Bonito in the Pantanal, Brazil

The designated tourist town of Bonito lies just south of the Pantanal in the

hills. It is surrounded by beautiful

forest cut by clear-water rivers rich with fish and dotted with plunging waterfalls and deep caves. The town was 'discovered' by

television in the 1980s and has since grown to become Brazil's foremost ecotourism destination. There are plenty of opportunities for gentle adventure activities such as caving, rafting and snorkelling, all with proper safety measures and great even for very small children. Those looking to see animals and contemplate nature should opt for the forest walks of the Sucuri river. Despite the heavy influx of visitors, plenty of wildlife appear on and around the trails when it is quiet. Paca and agouti (large, tailless foraging rodents), brown capuchin monkeys and toco toucans are abundant, as are endangered species like the tiny and aggressive bush dog and cats such as ocelot and jaguarundi. Bare-faced currasows (magnificent turkey-sized forest floor birds) can often be seen strutting around the pathways. Rarely seen small toucans such as the chestnut-eared aracari are relatively easy to spot here, flitting in and out of the trees.

The

is on the edge of town. Several buses daily run to/from Campo Grande (five hours), Miranda (two to three hours) and Corumbá (five hours). Bonito town is a grid layout based around one principal street, Rua Coronel Pilad Rebuá, which extends for about 2 km. The

town is easily negotiated on foot.

The

, www.bonito-ms.com.br or www.guiabonitopantanal.com.br

, has limited information and staff do not speak English.

Prices in Bonito have risen sharply over the years, making the area prohibitively expensive for those on a budget. Local attractions can only be visited with prior booking through one of the town's numerous travel agents. With the exception of specialist activities like cave diving, all agents offer exactly the same products at exactly the same price, but only a few offer transport. Taxis to the sights are exorbitantly expensive; an alternative would be to hire a car.

The number of visitors to Bonito is limited so pre-booking is essential during December and January, Carnaval, Easter and July; prices during these times are also very high. The wet season is in January and February; December to February are the hottest months; July and August coolest.

has superb stalactites and stalagmites and can be visited, although there is no tourism infrastructure.

On the banks of the Rio Formoso, the

The

, consist of eight falls, which are suitable for swimming.

There's

a bar and camping is possible.

is also a popular activity. The 2½-hour trip combines floating peacefully downriver, swimming and shooting down the four waterfalls.

The

to its meeting with the Formoso. Other tours include

, a series of waterfalls in dense forest, and

(US$24), a beautiful spring with underground snorkelling for 2 km. Parrots and animals can be seen on the trip. There are also plenty of chances for walking along ecological trails, horse riding and fishing trips. The

season is from 1 March to 31 October. In late October and early November is the

(fish run). The fish return to the spawning grounds and hundreds can be seen jumping the falls.

, reached by paved road (60 km from Bonito) could be an alternative base to Bonito for trips on clear-water rivers and visits to caves. There is far less infrastructure and consequently far fewer tourists and cheaper accommodation, restaurant and taxi prices. The town itself

has a wide, tree-lined main street, a handful of hotels and basic café- restaurants.

The official town website, www.jardim.ms.gov.br, has information and photos of what to see and do. The

has regular bus connections with Campo Grande and other towns . From Bonito a road leads to

, where a boat crosses to Isla Margarita in Paraguay (entry stamp available on the island).