Things to Do in Bonito with Kids: Tours by Age Group

Bonito, Brazil, is a good destination for children, but not at every age and not with every itinerary. The town has river beaches with no minimum age, a gentle snorkel designed for beginners and short tours close to the center. It also has long trails, stairways and a rappel that only come into play from the teenage years. This guide sorts the tours by age group, using the minimum ages stated by the agencies, and says what to avoid.

For the rest of the planning with children (accommodation, pace, what to bring), see the profile guide Bonito with kids.

No minimum age: river beaches and town

These are the outings where a child goes in the water, gets out, eats and goes back in, with no guide and no group time slot. They work at any age and are the best starting point.

• Municipal River Beach: 7 km from the center, on the Formoso River. Transparent water, shallow stretches, fish that come close, and lawns. The cheapest in town. With small children, pick a stretch of still water and stay close.
• Praia da Figueira: 16 km away. A lake with a deck, kayaks, gentle snorkeling inside the lake for older children and a restaurant. Works for a full day without moving around.
• Ilha do Padre: an island in the Formoso River with small falls and shade. Good for children who already swim.
• Projeto Jiboia: a presentation about snakes in the town center, in the early evening, with supervised handling. Children of any age can watch; older ones usually want to touch the boa constrictor.

Details of each river beach in river beaches in Bonito.

From age 5: first cave and first snorkel

At 5 or 6, a child can already walk a short trail and keep their face in the water with a mask. Two tours that define the trip come in:

• Aquário Natural: 8 km from the center. A short snorkel of about 40 minutes at a spring and along a stretch of river with almost no current. It is the snorkel built for beginners and children. If you can do only one river snorkel with the little ones, this is it.
• Blue Lake Cave: minimum age 6 (and a minimum height of 1.30 m), as stated by the agencies. About 300 uneven steps down and back up, with a helmet. The child has to walk unaided. Book the morning slot, when they are rested and the light on the lake is at its best.
• Estância Mimosa and Parque das Cachoeiras: easy waterfall trails with shallow pools. Children used to walking 2 or 3 km manage without trouble.

From age 8: river snorkeling and river tubing

At 8, a child swims with more confidence and can stand an hour in cold water with a wetsuit. The real river snorkels come in:

• Sucuri River: about 1 hour in the water, gentle current, highly transparent water. Minimum age stated by the agency; in some cases, younger children ride along in the support boat.
• Nascente Azul: a short snorkel with river-beach facilities to stay on afterwards. A good combination of tour and rest.
• Tubing on the Formoso River: running small rapids in an individual inner tube, with a life vest and helmet. Wet and fun; minimum age stated by the agency.
• Formoso Adventure (Bonito Aventura): a tree-top rope course with a children’s circuit; minimum height and age set by the park.
• Buraco das Araras: an easy trail around the rim of the sinkhole, with macaws. No effort, but it is in Jardim, 53 km away, which weighs on the day.

From age 12: almost everything

Teenagers can do the adult itinerary. The Rio da Prata, with 2 hours of snorkeling, stops being too tiring. Boca da Onça, with its long trail and stairway, becomes feasible for those who are fit. The Anhumas Abyss, with its 72-meter rappel, has a minimum age set by the operator and requires a test the day before; check before you promise it.

Age groups at a glance

Minimum ages are those stated by the agencies and may change. Always confirm when booking, especially for snorkeling and adventure tours.

What to avoid

• More than one guided tour per day with children under 8.
• Jardim and Bodoquena with small children: it is 45 to 60 km of dirt road each way, and the tours there are long.
• Sunscreen in the water. The attractions prohibit it, and that applies to children too. Use a wetsuit, a UV shirt out of the water and sunscreen only on the face where allowed.
• Afternoon slots at the cave with small children: when they are tired, the stairway gets harder.
• Promising the Anhumas Abyss without confirming the minimum age with the operator.

Suggested itinerary with children aged 5 to 10

Four days: arrival with the Municipal River Beach in the afternoon and Projeto Jiboia in the evening; day 1 with the Blue Lake Cave in the morning and the afternoon at the hotel; day 2 with Aquário Natural in the morning and Praia da Figueira in the afternoon; day 3 with Estância Mimosa in the morning and the Sucuri River in the afternoon for children over 8. The basis is the 4-day itinerary, with the swaps above. To choose where to sleep, see where to stay in Bonito with kids.