Bonito · Mato Grosso do Sul · Rio da Prata · Blue Lake Cave · Boca da Onça · 8 min read
Bonito Brazil Itinerary 5 Days: Rio da Prata, Blue Lake Cave and Boca da Onça
5 days · 3 cities
Duration
5 days
Estimated budget
R$ 4,200 to 6,500 per person, no flights
Best time to go
April to May and August to October
Visa
No visa for UK/EU; eVisa for US and Canada
This Bonito Brazil itinerary 5 days, in Mato Grosso do Sul, uses the town as a single base and groups the tours by road: the caves to the west, Rio da Prata to the south and Boca da Onça to the north. The decision behind it is booking everything ahead, because places are limited.
In short: Rio Formoso, two caves, Rio da Prata and the macaws, Boca da Onça and Nascente Azul, Sucuri. Season and food at the end.
Day 1: Eco Park Porto da Ilha and downtown Bonito
Eco Park Porto da Ilha: your first swim in the Rio Formoso
Two hours, R$ 110 to R$ 130, 15 minutes from town. After check in, head to the former Ilha do Padre river park, a 3 hectare island in the Rio Formoso with small beaches, little waterfalls and clear green water. It is the perfect warm up before the snorkel floats. It opens Tuesday to Sunday and closes at 5 pm; rafting, zip line and kayaks cost extra.
Rua Coronel Pilad Rebuá: where to eat and stroll at night
An hour, free. The main street has the fish restaurants, ice cream shops and craft stores, with painted statues of jaguars, toucans and fish on the sidewalks. The tour agencies are here too: confirm your vouchers for the next days and each tour’s pick up time.
Day 2: The Blue Lake Cave and the São Miguel Caves
Blue Lake Cave: what the visit is like and the best time to go
An hour and a half, R$ 120 to R$ 180, 20 km west of town. Book the first slot of the morning: light enters the cave mouth and turns the water a deeper blue, and in December and January a sunbeam reaches the lake. The descent has about 300 steps with handrails, and you cannot enter the water. Wear trainers; the minimum age is 5.
São Miguel Caves: the cave with the canopy walkway
An hour and a quarter, R$ 108 to R$ 143, four kilometres from the Blue Lake Cave. You reach it along a suspended walkway through the treetops, and inside the path is flat, good for anyone who struggles with stairs. Rest in the afternoon; if you want Bonito’s most expensive adventure, book Abismo Anhumas, a 72 metre abseil down to an underground lake that requires a training session the day before.
Day 3: Rio da Prata and the Buraco das Araras, in Jardim
Snorkelling the Rio da Prata: is it worth the price?
Four and a half hours with lunch, R$ 470 to R$ 570, 50 km from Bonito in the municipality of Jardim. It is: this is the longest and most popular float in the region. A short forest trail leads to the source of the Olho d’Água river, and from there you drift about 2 km down to the Rio da Prata, among dourado, piraputanga and gardens of water plants. Book weeks ahead.
Lagoa Misteriosa, a flooded sinkhole of blue water over 200 metres deep, is a few kilometres away and opens from April to September.
Buraco das Araras: when to see the red and green macaws
An hour and a quarter, R$ 185, 10 km from Rio da Prata. The sinkhole is about 100 metres deep with a 500 metre rim, and the trail passes two viewpoints. The macaws nesting in the walls are most active in the late afternoon, so this is the right tour after lunch. Bring binoculars to spot the caimans in the lake at the bottom.
Day 4: Boca da Onça and Nascente Azul, in the Serra da Bodoquena
Boca da Onça: what the trail to the state’s tallest waterfall is like
Five and a half hours with lunch, from R$ 555, 60 km north in Bodoquena. The trail drops through the Salobra River canyon past several falls with swimming pools, down to the main waterfall, the tallest in Mato Grosso do Sul. The way back is a long climb up stairs: wear hiking shoes and carry water. For more thrills, swap to the pricier version with an abseil.
Nascente Azul: Bonito’s gentlest float
Two and a half hours, R$ 374 to R$ 462, 30 minutes from town, on the way back. The float lasts about an hour, in groups of up to ten leaving every half hour, over a clear spring full of piraputanga. It is shorter and calmer than Rio da Prata, good for children. Estância Mimosa and Ceita Corê, waterfall trails for an extra day, are on the same road.
Day 5: Rio Sucuri, the Municipal river park and the flight home
Rio Sucuri: Bonito’s clearest water
Two and a half hours, R$ 349 to R$ 438, 20 km south. The float covers about 1.8 km along a spring fed river famous for its visibility, over water plants that form a garden on the bottom, and you return by boat. Book the first slot, at 8 am, for the stillest water.
Balneário Municipal: a last swim before the airport
Two hours, R$ 70 to R$ 98, 7 km from town and 10 minutes from the airport. The public swimming area on the Rio Formoso has a deck, lawns and food kiosks, and shoals of piraputanga swim around anyone who gets in. The town announced a renovation in 2026 with facial recognition entry. Leave at 2 pm for an afternoon flight.
What is the best time to visit Bonito?
April and May and August to October: dry weather, warm days and the clearest water of the year, with low season prices outside Brazilian holidays. December to March is summer holiday season, with heavy storms that can cloud the rivers for a day or two. June and July are dry but cold for swimming, with water around 22 °C: wetsuits are included on every float.
How to get to Bonito and get around between tours
Fly into São Paulo, then take a direct domestic flight to Bonito airport: Azul from Campinas, Gol from Congonhas and Latam from Guarulhos, which goes to three flights a week on 25 October 2026. The alternative is flying to Campo Grande and driving 300 km, about four hours.
The tours are on ranches up to 60 km from town, partly on dirt roads. Rent a car or buy the transfer with your voucher from the agency. Citizens of the UK and the EU need no visa; since April 2025, US, Canadian and Australian citizens need an eVisa. For another nature trip in Brazil, see Iguazu Falls in 4 days or the Lençóis Maranhenses in 5 days.
How Bonito tours work: vouchers, agencies and rules
Every site has a daily visitor cap and only takes bookings made through licensed agencies, which issue a single voucher. The price is set by the site and is the same at any agency, changing only between low and high season. On floats, sunscreen and insect repellent are banned so the water stays clear, and you may not stand on the riverbed. Arrive 15 minutes early: if you miss your slot, you miss the tour.
Where to eat in Bonito: local dishes and what to try
Bonito’s food mixes Pantanal river fish with the Paraguayan heritage of the nearby border. At restaurants in town, order pacu grilled over charcoal, served as a boneless side to share between two or three, pintado catfish in annatto sauce, or fried traíra with fish broth porridge. Many places also serve farmed caiman, which tastes like chicken.
From the border come sopa paraguaia, which despite the name is a savoury corn, cheese and onion bake, and chipa, a ring of cassava flour and cheese bread sold at bakeries in the morning.
To drink, tereré, yerba mate in iced water served in a guampa cup and passed around, is part of the state’s cultural heritage: accept it when offered. On full day tours such as Rio da Prata and Boca da Onça, a wood stove lunch is included.
What to avoid: sunscreen and insect repellent before the snorkel floats, which are banned so the water stays clear, and feeding the fish at the river parks. Eat early: away from Rua Coronel Pilad Rebuá, the town goes to sleep by 10 pm.
Is 5 days enough for Bonito?
It is enough for the main tours: two caves, four rivers to float, the macaw sinkhole and Boca da Onça, without rushing. With a sixth day, add Estância Mimosa or Abismo Anhumas; with three more, continue to the southern Pantanal from Miranda.
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Estimated budget per person
Prices checked on 10 October 2026. Check current prices at Recanto Ecológico Rio da Prata, official site · Blue Lake Cave (Gruta do Lago Azul), official site · Buraco das Araras, official site · Rio Sucuri, official site · Abismo Anhumas, official site.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a 5 day trip to Bonito cost?+
Between R$ 4,200 and R$ 6,500 per person, about US$ 780 to US$ 1,200, without flights, sharing a double room and a car: a guesthouse in town, food and R$ 2,350 to R$ 2,900 for the nine tours in this itinerary, which are most of the cost. The domestic flight from São Paulo to Bonito adds US$ 220 to US$ 450 return. In low season, tours cost up to 25% less.
Do you need to book Bonito tours in advance?+
Yes. Every tour has a daily visitor cap and is sold only through licensed local agencies, with a single voucher and a fixed price that is the same at every agency. Book Rio da Prata, the Blue Lake Cave and Boca da Onça as soon as your dates are set, especially for Brazilian holidays, July and December. Agencies also arrange transfers if you do not rent a car.
Do you need to swim to snorkel in Bonito?+
No. The floats are done with a life vest, wetsuit, mask and snorkel, all included, and the guide gives a short practice before you enter the river. The current carries the group slowly and you do not need to kick. Most guides speak Portuguese only, so ask the agency for an English speaking guide when you book.
When is the best time to visit Bonito?+
April and May and August to October, with dry weather, warm days and the clearest water. December to March is Brazilian summer holiday season, with storms that can cloud the rivers for a day or two; in return, in December and January a beam of sunlight reaches the Blue Lake Cave in the morning. In July the water feels cold, around 22 °C.
Do you need a visa to visit Brazil?+
Citizens of the United Kingdom and the European Union do not. Since April 2025, citizens of the United States, Canada and Australia need an eVisa, applied for online before the trip and valid for multiple entries. Yellow fever vaccination is recommended for Mato Grosso do Sul, though not required for entry.
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