The Ultimate Bonito Travel Guide

ARE YOU READY FOR THE ULTIMATE BONITO TRAVEL GUIDE?

Bonito is a city in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, and is known as the top eco-tourism destination in Brazil.

This little one-street town exploded on the ecotourism map in the early 1900s, which led to the creation of the 76 square kilometer Serra de Bodoquena National Park in 2000.

Bonito is known for crystal-clear rivers like the Rio da Prata, a snorkeling destination abounding with fish, Abismo Anhumas, a huge, stalactite-covered cavern that offers abseiling and diving in an underground lake, and flocks of macaws, which nest in the deep, ochre-colored depression of Buraco das Araras. In short, if you are craving an adventure, then Bonito is just the place for you.

Are you ready for our Bonito travel guide? Here we go! 

Top Tips for Bonito Travel

• Brazilian power voltage is 127 V / 220 V, and their power out is style C / N.
• The Real is the present-day currency of Brazil. Its sign is R$, and its ISO code is BR.
• There is a saying in Brazil: the signal of the internet depends on whether it is raining. Don’t expect a strong or fast signal in Bonito, especially if it’s raining.
• The attractions have a fixed price that is determined on a yearly basis by the owners of the properties and published by the Association of Attractions in Bonito: ATRATUR. There is a high season and low season price – it is not possible to shop around for better prices.
• If possible, book a shuttle from Campo Grande. Or opt to rent a car at the Campo Grande international airport. Prices for tours do not include transportation. There are no car rentals shop available in Bonito, so plan ahead.
• Unfortunately, A LOT of the tours are in Portuguese, which can be incredibly frustrating if you do not speak the language. Make sure to ask your tour agency if there are any tours available in English BEFORE booking. I would also highly recommend traveling with a Portuguese speaker for the full Bonito experience.

Bonito Travel Guide

Climate

The best period to visit is between December and March, during the rainy season, when rivers are high, allowing for green vegetation and abundant food for the animals. Between May and August, there is limited rain which means that the waterfalls are not as spectacular, but this is still a great time to visit the other sights.

November is the wettest month and should be avoided. May to June is wintertime in Brazil, which means that the weather can be quite cool – in the mornings, my friends and I would often wake up at 10 Celsius (°C) (which is 50 Fahrenheit (°F) degrees).

However, as the majority of the activities in Bonito are water-based, it is quite a miserable experience putting on a suit and jumping into the water at this temperature. However, this is low season… translation: low prices / fewer tourists. 

Bonito Travel Guide

Packing Tips

Bonito’s climate is classified as tropical – it has significant rainfall most months with a short dry season. The basic idea is that Bonito is an adventure-sport destination. Therefore it would be wise to pack adventure-type clothes like hiking shoes and comfortable/warm clothes that can be layered. 

• Layers, layer, layers. I really can’t stress this point enough, ESPECIALLY if you plan on visiting the region during the winter months. The weather outside can pretty cold. The problem is that because winter lasts only a couple of months, many businesses (including hotels/hostels) have not invested in central heating. This means that it will probably be just as cold inside your room as it is outside. I am a personal fan of Arc’teryx and Icebreaker gear, as they provide me with a wide range of layers that keep me incredibly toasty whether I am exploring outside or sitting inside my hostel. 
• Plus don’t forget the hat, gloves, scarf and warm socks! 4°C / 40°F doesn’t seem too cold. However, when there is no option to escape from the cold (no heating and only lukewarm showers), then the cold can definitely get to you, so be prepared.
• Hiking / walking shoes. You will be walking A LOT. 90% of the tours need you to bring a pair of closed-toe and sturdy shoes. 
• Long pants that are not Jeans. This is especially the case if you plan on going to Abismo Anhumas. Due to the fact that you have to climb back up to the entrance of the cave (72 m ascent), you need to pack a pair of extremely comfortable and bendable pants. I would recommend leggings. 
• Sun / Bug Protection. If you plan on hiking or going on any trails, please bring bug spray [the strong stuff], a hat, sunglasses, and lots of sunscreen to protect yourself.
• Swimming Suit. This is a no-brainer. As most of the tours are water-based, it is important to bring at least one bathing suit (I would recommend two)
• Underwater Camera. The fantastic visibility, which extends to 50 meters (165 feet), is due to the water’s high limestone content, which acts as a natural filter, leaving the rivers exceptionally pure. Don’t forget to bring an underwater camera to capture all the underwater life. I personally have the Sony DSC-TX10 with underwater housing that I’ve used countlessly in Panama and Brazil. 
• Collapsable backpack. This backpack is essential to carry around extra clothes, dry socks, a towel, snacks, food, etc. etc., as most tours last from morning until late afternoon and can include a number of activities from swimming, hiking, climbing, and more. I personally have this Osprey Daypack – I love it primarily because it takes up virtually no space in my suitcase and yet can fit quite a bit of thing inside once it is expanded. 

Bonito Travel Guide

Transportation

The most common way to reach Bonito is through Campo Grande International Airport, which is located in the capital of Mato Grosso do Sul state. Campo Grande is located around 300 KM away from Bonito, and visitors can either opt to take a bus/van service (approximately 4 hours) to reach Bonito or rent a car. 

There are flights that fly from Rio de Janeiro (Santos Dumont (SDU)) to Bonito Airport (BYO) twice a week, but they stopover in Viracopos International Airport in Campinas (VCP) or Aeroporto Congonhas – CGH – São Paulo (CGH).

⭐️ Please note that Campinas is a city approximately 1 hour away from São Paulo. A free shuttle bus is offered by São Paulo Congonhas Domestic Airport to Viracopos. From Bonito Airport, taxis into the city are available for around R$60, or you can request a van pickup by your accommodation.

Once you arrive in Bonito, you will HAVE to pay extra for transportation to each tour, which is not included in the price of the tour but is usually arranged separately by your tour agency and/or accommodation. Expect to pay around R$50 – R$150 for transportation per tour, depending on whether it is private or shared transportation.

Bonito Travel Guide

9 Top Activities in Bonito

My Bonito travel guide is all about adventure. From diving to snorkeling in underground caves to hiking and rappelling in the forest, there are more than 30 tours in and around the Bonito area. This is in no way an exhaustive list of activities, as I was only in Bonito for seven days and couldn’t experience all that this ecotourism destination has to offer. This is my epic Bonito travel guide to slow travel activities.

Bonito travel Guide

1. Rio da Prata

Time: 4 hrs | Rating: 5 out of 5 | BOOK 👉 Recanto Ecologico Rio da Prata Ticket

Recanto Ecológico Rio da Prata is located in the Fazenda Cabeceira do Prata, located in Jardim. The snorkeling tour starts with a travel through the forest of the Prata River. The area is protected by a Private Reserve (RPPN).

The trail leads to the main spring of Olho d’Água River, where the snorkeling tour begins and where you will experience the sensation of floating in an immense aquarium of crystalline waters. Rare geological properties make these waters unique.

The current of the river carries you downstream until Olho D’Água meets with Prata River – so relax and make sure to enjoy the sight of different species of fish and aquatic plants. As you return, a lunch buffet awaits you.

Bonito travel Guide

2. Abismo Anhumas

Abismo Anhumas is the name of a cave located 23 km (14.3 m) from downtown Bonito. This submerged cave was discovered 1984 by a local cowboy after a fire and was officially opened in 1994 after extensive mapping, training, and team qualification.

Now, don’t be fooled by its modest setting. All the action is underneath your feet. Once you arrive, you are instantly strapped into a harness and directed to an incredibly small hole where you will rappel 72 meters (236 ft / 26 stories) down into a cave.

The opening might be small, but it instantly opens up as you dangle over a crystal clear lake, 80 meters (260 ft) deep, with an area equivalent to the size of a football field. Snorkeling or diving reveals the breathtaking beauty of this place: some of the largest underwater stalagmites in the world (up to 18 meters (59 ft) high) can be found here

⭐️ Estrada Campo dos Índios, Fazenda Anhumas, 22 kilometers/14 miles from Bonito. R$1120 plus R$350-500 for the option of scuba diving.

Bonito travel Guide

3. Estância Mimosa

Time: 4 hrs | Rating: 5 out of 5 | BOOK 👉 Estancia Mimosa Admission Ticket

Estância Mimosa was used only as a livestock farm until April 1998. After the farm was acquired by a new owner, the main objective of the farm was to develop it into an ecotourism activity.

The destination’s main activity is a guided walk through the forest of Mimoso River, reaching eight different waterfalls of various sizes and shapes. Along the trail, there are small caves, suspended wood trails, observatories, a small boat ride, and a 6-meter high diving board.

The tour is approx. 3h30min. Guide, life jacket, and accident insurance are all included in the price of the tour. Neoprene boots are available for rental.

Bonito travel Guide

4. Gruta do Lago Azul

The Gruta do Lago Azul is a deep cavern (accessed by stairs) filled with stalactites and stalagmites, at the bottom of which is an impossibly blue-green lagoon. It turns a piercing turquoise when hit by the sun’s rays, which happens November–January 8:30–9 a.m. 

The whole tour takes around 60-90 minutes and is only available in Portuguese (so make sure to bring a friend that can translate).

Bonito travel Guide

5. Projeto Jiboia 

Scared of snakes? After visiting Projeto Jiboia, you won’t be! The project, which started in 2005, seeks to educate and inform individuals about non-venomous snakes and their behaviors. Creator, Henry Naufal, is quite the snake whisperer, housing 12 boas and one python at the project’s headquarters.

Henry hosts daily presentations at Projeto Jiboia that begin with a hilarious introduction to the world of snakes (in Potuguese-only) and is followed by the highly anticipated holding of the snake portion of the evening where individuals get to unleash their inner Britney Spears while taking videos and photos.

Bonito travel Guide

6. Lagoa Misteriosa

Time: 2 hrs | Rating: 5 out of 5 | BOOK 👉 Lagoa Misteriosa with Scuba Diving

Pictures can be deceiving, but not at Lagoa Misteriosa. Yes, the water IS that blue. This Mysterious Lagoon is known for its breathtakingly beautiful blue waters (due to magnesium deposits) and incredible depth, with 60m of visibility.

It is one of the deepest flooded caves in Brazil – it has two deep long, and narrow oceanic trenches which are over 220 m (721 ft) deep and interconnected at about 60 m (196 ft). Covered and surrounded by forest, the lake is located at the bottom of a steep set of stairs, so be careful as you descend.

In addition to scuba and technical (cave) diving, Lagoa Misteriosa also offers trails and snorkeling. The Lagoa is normally closed in the summer months because of the algae bloom that sets in January to April.

⭐️ My recommendation? Kill two birds with one stone by pairing your trip to Lagoa with Rio Prata. 

Bonito travel Guide

7. Quadriciclo Trilha 

Vroom Vroom. An incredibly exhilarating experience that leaves you wanting more. We decided to take a ride through the Bonito trails during the nighttime. The instructors will first take you on a practice ride.

Apparently, individuals get a little too trigger-happy and tend to accelerate instead of break in certain situations so instructors make sure you are comfortable with the ATV and (more importantly) if you can keep up.

The scenario is like this: it’s completely pitch black, and all you can see is the back end of the ATV in front of you as you drive down an incredibly bumpy and narrow path that ends with a stop in an open field to star-gaze. Just remember to keep your eyes on the road.

Bonito travel Guide

8. Taboa [factory] 

Ok, have you heard of cachaça? It is a cane-sugar-based spirit and is actually a very close cousin of white rum. But the key difference between the two spirits lies in the way the base ingredient is handled: while rum is traditionally made from processed cane (molasses), cachaça is made from fresh-pressed, unprocessed cane juice.

The Taboa Bar is known as THE only party place (and I say that loosely) in town. But located a couple of kilometers away from the bar is their factory where all the magic happens. Visitors learn about the history behind Taboa, watch as the bottles are assembled by being covered in dried cattail, and have the pleasure of taste-testing over 20 different types of artisanal cachaça (my favorite is passion fruit).

And if that isn’t reason enough to visit their factory, Taboa is also known for providing jobs to Bonito youth. In fact, the owner is a strong supporter of skill sharing and cultural exchanges – she doesn’t hire anyone with a resume and makes sure that their job is part-time so that it doesn’t interfere with school. 

Bonito travel Guide

9. Buraco de Araras

When a cattle farmer purchased the Fazenda Alegre, he wasn’t pleased to find a giant buraco (hole) sitting in the middle of his pasture. The hole, with a lake at the bottom, has a diameter of 500 meters (1,640 feet) and a depth of 100 meters (328 feet). However, he soon found out that the Buraco das Araras was a favorite roosting spot for over 40 exotic bird species, among them the arara vermelha (red macaw).

Now an ecological refuge, the Buraco can be visited with an excursion (the tour lasts an hour). The best time to see the macaws is in the morning when they rise from their nests and start to sing in unison. Bring binoculars. The Fazenda Alegre is some 50 kilometers (30 miles) from Bonito.

⭐️ Other tours that are not mentioned in our Bonito travel guide include: Ceita Core (my friends went on this tour and absolutely loved it), Rio do Peixe, Cachoeira Boca da Onça (home of the largest waterfall in Bonito), Nascente Azul and Parque Ecológico Rio Formoso (stand-up paddling, tubing and/or horseback riding).

Accommodations: Staying at Bonito HI Hostel

You should always have accommodation booked before arriving in Bonito. It does not matter what period of the year you go there, the city will always be full. Bonito has a large variety and range of accommodations, from rustic-style luxury guesthouses like Refúgio do Rio Bonito to hostels like Bonito HI Hostel.

⭐️ Obviously, the Bonito HI Hostel is not the only place to stay in Bonito. If you are looking for a place to stay click here to check out what is on offer.

I personally ended up staying at the Bonito HI Hostel (⭐️⭐️⭐️). So why three stars? Let me count the reasons:

PROS

• The staff was bilingual (English & Portuguese) and incredibly helpful.
• They have their own tour agency within the hostel, so it was incredibly easy to book any type of tour through the hostel.
• Decent breakfast, including scrambled eggs, freshly squeezed juice, coffee, cakes, and so much more
• Great facilities that included a pool table and pool. We opted for private rooms (as there were 3 of us), and we were happy with the cleanliness of the rooms, the modern bathrooms, and the ample space.

CONS

• Location, location, location. The Bonito HI Hostel is around 2 kilometers away from the Centre – which is approximately a 15 – 20 minute walk. The last thing you want to do after an exhausting day is to walk to the center. However, staff can also call you a moto taxi that can take you to the center for around R$7. This also means that restaurants, grocery stores etc. etc. are far away, and you are at the mercy of hostel’s kitchen (which serves sub-par lunch and dinner options that are insanely expensive).
• I was a little disappointed that concessions could not be made when I had to wake up early for a tour and wanted to have breakfast. I remember seeing the lady preparing the food and refusing to give me ANY food even after I explained my situation. Although this was not the fault of the hostel per see, probably the result of a staff member that might not have been in the best mood in the morning.

Food & NightLife in Bonito

Bonito is a small tourist town, so expect food that will be somewhat overpriced and nightlife that will be quite limited. Nevertheless, there are a couple of gems to be found in Bonito. I want to add that although I personally never ate at Juanita Restaurant, it was recommended to me (as was their pacu fish dish).

The reason why this list is a little limited is primarily that the majority of my breakfasts and lunches were covered, and my dinners were either skipped, eaten at the hostel, or paired with a strong caipirinha from Taboa! 

Casa Do João 🌟🌟🌟🌟

If you are going to eat at only ONE restaurant in Bonito, then make sure it’s Casa Do João, rated the #1 restaurant in Bonito on TripAdvisor. I can not rave enough about this restaurant. It really has it all – adorable décor, attentive and professional staff, cold beers, a souvenir shop, and most importantly, mouth-watering freshly caught food. I would highly recommend the piranha soup followed by the famous Traira Vestida. Enjoy! 

Pantanal Grill 🌟🌟🌟

The Pantanal Grill will be forever known as the restaurant where I tasted jacaré (caiman) for the first time. And YES! It actually does taste like chicken. Overall the restaurant is OK. The menu offers a large selection of food, but prepare to pay tourist prices. I would highly recommend the jacaré, piranha, and/or piraputanga fish – one of the most common fish found in Bonito.

Allegra Gelato e Cafe 🌟🌟🌟🌟

The atmosphere is pleasant and modern, and the people were friendly. Absolutely delicious ice cream. You can use the WiFi, and it is a nice place for you to recover. Prices are very reasonable.

Rua Coronel Pilad Rebua 2070

Vicio da Gula🌟🌟🌟🌟

It is a very small shop in the main road. Here you find delicious confections, juices, sandwiches, pies, etc. The best thing is the confections are made of regional fruits like bocaiuva and guavira.

Taboa Bar🌟🌟🌟🌟

Looking for a night out on the town? Well, you have only one option, but thankfully it’s a great one. Taboa offers live music, great walls painted with clients’ names, and makes its own unique cachaça mixed with local ingredients. They had a gigantic cocktail menu and a decent food menu. My recommendation? A capitaboa (a caipirinha made with taboa cachaça).

But WHY a Top Eco-tourism Destination?

Welcome to the Capital of Ecotourism reads the sign at the entrance of town. But WHY is Bonito considered one of the best eco-tourism destinations in all of Brazil? The International Eco-Tourism Society writes that: the key to Bonito’s success in ecotourism is its unique voucher system which ensures a standard for all ecotourism activities.

Let’s dive a little deeper: 

• All of the 38 accredited attractions in Bonito can only be booked by purchasing a unique voucher
• Unique vouchers for any of the trips can be bought at accredited travel agents of Bonito (found in most hotels and on the ‘strip’), thus allowing the Bonito travel agencies to coordinate with various attractions to ensure that trips are not overbooked and there is no violation of the capacity limit. 
• The price of each activity is regulated through the voucher. Prices are non-negotiable, no matter where you buy them.

Clayton Castilho Gomes, the director of Tourism for Bonito, states that this system allows for the regulation of reservations as well as ensuring that there is a fair and fixed price. But before giving out unique vouchers, destinations that wish to become accredited attractions need to first undergo environmental impact studies to determine appropriate carrying capacities.

Each tour in Bonito must be done with a qualified guide, and all of the guides must take a technical 2-year program at a federal university to be certified.

FINALLY, in order to further lessen the human impact on the environment, visitors are discouraged from wearing any bug spray and/or sunscreen while participating in water activities, and fins are NOT given out during snorkeling excursions to avoid disturbing the sediment at the bottom of Bonito’s lakes and rivers. 

What do you think about our Bonito travel guide?