Samaipata or Samaypata[2] (Quechua samay to rest, pata elevated place / above, at the top / edge, bank (of a river), shore)[3][4] is a small town in the Florida Province of the Santa Cruz Department in Bolivia.

It has a subtropical climate and an altitude of 1600–1800 m. It lies about 120 kilometers to the southwest of the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra in the foothills of the Andes on the way to Sucre.

It is located close to several tourist attractions such as El Fuerte de Samaipata, the Amboro National Park, El Codo de los Andes, Cuevas waterfalls, vineyards, rapids and lagoons, as well as well-preserved colonial towns such as Vallegrande, Pampagrande, Postrervalle, Santiago del Valle, Pucará, and others.

The Chanes are famous for their densely populated villages, their ceramics and graphic designs, and most importantly the construction of the temple at El Fuerte de Samaipata.

There are several Chane burial sites all through the valleys and pampas of Santa Cruz between the Siberia mountain ridge and the Guapay River.

In 1618, Pedro de Escalante y Mendoza founded Samaipata,[6] as a point of contact between Santa Cruz and Vallegrande.

Samaipateños from old families are descendants of Spanish colonists from Vallegrande and Santa Cruz (many of whom were of Sephardic origin) and the local Guarani natives that had invaded the valley prior to the arrival of the Spaniards.

There is also a significant production of wines, singani, honey, marmalades, cold cuts,[7] herbal infusions, lavender, art pieces and artisan crafts.

It is now the second wine region in terms of planted area and attracts an increasing number of ecotourists, particularly from Santa Cruz, Bolivia's largest city.

Declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1998,[12] this archaeological complex presents pre-Inca (Chane), Inca, and colonial Spanish ruins.

The temple was originally built by the Arawak people most likely belonging to the Chane[13] culture that inhabited the surrounding valleys and the pampas to the East.

[14] The site includes a sloping ramp, pronounced by flying saucer enthusiast Erich von Däniken in his book "Chariots of the Gods" to be a launch platform for spaceships.