The Mennonites
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The Mennonites In Santa Cruz Bolivia
The tours to the Mennonites colonies take place in one of these colonies and can last up to 4 hours. However, customized tours can be arranged, allowing visitors to explore different colonies and spend more time there if requested.
These visits are conducted with respect for Mennonite customs and families. Most Mennonites appreciate visitors’ interest and admiration for their way of life and their efforts to remain somewhat isolated from the outside world.
Additionally, these tours aim to highlight the need for nature conservation, despite the fact that Mennonites clear large areas of forests.
History of the Mennonites in Bolivia
The Mennonites in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, received a privilege from the Bolivian government for future Mennonite immigrants, which included freedom of religion, private schools, and exemption from military service in the 1930s. However, this was not implemented until the 1950s.
Between 1954 and 1957, the first group of 37 families from different Mennonite colonies in Paraguay established the Tres Palmas colony, located 25 km northeast of Santa Cruz de la Sierra. Soon after, a second group of 25 conservative families from the Menno Colony in Paraguay founded a second colony five kilometers away from Tres Palmas. These settlers from Paraguay had experience and were well-prepared for farming in a subtropical climate. By 1959, the total Mennonite population in Bolivia was 189.
In 1963, new settlements were founded where the mennonites from Paraguay and Canada lived together. In 1967, Mennonites from Mexico and their daughter colonies in Belize began settling in the department of Santa Cruz. The Las Piedras colony, founded in 1968, was the first colony established exclusively by Mennonites from Canada. Most of the settlers in Bolivia were traditional Mennonites who sought greater separation from the “world.” By 1986, there were approximately 17,500 Mennonites living in 16 colonies in Bolivia, nearly 15,000 of whom were Old Colony Mennonites and 2,500 from the Bergthal or Sommerfeld groups.
The first Mennonite colonies arrived in Bolivia in 1957, invited by President Víctor Paz Estenssoro. He sought to populate the eastern plains of Santa Cruz. The primary occupation of the Mennonites is agriculture, focusing on the production of soybeans, corn, wheat, sorghum, and other crops.
Another key activity among Mennonites is cattle ranching. They also take pride in raising strong horses, as these animals are essential for heavy labor, particularly in some colonies where motorized vehicles are not used for transporting goods or people within the colony or to nearby towns.
Mennonite Colonies Today
By 2010, according to official figures, there were 61 Mennonite colonies in the department of Santa Cruz. These communities originate from various countries, including Mexico, Canada, Paraguay, and others.
Depending on the rules of each colony, certain restrictions apply, such as prohibiting the use of tractors with rubber tires or working for outsiders. In all colonies, Mennonites are not allowed to marry outside their ethnic group.
These colonies have been growing rapidly due to the continuous arrival of new Mennonite families. Another factor contributing to their expansion is that each family has an average of eight children.
New families require farmland, so they are forced to purchase large tracts of land. Each family needs a minimum of 50 hectares.
A Unique Experience
This experience will be unforgettable because spending a few hours in these colonies feels like being in another country. The houses, farmland, family organization, farms, and even the language are very different from those in mainstream Bolivian society.
Additionally, the way they work and their educational system are unique to them, as are the churches where they practice their religious services.
Important Details about the Mennonites colonies
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Itinerary; The Mennonites In Bolivia
Itinerary: Mennonite Tour
Duration: 4 hours
From: Santa Cruz de la Sierra
The Mennonites tour in Bolivia begins with a pickup from your accommodation. We will take you outside the city, passing through local neighborhoods of the largest city in Bolivia.
After approximately 30 minutes, we will start leaving the urban area of Santa Cruz. As we move further from the city center, we will pass by what used to be the city’s landfill.
This landfill is located along the road leading to a Mennonite colony. The route is paved until reaching a small, typical town of Santa Cruz. From this town, the road to the colony is unpaved.
Although the journey itself is already an interesting experience, after a little less than an hour, we will begin entering the Mennonite colony.
This colony is one of the closest to Santa Cruz and is inhabited by Mennonite families who originally came from Canada, Mexico, and other countries where Mennonite communities exist.
The colony covers around 13,000 hectares and is home to approximately 200 families, with a total population of around 2,000 people.
As we drive through roads built and maintained by the Mennonites themselves, we can observe their large crop fields and unique-style houses. The water storage tanks and windmills are characteristic features of Mennonite settlements.
Sometimes, the families are not home, and since they do not use telephones, it is impossible to arrange a visit in advance. However, most of the time, we find someone at home or visit a different Mennonite household.
At the Mennonites house, the head of the family or one of his children will explain how they organize production and maintain a Mennonite family, as well as how work is distributed among all family members, including children.
The Mennonites family is usually willing to show us more of their home, including their bedrooms and kitchen.
Inside a Mennonite house, we will also have the opportunity to discuss any curiosities and ask questions to the head of the family.
We may also visit their barn, where they milk cows, feed horses, and take care of their pig farm. Depending on the available time and visitors’ interest, we could also explore their workshop, where they repair, weld, and manufacture their carts. These carts are finely crafted and are pulled by one or two horses, depending on the design.
This welding workshop is also used to modify tractors by replacing their rubber tires with iron wheels. Many Mennonite colonies use tractors with iron wheels. Mennonites are very skilled in various trades, especially in manufacturing and mechanical repairs.
In general, Mennonites are known for being very kind and honest people.
If time allows, we can visit a dairy processing plant where they produce different types of cheese and other dairy products, which they sell in the city.
At the end of the tour, we will drop you off at your hotel or residence.
End of the Mennonite colony tour.
Important Details
for the mennonites tour.
The Tours Includes
Includes:
- Hotel pick tip / Drop off
- Private transportation
- Entrance fee
- Bottled water
- A Spanish speaking Guide
Does not Includes:
- No Cater Meals
- Any time not mentioned in the including list
What To Bring
- Passport (Original) Or identifications documents valid in Bolivia.
- A Cap or a Hat ( No to be used under the trees or branches).
- Sun Glasses.
- A Warm Sweater.
- Raincoat
- Insect Repellents.
- Long-sleeved shirt- Pants Light colour.
- Mosquitoes are especially attracted by dark colour.
- Plastic bags to protect whatever you do not want to get wet.
- Bring your own medication for your personal needs.
- Personal items you may need
Recommendations
Recommendations
- Read the terms and conditions of this tour
- Read the list of items to Bring with you
Others
- It is forbidden to transport and / or use of drugs according to Bolivian laws.
- Adverse weather conditions can change the original program.
- Convulsions can affect the original itinerary.
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