At the Santuario Ecológico Municipal San Juan del Corralito, cave refuges also provide habitat for the funnel-eared bat Natalus espiritosantensis; the species is considered endangered. Lonchorhina aurita lives in two small caves in the same Santuario. These caves are the only known refuges for the species in Bolivia, and Lonchorhina aurita is considered critically endangered. For this species, the classification therefore ranges from its specific cave habitat to the national significance of its known refuges.
Cave Refuges and Vegetation
The Serranía La Curicha and its surroundings offer a second perspective on nature. Three vegetation units occur there: Bosque Chiquitano, Cerrado Chiquitano and Vegetación Riparia. The names can be roughly translated as Chiquitano Forest, Chiquitano Cerrado and Riparian Vegetation. The list explicitly refers both to the mountain range and its surroundings. Alongside the narrowly defined cave habitats, this provides a description that considers several plant formations across the Serranía and its surroundings. For nature enthusiasts, this creates a clear difference in perspective: one focuses on individual species and their refuges, the other on three vegetation units in their spatial context.
San Matías and the Protected-Area Framework
The Área Natural de Manejo Integrado San Matías broadens the geographical scale. It extends across the provinces of Ángel Sandoval and Germán Busch in the far east of the Departamento de Santa Cruz. The protected area therefore spans multiple provinces, while the bat refuges are specifically associated with the Santuario Ecológico Municipal San Juan del Corralito. For geographical orientation, it is worth keeping these different scales distinct.
In San Matías, an ecological centre collects samples to illustrate the great diversity of the region's flora and fauna, as well as very ancient geological units. Laguna Curichón offers visitors a place to relax and is located three kilometres from San Matías. Thus, a nature- and geology-focused centre and a nearby recreational destination offer different points of interest.
Santa Cruz as a Cultural Context
At the broader destination level, Santa Cruz also brings in Chiquitano culture as a regional context. It developed mainly in the Chiquitanía in the Departamento de Santa Cruz and combines the traditions of the Indigenous Chiquitano people with Jesuit influence introduced in the 17th and 18th centuries. This historical context complements the focus on nature with a cultural perspective on Santa Cruz, linking the traditions mentioned with an influence tied to a specific period. At the broader destination level, Santa Cruz's Área Protegida de los Valles Cruceños is reported to have 374 bird species, including the endemic Red-fronted Macaw and the Andean Condor.
Next, tailor your search for a holiday rental in Ángel Sandoval to your travel plans.
Discover more destinations: San Matías, Sara, Germán Busch Province, Chiquitos Province, Andrés Ibáñez, Cordillera, Ignacio Warnes, Florida Province.
Go to the broader travel overview: Santa Cruz.
