Bonito's Environmental Conservation Fee (TCA): Cost, Exemptions and How to Pay

Bonito’s Environmental Conservation Fee, known locally as the TCA (Taxa de Conservação Ambiental), costs R$15 per person for each day you take a tour. It is paid only on the official website, turistapornatureza.com.br, before your agency issues the tour voucher. Several tours on the same day count once. The fee has applied to Brazilian and foreign visitors since 20 December 2025, and it is still being charged in 2026 despite an ongoing court case.

What the TCA is

According to City Hall, the legal basis is Municipal Law No. 162/2021, amended by Law No. 169/2022. The City Council records the change of the amount to R$15, approved in February 2023. The law numbers cited by official sources vary, so treat these references as a starting point rather than a definitive citation.

It is a municipal fee charged by Bonito City Hall to visitors who use the town’s tourist attractions. It sits on top of Bonito’s voucher system, which already limits how many people enter each attraction per day, and it is paid separately from the tour prices.

The fee does not replace the voucher. It is one more budget line and one more step in the booking process.

How much it costs

Multiply the number of paying people by the number of tour days and by R$15. A couple taking tours on 5 days pays R$150 in total. A family with two adults and children aged 5 and 9, touring on 4 days, pays for three people: R$180. It is a small share of the trip, but add it to your budget; the full picture is in Bonito travel costs.

Who pays and who is exempt

Everyone who takes tours pays, regardless of nationality. According to City Hall, the exemptions are:

• children under 7;
• Bonito residents;
• people working on duty (guides, drivers and other professionals).

The exemption age follows City Hall’s official note of 19 November 2025: children under 7. Some press reports mention age 5; the official note is what applies.

How to pay, step by step

1. Agree your tour days with your agency. The fee is charged per day, so settle the dates first.
2. Go to the official site, turistapornatureza.com.br. It is the only channel City Hall points to. Be wary of payment links sent by third parties.
3. Enter each visitor and their tour dates.
4. Pay and keep the receipt.
5. Send the confirmation to your agency, which then issues the vouchers for those days.

The site is in Portuguese, so a browser translation tool helps. If you book tours in batches (the most popular ones first, the rest later), pay the fee for each batch. The full booking sequence is in what to book first in Bonito.

Insurance included

The fee includes visitor insurance. According to City Hall’s note of 19 November 2025, it covers accidental death up to R$20,000; total or partial permanent disability up to R$20,000; funeral assistance up to R$5,000; and reimbursement of a companion’s lodging up to R$900. There is also pre-hospital care (basic life support, with 2 drivers and 2 nursing technicians) from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., including public holidays. It is useful but limited: it does not pay medical bills, lost luggage or trip cancellation. International visitors should still travel with full travel medical insurance.

Refunds

If you cancel a trip or a tour day after paying, the refund request goes to Bonito City Hall, not to your agency. The agency refunds (or not) the tour price under its own policy; the fee follows a separate process. Keep your payment receipt.

How it fits with the voucher

The order is: choose tours with your agency, pay the TCA for those days, pay for the tours, then receive your digital voucher. Without the fee for that day, no voucher is issued. Leaving the fee to the last minute can delay confirmation of a popular tour.

The court case in 2026

The fee is being challenged in court. In September 2026 the Mato Grosso do Sul State Court (TJMS) reopened the lawsuit over the charge. Until there is a ruling to the contrary, the TCA is still charged and required before vouchers are issued.