San José de Chiquitos

San José stands apart from the other missions because of its material: while the rest were built in timber and adobe, here the Jesuits used stone, and the result is an ensemble of four connected buildings along one side of the plaza, a church, a bell tower with an arched facade, a mortuary chapel and a workshop range, joined into a single long front of pale masonry with a walled courtyard behind. It is more austere than the painted timber churches to the north and reads almost as a fortress. The town around is a Chiquitano place with a hot dry climate and a plaza of low buildings. The first Spanish foundation of Santa Cruz, later moved west, was near here, and its site is a nearby historic park.

What you actually see

• The stone ensemble - four joined buildings forming one long facade.
• The bell tower front - the arched masonry facade on the plaza.
• The mortuary chapel - the separate building within the range.
• The walled courtyard - the enclosure behind the church front.

When to go

April to October for the roads and bearable heat; the lowlands are severe from November to March. Morning light on the pale stone is best. The train from Santa Cruz stops here.

Honest expectations

Heat and humidity are significant most of the year. The interior is plainer than the northern missions and some visitors find it less rewarding. The town has limited accommodation and food. The road east is long, though the railway is an alternative.

Nearby

Santiago de Chiquitos lies east; the northern missions are north.