Ultimate Guide to Bonito: Exploring the Southern Brazilian Pantanal's Hidden Paradise

Ever dreamed of escaping to a hidden paradise? Bonito, tucked away in the southern region of the Brazilian Pantanal, might just be the place you're looking for. If you're wondering whether you can explore this natural wonder on your next holiday, I'm here to tell you it's not only possible — it’s a must-do!

Imagine a place where adventure meets tranquility, where crystal-clear rivers wind through lush forests, and waterfalls cascade into serene pools. Bonito isn’t just another travel destination; it’s an experience waiting to happen. With its stunning caves — both dry and submerged — majestic sinkholes, and rugged rocky cliffs, Bonito offers a landscape unlike any other. And the wildlife? You’ll feel like you’re on a safari with the incredible variety of animals you’ll encounter in the cerrado and Atlantic Forest.

All our posts about traveling in Brazil, be sure to check them out before planing a trip to my home country:

Sign at the entrance to the city of Bonito, which reads: "Welcome, Bonito"

In this post, you will find:

How to make the most of your tours in Bonito, Brazil

- Bonito boasts one of the finest tourism infrastructures in Brazil — incredibly organized and highly professional. It’s a place that rivals the best ecotourism destinations in the world. Rest assured, you won’t just be passing through—you’ll be immersed in the experience.

- All of Bonito’s attractions are located in rural areas, spread out from one another. You’ll need your own car or a hired van service to get around. The roads leading to these attractions are dirt roads, but don’t worry, they’re well-maintained, and even an economical car will get you there without trouble.

- All tours in Bonito are guided in small groups with a focus on safety and environmental respect. Your guide’s instructions are key: leave only footprints, and take only memories..

- Booking your activities in advance is essential — make sure to do so through a trusted agency or online plataform such as Civitatis

- The tours are well-equipped : you’ll find bathrooms, changing rooms, Wi-Fi, snack bars, and even restaurants at several sites. However, don’t rely on your cell phone signal—coverage is weak and unstable, though you might get a signal in some spots.

– Bonito is a great destination for traveling with children, especially those aged 7 or 8 and up.

– You’ll encounter many international visitors in Bonito , and most guides are fluent in English and Spanish. So don’t hesitate to visit Bonito even if you are not fluent in Portuguese. During our visit, we met Germans, Frenchs, North Americans, and Japanese tourists — all equally captivated by Bonito’s beauty.

- While Bonito is the best-known city with the most developed infrastructure, many of the attractions often associated with it are actually spread across neighboring town like Jardim and Bodoquena, in what’s called the Serra da Bodoquena.

View at the end of the Adventura Boca da Onça trail, valley with river in the background

When to visit Bonito, Brazil

Bonito is a destination you can enjoy year-round.

Located in the heart of the Brazilian southern Pantanal region, it’s hot — very hot indeed — throughout the year. Think maximum temperatures around XNUMX ºC, with minimums that rarely drop below XNUMX ºC.

In the winter months (from May to September), temperatures become a bit milder, but don’t expect it to be cold. The minimum might dip to around 14ºC, but the days are still warm. Be prepared for the hot weather — bring a hat, sunscreen, and everything you’d pack for a summer trip.

What really changes throughout the year in Bonito is the rainfall. In summer, especially from October to March, it rains a lot. . January and February mark the peak of the rainy season. In winter, the rain takes a break, but you can still expect the occasional shower.

It’s usually recommended to visit Bonito during the dry season, from May to September , when the rivers are clearer, rain doesn’t interfere with your activities, and wildlife is easier to spot.

But if you, like us, aren’t afraid of a little rain (😂) or only have January and February to travel (🙋🏻), don’t think twice—go to Bonito even “outside the ideal season.” You won't regret it.

We visited Bonito during Carnival, in mid-February, and it was perfect. It was my second time visiting Bonito during Carnival, and I have no regrets. The days were hot and cloudy, with just one night of rain, which didn’t affect our activities and tours at all.

Girl in a white t-shirt and sunglasses looking at the camera, in front of the waterfall in Bonito, part of our guide with everything you need to know to visit Bonito, in Mato Grosso do Sul

Family (2 adults and 2 children) in a waterfall well, with views of a valley in the background, Boca da Onça - everything you need to know to visit Bonito

How long to stay in Bonito

What a tough question to answer! 😂 If it were up to me, I’d stay in Bonito indefinitely, until I either got tired of all the natural beauty (or ran out of money — which would definitely happen first).

But seriously, you can experience , Bonito’s main attractions in just 4 days.

If you have more time, even better! A week would be ideal to explore the top spots in the Bonito and Serra da Bodoquena region. Just take a look at the post about the tours we did in our 4-day stay — there are at least ten more tours I wish I could have done but didn’t have time for.

But in a 3-day holiday in Bonito you can visit and enjoy a LOT of things, take a look at what we suggest and check out the details of each activity to choose your favorites. And if you are traveling with children, it is worth checking the minimum age for each tour, to define which are the best tours to do in Bonito. Nice with kids.

If you only have 2 days to visit Bonito, it really depends on your situation, especially how long will it take for you to get there. If you’re nearby and won’t spend too much time traveling to and from Bonito, then just go and make the most of those two days.

If you are visiting other places in Brazil and will need to catch a flight to Campo Grande to get to Bonito, the trip will be worth, in my opinion, if you have at least three full days to spend in Bonito.

Lagoa Azul Cave, in Bonito, Mato Grosso do Sul

How to get to Bonito, Brazil

Bonito is located about 260 km from Campo Grande Airport , making it an adventure worth the journey. If you're visiting Brazil, you’ll likely start your trip in São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro, the country’s major gateways.

From São Paulo or Rio, you can catch a direct flight to Campo Grande (CGR), the closest major airport to Bonito. Once you arrive in Campo Grande, the most convenient way to reach Bonito is by renting a car and driving. The drive takes around 3 hours and 30 minutes, with well-maintained roads that are clearly signposted and free of tolls.

When planning your trip, keep in mind that the drive from Campo Grande to Bonito will add at least 4 hours to your travel time.. Depending on your flight schedule, you may be able to fit in a tour on the day you arrive or depart. For example, on our last day, we managed to do the Boca da Onça tour in the morning before driving back to Campo Grande for our flight on the next early morning.

Bonito does have its own airport (BYO), but it only receives a limited number of commercial flights. Currently, Azul offers flights from Campinas twice a week, and GOL has one weekly flight from São Paulo. If the timing works out for you, flying directly into Bonito can be a great option, saving you both time and the cost of the drive from Campo Grande.

For those considering a road trip, Bonito is also accessible by car from other locations. It’s 350 km from Corumbá (near the Bolivian border), 630 km from Presidente Prudente, and 650 km from Rondonópolis.

How to get around Bonito and Serra da Bodoquena

As mentioned earlier, all the activities in Bonito are in rural areas and spread out from one another. It’s essential to have a car, or you can hire a transfer or van service, or join a tour that includes transportation between attractions.

To reach the places where activities are held, you’ll start driving on paved roads but will eventually end up on dirt roads. The unpaved roads we took were in good condition, and our small rental car (the cheapest available) handled all the routes without any issues.

Wide view of Buraco das Araras, in Bonito - MS - it is possible to see the rocky walls of the hole in the ground, the green vegetation and a small lake in the background, under a cloudy sky. — Buraco das Araras (Macaw Hole)

Where to stay in Bonito

We stayed at the lovely Pousada Olho d'Água a charming guesthouse with spacious rooms, a very comfortable mattress, a swimming pool, a delightful garden, and even more delightful hammocks. I recommend it with my eyes closed. The only downside is that it’s a bit far from the city center, so if you don’t have a car, you’ll either have a decent walk or need to order a taxi.

In downtown Bonito there are countless options. If you're on a budget, consider Pousada Arte da Natureza, some friends stayed there and absolutely loved it. For other economical choices, Pousada Cheiro de Mato and Pousada Papaya seem to offer great value for money.

Now, if you’re part of the team that loves a resort, Zagaia Eco Resort is the best in town. But if you want my honest opinion, staying in a resort is completely unnecessary in Bonito.

If you need accommodation in Campo Grande for an early morning flight (which happened to us), or if your flight lands at night and you need to spend the night before heading to Bonito, I recommend the Aeroporto Plaza Hotel , a really simple, reasonably priced hotel located directly across from Campo Grande airport. Just cross the avenue, and you’re in the airport departure hall.

Check availability and rates here:

What to do in Bonito in four days

This programming has a little of everything the region has to offer: floats, caves, trails and waterfalls and that's what we did in a 4 day holiday in Bonito:

Day 1: Floating on Rio da Prata & Buraco das Araras (Macaw Hole)

Day 2: Gruta do Lago Azul (Blue Lake Grotto) & Eco Park Porto da Ilha for a boat trip on the Formoso River

Day 3: Grutas de São Miguel (São Miguel Caves) & Floating on the Sucuri River (alternatively, you can visit Aquário Natural or Nascente Azul )

Day 4: Adventure trail at Boca da Onça

Feel free to rearrange the days to suit your preferences.

In this post I detail each of these tours, share our thoughts on what makes them special, and suggest other activities you might enjoy. Check it out!

Girl in wetsuit and snorkel floating in a river with crystal clear waters, among several fish. Bonito, MS

Couple of scarlet macaws seen in Buraco das Araras, Bonito, MS

Map of what to do in Bonito, Brazil, in four days

This map highlights all the tours we took, the inn where we stayed, the restaurants we enjoyed, and other points of interest in the region..

HOW TO USE THE MAP: Click on the top right corner of the map to open it in Google Maps. In the menu on the left, you'll find descriptions of the various locations. By clicking on each one, you'll access details such as links and addresses.

To save the map to your Google Maps account, simply click the star icon just below the map name.

Once saved, you can easily access it on your phone or computer. Open Google Maps, go to the menu, select "Your Places," choose "Maps," and you'll find it listed among your saved maps.

In this post, I explain how I use Google MyMaps to plan my trips. It's an amazing resource for saving places, calculating routes and distances, and overall trip planning. I really love using Google MyMaps for my travels!

Where to eat in Bonito, Mato Grosso do Sul

Don't miss the Juanita Restaurant . The must-try dish here is the Pacu na Brasa (pacu fish on the grill) , simply divine. It's worth the wait, even if there's a line.

One night, we dined at Pantanal Grill and the food was delicious.

For a quick meal between tours, we stopped at Quintal Pantaneiro, a pay-by-weight restaurant with an excellent cost-benefit ratio.

For pizzas, we tried Zapi Zen Pizzeria and Venus Pizzeria. I preferred the second one, but the first is very popular, with some nice sidewalk tables.

Casa de João also comes highly recommended, but when we tried to go, the line was too long, and the kids were too hungry to wait.

All our posts about traveling in Brazil, be sure to check them out before planing a trip to my home country:

And here our posts about travel in other countries in Central and South America:

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