cities. The municipal urban guide offers a route selector for urban minibuses, along with map categories for microbus line offices, land-transport operators and moto-taxi stops.
How do you get to Terminal Bimodal Santa Cruz?
Terminal Bimodal Santa Cruz is on Avenida 3er Anillo Interno, between Avenida Brasil and Avenida Tres Pasos al Frente. The terminal serves land-transport operators, so confirm your departure point and current arrangements with the operator before travelling.
A Santa Cruz transport directory lists Flota Bolívar, Flota Copacabana, Flota El Dorado, Flota Gusmar, Flota Mopar and Flota San Lorenzo at the terminal. Directory telephone numbers are 3625543, 3465409, 3625489, 3625540, 3625546 and 3625506, respectively. These listings can help you identify an operator to contact about your journey.
Before you go, check the official site of the Gobierno Autónomo Municipal de Santa Cruz de la Sierra for its urban guide and transport information.
Which nearby sights can you combine by car?
Several landmarks have car journey times of 15 minutes or less from the hotel, making it possible to group stops by area once you have chosen your destinations.
Parque Urbano de Preservación Ecológica La Madre is about 6 minutes by car from the hotel. Universidad Privada Franz Tamayo is about 10 minutes away, and Universidad Autónoma Gabriel René Moreno is about 11 minutes away.
Estadio Ramón “Tahuichi” Aguilera Costas and Monumento Cristo Redentor are each about 15 minutes by car from the hotel. Zoológico Municipal de Fauna Sudamericana Noel Kempff Mercado takes about 16 minutes by car. Walking times vary more: the zoo is about 62 minutes on foot, while the park is about 24 minutes on foot.
If you are planning time in the centre as well, the Santa Cruz city centre guide to sights and orientation can help you decide what to group together. For each outing, compare the walking and driving times from the hotel before choosing your transport.
FAQs
Does Santa Cruz have a public-transport route guide?
Yes. The municipal urban guide includes a route selector for urban minibuses and map categories for several transport services.
What should you check before taking a taxi?
Choose a marked radio taxi or a reputable company, and confirm the fare in advance. Taxis do not have meters.
Where is Terminal Bimodal?
It is on Avenida 3er Anillo Interno, between Avenida Brasil and Avenida Tres Pasos al Frente in Santa Cruz de la Sierra.