Santa Cruz de la Sierra Carnival, Bolivia

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What is the Carnival of Santa Cruz de la Sierra?

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The Carnival of Santa Cruz de la Sierra is a celebration that takes place every year in the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia. It is currently recognized as Cultural Heritage of Bolivia and is one of the celebrations most similar to a traditional Brazilian carnival that you can get in Bolivia. This carnival is considered one of the largest in the eastern region of the country and is becoming more popular every year.

The carnival festivities of Santa Cruz de la Sierra are held throughout the city, the streets are filled with corsos, dances and comparsas that move to the rhythm of the musical bands. Of course, we cannot forget the 3 days of water war, one of the highlights of these carnivals.

 

 

The excitement of cruceños for the carnivals is felt even a week before theofficial carnivals, as youth parades are held over the weekend. The carnival of Santa Cruz de la Sierra is undoubtedly a representation of the party spirit of the cruceños.

 

 

When is the Carnival of Santa Cruz de la Sierra?

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Despite not having a specific date at the moment, thes carnivals of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, are held before Ash Wednesday, between February and March.

 

 

History of the Carnivals of Santa Cruz de la Sierra

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The city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra was founded in 1561; however, the carnival festivities date back to the 19th century, which consisted more or less of horseback riding and riding through the streets of the city. The people played outside their homes and held talc and earth wars. The festivities ended with congregations of the locals tosing and drink into the night. In addition, Carnival Tuesday was a special day for dances and Ashes Wednesday was the beginning of Lent.

In the late 19th century, carnival parades were carried out on horses, people rode through the city and cegg shells filled with dyed water and fragrance were thrown. Also, there was also the “carnival parade“, which consisted of a congregation of people wearing masks reading obscene verses. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the carnival began to be celebrated intensively, with several musical bands, concerts of orchestras, dances and carrozas. In addition, also began to perform the ceremony of the burial of the carnival.

In the 1920s the carnivals began to expand and create an identity. In 1936 the first Carnival Queen was elected in Santa Cruz and since 1937 it gained great importance. During the 1970s, attempts were made to suppress the festivities due to the Banzer government. At the end of the century, the carnival began to integrate indigenous aspects, including music, dances and costumes.

 

Where is the Carnival of Santa Cruz de la Sierra?

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The carnival is celebrated in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, in eastern Bolivia.

 

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How is the Carnival of Santa Cruz de la Sierra celebrated?

The carnivals of Santa Cruz de la Sierra are a true spectacle, as they comprise awide variety of activities and eventss that take place even before the official carnival dates..

The festivities that take place before the carnival begin the first weekend of January, repeating every weekend with parades and carros alegóricos with different national and universal themes. Also, a week before the beginning of the carnivals, the Carnival Mail takes place, which consists of a reading of carnival banners that are made up of certain orders to the municipality and the community.

 

Once carnivals begin, they feature a variety of celebrations that take place during the festivities. Starting with the coronation of the queen and child queens, coronation of the queen of yesteryear, the mask nights, the parades and children’s parades and main parades, the three water war days and of course, the carnival funeral.

During the parades around 200 comparsas parade alongside the queen. Some of these groups or comparsas take on a specific theme, others simply get carried away by the excitement and party as they please.

 

Tips to go to the Carnival of Santa Cruz de la Sierra

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If you want to come to spend your carnival in Santa Cruz de la Sierra in Bolivia, it is important that you plan your trip in advance, make an itinerary of activities and book your accommodation in the establishment of your choice.

 

Events in Santa Cruz de la Sierra Carnival

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On the days prior to the main celebration, the children’s parades and masquerade parties take place.

Usually, thecrowning of the Carnival Queen takes place on Thursday. Tthis celebration is quite a party that requires months of preparation. After this, a big party takes place in which all the Queens of comparsas attend. Then, the coronation of the Queen of Antaño takes place, along with this takes place a big celebration that includes all the society of Santa Cruz de la Sierra..

If you want to know more about tourism in this country I recommend this guide:.

 

On Saturday afternoon, the Grand Corso or Carnival Parade takes place, whose main figure is the Carnival Queen who rides on a float car with great shiny arrangements and incredible finishes. During the parade, you can see the presence of around 200 floats that parade along with their reinas de comparsas, performing choreographies and parading to the rhythm of the music. Later, the days of water war between adults and young people are held, as well as games with ink and confetti. Thousands of people participate in the celebration that takes place in the streets, downtown and main square.

 

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Santa Cruz de la Sierra Carnival Parades

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The carnival parade takes place on Saturday of Carnival and is quite an event, as you will find more than 200 comparsas each accompanying their queens, parading to music heard throughout the city. The Carnival Queen is also present, posing on her allegorical carriage and wearing a large dress of bright colors and sequins.

 

 

Comparsas usually use some kind of theme as a reference. However, it is not a rule, since the purpose of the parties is to have fun and celebrate such an important celebration of pride of Santa Cruz..

 

Parade route

 

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The parade takes place at the Cambódromo or Corsódromo, also known as Parque Lineal Mutualista, which comprises 40 hectares, extending for 4 kilometers on Mutualista Avenue.

 

 

What to eat at the Santa Cruz de la Sierra Carnival

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One of the typical foods of the region is the Manjar Blanco, a mixture of milk, sugar, cinnamon and rice flour, similar to dulce de leche. In addition, you can try the Majao, a dish made with dried beef, rice, paprika, fried egg and plantain.

Also, the city offers some places where you can go out to eat, some of these are: La casa del Camba, El Arriero and El Aljibe Comida Tipica.

 

 

Travel Insurance

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From Carnavalesdelmundo.org we recommend to hire a good insurance to visit this carnival and to know the rest of the country. For being our readers we offer a 5% discount on all IATI insurances. Read more information about all insurance offers here:

 

 

What to see and do inside the Santa Cruz de la Sierra Carnival

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Within the carnival you canattend the coronation of the Carnival Queen, the Queen of Antaño and attend the celebrations and parties that are organized after the coronations. Likewise, you can participate in the water wars held in the city. Finally, you have to go on Saturday to see the big corso with all the comparsas, the Reina del Carnaval and the reinas de las comparsas, as it is the most important ceremony of the festivities.

If you don’t want to complicate things, here you can book interesting excursions in Spanish in this city:.

 

What to see and do outside the Carnivals of Santa Cruz de la Sierra

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Some of the attractions in the city are:

 

Santa Cruz de la Sierra Municipal Botanical Garden

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This attraction consists of a botanical garden that is part of the Association of Botanical Gardens of Latin America and the Caribbean. It has 217 hectares of garden and was inaugurated in 1985.

 

Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica minor of San Lorenzo

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It is the main Catholic temple of the city and is conveniently located in the center of the city. Its construction was carried out from 1770 to 1838.

 

Lomas de Arena Regional Park

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It is currently a protected area and has an area of 14,075 hectares. It is a park that is mainly made up of sand dunes.

In addition, if you want to visit museums and important buildings in this city, we recommend that you book your entrance ticket in advance through Tiquets: .

 

Safety in the Carnivals of Santa Cruz de la Sierra

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The city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra is probably not the safest place in Bolivia. However, if you wish to attend the carnival, we recommend some discretion when going out, try not to carry flashy objects and keep an eye on your surroundings.

Also, we recommend the following products to store your items safely:

 

 

Weather at the Carnival of Santa Cruz de la Sierra

 

During the festivities, the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra has a pleasant climate, with temperatures ranging between 22 and 31 degrees Celsius.

 

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How to get to Santa Cruz de la Sierra Carnival

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How to get there by plane

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The airport with the largest number of connections and closest to Santa Cruz de la Sierra is Aeropuerto Internacional Viru Viru. This airport receives a large number of domestic and international flights. Once there, you can approach the city through different means of transportation.

We recommend buying airline tickets through Kiwi.com or Skyscanner where they are usually cheaper. More information on this link to review Kiwi.com..

 

How to get there by bus

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From the airport take a bus to the terminal of Santa Cruz. The trip takes 30 minutes.

FromLa Paz you can take a bus to Cochabamba and then from Cochabamba to Santa Cruz. The trip takes 14 hours.

In Sucre you can take a bus to Potosi and then from Potosi to Santa Cruz. The trip takes 10 hours.

 

How to get there by car

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From the airport take RN 4 to the city center.

From La Paz take RN 4 to Santa Cruz.

From Sucre you can take Highway 5 and 7 until you reach Santa Cruz.

 

Where to stay in Santa Cruz de la Sierra Carnival

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Booking.com

Senses Centro

5-star hotel 450 meters from the center. Likewise, facilities offer restaurant, room service, free parking and internet.

 

Las Palmas

4-star hotel 2 km from downtown. The rooms have cable TV and internet. In addition the facilities feature 2 swimming pools, parking and bar.

 

Hotel Libertador Simón Bolívar

3-star hotel 300 meters from the city center. All rooms have cable TV and private bathrooms. Also, the hotel offers airport travel, parking, internet and room service.

We recommend you use Booking.com to book hotels at a good price, check more information here:.

 

Thank you for reading

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