The Mission: Jesuit Missions of Chiquitania

Ten days in the lowlands of eastern Bolivia, guided, on a supplied Suzuki DR650SE, riding between the Jesuit mission churches of Chiquitania.

The Mission is the easiest tour in the Bolivia Motorcycle Adventures programme. It is rated Easy, covers 1,530 km with 15 percent dirt road, and suits riders with little or no off-road experience who want a new challenge. The operator designed it with photographers in mind. The subject is the 300 year old Jesuit missions, the only ones still standing in South America, of which seven remaining churches have been UNESCO World Heritage sites since 1991. The highest point is 1,650 metres, at Samaipata.

After a briefing and a ride to El Fuerte from Samaipata, the route heads to San Javier and its first mission church, then to Concepcion and San Ignacio de Velasco. It continues by dirt track to San Miguel and San Rafael, with an optional detour to the Santa Ana mission, and ends the mission circuit at San Jose de Chiquitos and Santiago de Chiquitos. Along the way are the Cumbre de Santiago viewpoint, the rock tooth at Chochis and the hot river at Aguas Calientes.

Each price is per rider and covers the Suzuki DR650SE, tourist-class hotels, three meals a day, entrances, local guides, road tolls and fuel, with airport pickup at Viru-Viru in Santa Cruz and a 4WD support vehicle following the group. Scheduled groups are capped at six. Riders bring their own helmet and riding gear, book their own flights, and need travel insurance with adrenaline cover. The Mission can be combined with the operator’s Amazonia tour, which adds La Paz, the Death Road and a two-day excursion into the Rurrenabaque pampa.