| Official Name: | San Rafael de Velasco |
| Pushpin Map: | Bolivia |
| Pushpin Mapsize: | 300 |
| Pushpin Label Position: | bottom |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location within Bolivia |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Bolivia |
| Subdivision Type1: | Department |
| Subdivision Name1: | Santa Cruz Department |
| Subdivision Type2: | Province |
| Subdivision Name2: | José Miguel de Velasco Province |
| Subdivision Type3: | Municipality |
| Subdivision Name3: | San Rafael Municipality |
| Subdivision Type4: | Canton |
| Subdivision Name4: | San Rafael Canton |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Population As Of: | 2001 |
| Population Footnotes: | [1] |
| Population Total: | 2057 |
| Timezone: | BOT |
| Utc Offset: | -4 |
| Coordinates: | -16.7869°N -60.6738°W |
San Rafael de Velasco or San Rafael is the seat of the San Rafael Municipality in the José Miguel de Velasco Province, Santa Cruz Department, Bolivia. It is part of the Jesuit Missions of Chiquitos. In 1990 it was declared a World Heritage Site.[2]
In 1695, the mission of San José was founded by Jesuit missionaries Juan Bautista Zea and Francisco Hervás. The mission was relocated and rebuilt multiple times due to epidemics (in 1701 and again in 1705) and fires (in 1719). In 1750, the mission was rebuilt yet again.[3] [4]
The Tao (Yúnkarirsh) dialect of Chiquitano was spoken in San Rafael.[5]
Today, Camba Spanish, which has many words from Chiquitano, is spoken in San Rafael.[6]