Bonito is a small town in the southwestern corner of Mato Grosso do Sul in Brazil’s Central West region, about 3-4 hours drive from the nearest airport at Campo Grande. There is little of interest in the town itself but the surrounding area is full of superb natural resources.
The main attractions in the Bonito area are the clear rivers bordered by lush forest. The waters here are high in calcium carbonate, calcifying the impurities and leaving crystal clear water full of fish. The Sucuri River provides a good opportunity to practise snorkelling amongst an interesting selection of fish, but the Rio da Prata offers the best (and longest) snorkelling. A short trek through the forest leads to a clear, natural pool and about 1.8 miles of snorkelling. As you snorkel down the river a fascinating variety of fish swim towards you, often eyeball to eyeball, including the Dourado, the ‘shark of the river’ (harmless unless you are a fish!) and large schools of huge black pacu. On the return journey to Bonito visit Buraco das Araras, the hole of the macaws, a 126 metre deep crater where Red and Green macaws can be observed from above, their bright plumage providing a striking contrast to the vegetation at the crater bottom.
Another attraction that you can visit in this area is the Gruta do Lagoa Azul. This is a cave with a deep blue lake 50 m long and 110 m wide, 75 metres below ground level, surrounded by interesting stalactite formations. Care must be taken on the descent to the lake because the path is uneven and can be slippery.