Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Restaurante Barquito
A block west of the plaza on 24 de Septiembre.
If you're seriously
hungry,headto
Barquito
,whichoffersatasty,economical andplentiful Brazilian-style buffet
(Bs15-20). Unsurprisingly barbecued beef features heavily.
Restaurante Venecia
On the southwest side of the plaza.
Ideally located for looking out onto
the attractive plaza,
Venecia
serves filling set almuerzos and main courses (Bs20-40) like
steak, chicken and
pique a lo macho
(strips of beef with onions, tomatoes, chips and a spicy
sauce).
SAN MIGUEL, SAN RAFAEL AND SANTA ANA
Eating out options are decidedly limited in all three towns: in San Miguel,
La Pascana
serves
traditional, filling meals; in San Rafael, there is a clutch of simple restaurants just off the
plaza; and in Santa Ana, try
Club Social
near the plaza.
SAN JOSÉ DE CHIQUITOS
El Cubanito
On the plaza adjacent to Hotel Turobo.
A reliable choice,
El Cubanito
serves
wholesome Bolivian fare (Bs20-40) in a simple but pleasant dining room.
Pizzeria Romanazzi
Bolívar.
A surprisingly accomplished restaurant,
Romanazzi
serves ex-
cellent and authentic pizzas, as well as a few pasta dishes. Mains Bs20-50.
DIRECTORY
SAN IGNACIO DE VELASCO
Banks and exchange
San Ignacio is the only mission town with an ATM (on the plaza); it
also has a couple of banks and a few currency exchanges, mostly located on or around the
plaza.
Parque Nacional Noel Kempff Mercado
Occupying 16,000 square kilometres of the far northeast on the Brazil border,
PARQUE
NACIONAL NOEL KEMPFF MERCADO
is the country's most isolated, pristine and
spectacular national park, and one of the most remote wilderness regions in South America.
Encompassing several different ecosystems including Amazon rainforest, savannah, and
scrubby Brazilian
cerrado
, the UNESCO World Heritage Site supports an astonishing range
of
wildlife
, including over 630 species of birds, eleven species of monkey, all the major
Amazonian mammals, pink freshwater dolphins and the highly endangered giant river otter.
Moreover, your chances of seeing these animals are much higher here than elsewhere in
Bolivia.
Established in 1979 as the
Parque Nacional Huanchaca
, the park was renamed (and ex-
panded) in 1988 in honour of the pioneering Bolivian biologist and conservationist Noel
Kempff Mercado, who was murdered by drug traffickers after stumbling across a secret co-
caine laboratory on the Huanchaca plateau. The park was expanded again in 1997 under a
