In the Chiquitania, 360 kilometers from Santa Cruz of la Sierra and 80 kilometers to the east of San José de Chiquitos, by means of the highway that leads to Puerto Suárez, the Precambrian formations, is the village of El Chochis, a small village that hs taken on some importance thanks to a history of miracles that, according to those who believe in them took place about 20 years ago when the local image of the Virgen de la Asunción avoided a great disaster by protecting a train coming from Puerto Suárez and that was about to be engulfed by a mudslide coming down the mountain.

What is interesting is that El Chochis, miracle or not, has become a pilgrimage destination, because the beauty of the place was propitious to turning it into a sacred spot. The rocky formations of the El Chochis hillsides, beginning with the Tower of David, which is a formation, as the name indicated, that looks like a tower. There are walks to be taken in the nearby hills, that with the waterfall called the “Bride’s Veil” make the area ideal for a wonderful nature-lover’s vacation.

Thanks to Brother Cesar’s hard work (reclusive, almost hermit monk), a community-owned tourism enterprise has been structured, having bought land that now belongs to the community and built a pahuichi or palm hut that serves as a common room, and where one can even sleep at night in sleeping bags. Additionally, they have built a small kitchen and recently two rooms, one with a double bed, and another with twin beds.

The El Chochis shelter does not offer meals, but this can be arranged with the local women, through the shelter’s administrator. The cabins are new and have been built in a very plain, but aesthetically attractive manner.

Today, the best way of reaching El Chochis is by train, that departs four times a week from Santa Cruz. One can get off either in San José or Roboré and from there take public transportation or rent a private vehicle.


How to get there
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