Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sights & Activities
PLAZA
Main Plaza
(museum B$10; church 8am-7pm)
In the main plaza is a
monument
to Chirípieru, El
Machetero Ignaciano, with his crown of feathers and formidable-looking hatchet, a look
that's re-created extensively during the village festival. The
church
on the plaza was re-
stored and rebuilt from 1995 to 2003 and adopts the familiar Jesuit style with a wide roof
supported by wooden columns, though they are noticeably smooth and without decoration
in this example. If you get a small group together, one of the church workers will take you
around for a small fee.
At the
museum
in the Casa Belén, near the northwest corner of the plaza, you'll see
elements of both the Ignaciano and Moxos cultures, including the
bajones,
the immense
flutes introduced by the Jesuits.
Laguna Isirere
North of town at the large Laguna Isirere, you can go fishing and swimming, observe the
profuse bird life and watch the gorgeous sunset. A statue on the shores depicts the local
legend about the formation of the lake. A young boy named Isidoro was paddling in a
small pool when he was swallowed up by the waters, the work of the mischievous water
spirit Jichi who needed a human sacrifice in order to turn the pool into the lake it is today.
It's accessible on a 30-minute walk or by hitchhiking from town.
The greater area also boasts a number of obscure - and hard-to-reach - places of in-
terest: the
Lomas de Museruna
, several
archaeological ruins
, and the ruins of the
mis-
sions
San José and San Luis Gonzaga.
LAKE
FIESTA DE MOXOS
Annually, 2pm on July 30 marks the first day of celebrations of the huge Fiesta del Santo Patrono de Moxos, held
in honor of San Ignacio, the sacred protector of the Moxos. This is one of the best festivals in the Amazon and if
you're in Bolivia during this time, you'd be crazy to miss it.
Strictly speaking, the festival begins on July 22 and gets off to a strange start. The small statue of Santiago from
the church is paraded and worshipped each evening until July 25 (Día de la Fiesta de Santiago), after which point
the same statue is then worshipped as an image of San Ignacio for the rest of the
fiesta
! During this time each
family in the village brings an image of San Ignacio to the church and places it there in his honor. These solemn
processions continue for another four days before the real festivities begin.
