The carved rock
Channels and snakes.
Marek Grote — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Karenrek — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Fernando J. Balderrama — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Karenrek — CC BY-SA 4.0
A unique archaeological site on a green hilltop above the town of Samaipata, listed by UNESCO as World Heritage in 1998. Its centrepiece is a huge sandstone rock about two hundred metres long, its whole surface carved with channels, seats, niches and figures of snakes and animals, considered the largest carved rock in the world. Three cultures succeeded one another here: the Chané, who began the carving, then the Inca, who made it a religious and administrative centre on their empire's eastern frontier, then the Spanish. Foundations of houses, buildings and stone plazas from these eras still surround the rock. Visitors follow walkways and paths around the rock without climbing on it, to protect the carvings, with lookouts over the rock, the mountains and the green valleys around. A small archaeological museum in Samaipata town is included in the ticket. Samaipata is a quiet town with a mild climate, a good base for the site and Amboró National Park, about three hours from Santa Cruz. Bolivia is under a state of emergency with protests and road blockades, so check road conditions and your government's travel advice before the trip.
Channels and snakes.
Foundations and plazas.
Green valleys.
About 9 km east of Samaipata town, some 120 km west of Santa Cruz
No, visitors walk on paths around it to protect the carvings, and lookouts show the whole rock.