Bonito with Kids: Ages, Tours, Pace and What to Pack

Bonito, Brazil is a destination of rivers, trails and caves, and every parent’s question is whether that works with children. It does, on one condition: the itinerary has to be built for the child’s age, not the adult version with kids in tow. This guide covers feasibility by age group, tours with and without minimum ages, the pace of the day, heat, insects and lodging. The list of tours is in things to do in Bonito with kids; lodging is in where to stay in Bonito with kids.

Feasibility by age

Babies (0 to 2)

Feasible, but limited. The child cannot do water tours, the heat is hard, and agency vans make 30- to 60-minute drives on dirt roads. What is left: river beaches near town, where the baby stays in the shade and the adults take turns in the water; short sightseeing tours; and the pool at your lodging. It is a trip for parents to rest with a baby, not to see Bonito. Stay in the center, near a pharmacy and restaurants.

Ages 2 to 4

The trip starts to make sense. River beaches, river swimming spots and the pool are the main program, and some sightseeing tours come in. River snorkeling, generally, only from age 4. One tour a day, in the morning, and a free afternoon. Four days is enough.

Ages 5 to 8

This is the age at which Bonito opens up. From age 5, children are usually accepted at the Blue Lake Cave (from age 6 and 1.30 m tall) and on the calmer river snorkeling tours, with a life vest, a guide and a wetsuit. It is still tiring: the cave has a long staircase and snorkeling means an hour in the water. Choose one main tour a day and keep the afternoon for a river beach or the pool.

Ages 9 to 12

They can do almost everything adults do, including longer river snorkeling tours, waterfall trails and light adventure tours. Those with higher minimum ages, such as rappelling and scuba diving, are out. This is the age at which the trip delivers most for the whole family.

Teenagers

No practical restrictions on water and trail tours. Adventure tours with minimum ages of 12, 14 or 16, depending on the attraction, come into play. The risk is the opposite: the parents’ itinerary being too tame for them.

Tours with and without minimum ages

In Bonito, the minimum age is set by the attraction, not the agency, and the agency tells you when you book. The rules change and are not always published; what follows is general guidance, to be confirmed at booking time.

Generally no minimum age: river beaches and river swimming spots such as the Balneário Municipal and Praia da Figueira, Buraco das Araras (a short sightseeing trail), Projeto Jiboia (a talk about snakes, in town) and São Miguel Cave, a dry cave with walkways.

Low minimum age (4 to 6): the Blue Lake Cave (age 6 and 1.30 m), which involves walking down and up about 300 steps, and the snorkeling tours on calmer rivers, such as the Sucuri River and Nascente Azul (age 4).

Higher minimum age: the Anhumas Abyss (rappelling and snorkeling inside a cave), scuba diving and some adventure tours, such as ziplines and treetop courses. Ages vary from attraction to attraction.

The pace of the itinerary

The most common mistake families make in Bonito is copying the adult itinerary: two tours a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, in different directions. With children, what works is:

• One tour a day, in the morning, when it is cooler and the child is rested.
• Lunch at the attraction or back in town by 1:30 pm.
• Afternoon at the pool or a river beach near town, with no time slot and no van.
• Early dinner, around 7 pm, before tiredness turns into tantrums.
• A full day without tours every three or four days, if the trip is long.

At this pace, four days cover a cave, a river snorkeling tour, a river beach and a sightseeing tour, which is a complete itinerary for a family. Five or six days allow a waterfall and a rest day. See how many days to spend in Bonito and adapt the 4-day itinerary.

Heat, insects and protection

Heat. Bonito tops 35 °C (95 °F) from October to March and is hot all year. Tours in the morning, water at every opportunity, a hat and a long-sleeved UV shirt. Avoid long trails in the early afternoon in summer.

Sunscreen and repellent. On river snorkeling tours and any tour with water contact, they are banned, because the chemicals pollute the rivers and harm visibility. Protection comes from clothing: a UV shirt, plus the wetsuit that many attractions provide. Out of the water, use sunscreen and repellent normally, preferably formulas made for children.

Insects. Mosquitoes are more frequent in the rainy season and late in the afternoon. On forest trails there are ticks and tiny biting midges you do not notice. Light trousers and closed shoes on trails, and a skin check at bath time.

Water and sun. Bring more water than you think you need. The attractions sell it, but at higher prices. Sunglasses and a hat for the child; caps fall in the river.

Cold water. Bonito’s rivers are cold even in summer. Children feel it more and tire faster. A wetsuit helps, and a towel and dry clothes in the car or van end the tour without tears.

Lodging

With children, lodging stops being just a place to sleep. A pool, a family room, breakfast before 7 am and meals on site start to matter more than the nightly rate. The rule of thumb: without a car or with babies, stay in the center; with a car and children from about age 4, a farm hotel with a pool. Details are in where to stay in Bonito with kids.

Food

Lunch at the attractions is a simple buffet: rice, beans, salad, meat, sometimes fish. Children usually take to it well, and the format avoids waiting. Tell the agency about any dietary restrictions, because not every attraction has an alternative. Bring snacks for the van and for the gap between snorkeling and lunch, which is usually when hunger strikes.

In town, pizzerias, sobá (a Japanese-Brazilian noodle soup that is a regional specialty of Mato Grosso do Sul) and self-service buffets sort out dinner without ceremony, and the ice-cream shops on the main street are the reward at the end of the day. More in where to eat in Bonito.

What not to do

• Do not schedule two water tours on the same day with small children.
• Do not leave booking to the last minute in high season: tours with family places and family rooms sell out first.
• Do not count on mobile signal at the attractions. Agree on a meeting point and time before setting out.
• Do not underestimate the Blue Lake Cave staircase with 6- or 7-year-olds; someone will end up carrying them on the way up.