Bonito is a nature lovers paradise known for its crystal clear rivers and wide range of outdoor activities on offer like snorkelling, exploring caves and epic waterfalls. Bonito boasts a commitment to environmental preservation and sustainable tourism, ensuring that its exceptional biodiversity and pristine landscapes remain protected for generations to come.

Where is Bonito located

In state of Mato Grosso de Sul in south eastern Brazil.

How to get to Bonito

Bus: Buses depart from São Paulo Rodoviária da Barra Funda station with a change at Campo Grande the journey is the cheapest option ,but the journey takes 21 hours. You can book online with Busbud.

Plane: Azul airlines have flights between São Paulo to Bonito (BYO)

Getting Around

Car: Hire a car in Bonito. Gives you more freedom to get around

Shuttles: Organised through tour operators you can pay extra for a shuttle to and from each excursion

When is the best time to visit Bonito

Rainy Season (December–February): Hot humid weather and heavy rain with temperatures between 20 °C (68 °F) – 31 (87 °F).

Shoulder: Milder weather and less rain with temperatures around 18°C (64°F) – 30 (86°F) .

Dry Season (May–August): Cooler temperatures and dry weather with temperatures between 17°C (62°F) – 28 (82°F)

Our Verdict: You can visit Bonito all year round but to make the most of your trip go in the dry season or shoulder.

Where to stay

There are 2 main options, staying in Bonito and staying outside of Bonito

Bonito: Easy access to shops, restaurants and tour operators.

Outside of Bonito: Get close to nature and the beautiful countryside in the area.

Things to do in Bonito

Bonito has a commitment to sustainable tourism and all the excursions have limited visitors each day to control environmental impact. Because of this you need to book through a tour agency, they all have the same prices so it doesn’t matter who you book through.

There are loads of activities to choose from including exploring caves, hiking to waterfalls, tubing, swimming in the crystal clear waters and the most popular activity freshwater snorkelling or what they call flutuciao.

Snorkelling

We booked a flutuciao at Aquerio Natural. When you arrive you will gear up with a wetsuit, life vest, snorkel and some crocs. You will then be taken through an orientation on how to “float” in the water. You are not allowed to kick and are supposed to just float down the river using your arms to steer. This is to protect the fish and plant life.

There is a short hike of around 500m to the starting point for the snorkelling where there is a large pool with crystal clear water with thousands of fish inside. We snorkelled in this area for 10 minutes before making our way down the river.

The flutuciao has you float about 800 meters down the river. It’s an incredible experience seeing all the colourful fish and vibrant plants! it really is like swimming in a aquarium. The water is so clear it’s unbelievable! There are also spots along the wat to stop and rest if you need to.

When the flotation is over you get to have a go on a zipline before walking back via the animal trail here you can see some native animals up close. Some animals are sick or injured that are being rehabilitated before being releasing back into the wild.

Tubing

The second excursion we booked was tubing at Eco Park Porto da Ilha. There is a lagoon with clear blue water that you can enjoy before and after the tubing with various activities on offer like kayaking, stand up paddle board and a zip line!

The tubing was a lot of fun here you ride inflatable tubes down Rio Formoso going down 8 small waterfalls along the way. It’s all quite safe with guide ropes before and after the waterfalls and the staff are on hand to get you up if you fall off. They are also super funny and make the experience a lot of fun.

Where to eat & drink

All of these places are located along the main street Rua Cel. Pílad Rébua (and pretty much everythything else in town!)

Restaurante Pantanal Grill na Brasa: Brazilian BBQ at good prices and large servings!

Sabor e Cia: Serve a variety of light food including really delicious Acai bowls

Pastel Bonito: Amazing Pastel shop with loads of varieties including allegator.

Our Experience

We really loved Bonito and wished we had stayed longer as there is so much to do in the area, as we would have loved to visit some of the waterfalls. The town itself is also really nice and like a typical tourist town its’ dead during the day and comes to life in the evening when everyone is back from excursions.

Next Stop:

Also check out our YouTube video below 👇