It is believed that in the Pre-Columbian era, men from Cliza were known as Sapanas (Quechua for braid), given that they wore their hair in a long braid. The Sapana men used to live in Sach'amoqo, abundant with green pastures, next to crystal clear springs, under the bluest sky. Manco Kapac's descendants farmed this land and practiced the three Inca commands: Ama quella (Do not be lazy), Ama llulla (Do not lie), and Ama sua (Do not steal), as well as the ayni.

When the Spaniards arrived, the name Sach'amoqo was changed to Valle de Elisa because it is said that when they took over the Tawantinsuyu and asked the Quechuas for the sapanas tribe's name, they answered: "It's the tribe of the Lisas" (Quechua for brave, surly). The name was then changed to Valle de Cliza when the Spanish crown offered the town's lands as a gift to Pedro Ximenes de Vargas in 1595. When Pedro Ximenes de Vargas died, his daughter Francisa Vargas inherited the lands, and upon her death, she left in her will that the lands go to the Santa Clara Monastery. This event resulted in the final formation of el Valle de Cliza.

On September 21, 1912, Dr. Eliodoro Villazon Montano founded Cliza as a province by law. Later in 1945, Lieutenant Colonel Gualberto Villarroel modified the title of Provincia Cliza for Provincia German Jordan in honor of his son, an illustrious, fallen soldier of the Chaco War.

The school system in Cliza is the same as in Bolivia. Children begin preschool around four years old to spend five years in elementary school, which ends in 5th grade. Intermediate education follows elementary school and includes grades 6,7,8. Lastly, high school or secondary school 1ro de secundaria to 4to de secundaria (grades 9,10,11,12 in America). Cliza does not have a university. Therefore, the students who wish to pursue higher education must move to the city of Cochabamba or other departments.

Based on a survey and census from 1992, it was found that approximately 23.6% of the population was illiterate. However, these percentages may have significantly changed due to Mr. President Evo Morales Ayma's program, "Yo Si Puedo" in 2006. The program sought to end illiteracy, especially in rural areas, to help adults over 50 who predominantly spoke Quechua and worked arduous jobs in the field.

Cliza is mainly known for its famous "Pichon a la brasa" (grilled baby pigeon/squab), which is served with fideo (macaroni) con mani, chuño (freeze-dried potato), potato and onion and tomato. Pichon a la brasa is found outside of El Mercado Principal, Monday through Sunday. Though pichon a la brasa is Cliza's main dish, other typical foods include: pique macho, fideos uchu, salchipapas, cumulus, anticuchos, picana and chicha. The following are the descriptions of the more meticulous dishes from the list.

• Anticucho^[1] - Cow's heart thinly sliced, marinated with salt, garlic, and soy sauce (varies by stand), grilled, served with potato and spicy peanut sauce (peanut, locoto, garlic, salt, cumin, all ingredients are ground on a table made out of stone, with a round stone)
• Picana - The main ingredient for this dish is pork, cow, chicken, and lamb. It is served with humintas (similar to a sweet tamale; it has cheese inside) and potatoes which are cooked all night in a traditional oven made out of clay. The meats are also cooked all night in a pot made of clay at a low fire, fueled with firewood from different trees.
• Chicha^[2] - It's a fermented, alcoholic beverage derived from maize.

The cost of pichon a la brasa is 35bs., or around $5.5; the other less intricate dishes range from $1.5 to $4. For desserts and other sweets, rosquetes, helado de leche y canela are the most famous from the region.

Tourists come from all sectors of the country, and international tourists are also ubiquitous, mainly from Europe and surrounding South American countries. The biggest attraction from Cliza is "Fiesta de la Virgen del Carmen", followed by "Feria del Pichon" and "Feria de la Picana," which is the Sunday after Easter; it's a sacred tradition for cliceños. One peculiar fact about the Feria de la Picana is that at the end of the fair, there is a competition of around 15 folkloric groups from Cliza and other neighboring towns. This event brings approximately 6,000 tourists each year.

Cliza's weather template, with an annual average of 18°C and 27°C during the warmer months of summer, makes It ideal for visiting any time of the year.

• Ramiro Numbela: Highly respected artist. Mr. Numbela made the well-known sculpture from the plaza. He has contributed to several different projects, including the "Parque Cretaceo", the statues from Arbieto, and sculpted the dinosaurs for the "Parque de Huellas de Dinosaurio from ToroToro" or Bolivia's Jurassic Park.
• David Ferrufino Zurita: Mr. Ferrufino is the most well-known mechanic and welder from Cliza, though his name is vastly known in other towns from Santa Cruz and other departments. Born in 1941, he emigrated to Argentina at age 15 and specialized in welding; he worked for the most significant ship company from Argentina then, Aliscafo. He worked for the Aliscafo company for nearly 35 years, then returned to his native Bolivia and opened his mechanic shop. No one in Cliza knows Mr. Ferrufino, for he has helped even the most hopeless customer, a lady who got her ring stuck on her finger. His specialty is making seed-sowing equipment for tractors from scratch, using scrap metals from his shop.

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