River Beaches in Bonito: The Cheap Way to Swim in a Crystal-Clear River

A balneário, in Bonito, Brazil, is a river swimming spot with facilities: lawns, a restaurant, changing rooms, a deck and sometimes a zip line or a short trail. There is no guide, no group and no departure time. You arrive with your voucher, go in and stay. The list below shows the river beaches registered in this guide, with distance, facilities and reference price.

Why they are worth it

Three reasons. The first is price: a river beach ticket costs a fraction of a river snorkel. The second is flexibility: with no group time slot, it fits into any gap in the itinerary, including the afternoon you arrive or the morning before you hit the road. The third is the kind of day it gives you: after two or three days of trails and guided tours, an afternoon by the river with a chair and lunch is a rest.

For anyone traveling with small children, river beaches are the starting point. There is no minimum age, the water is shallow in several stretches and the fish come close. See things to do in Bonito with kids.

The river beaches

• Municipal River Beach: 7 km from the center, on the Formoso River. The cheapest and the easiest to reach. Transparent water with plenty of fish, lawns, a restaurant and changing rooms. Gets crowded on Brazilian holidays and weekends.
• Praia da Figueira: 12 km away, a lake of transparent water with a large fig tree on the shore, a deck, kayaks and gentle snorkeling inside the lake. Full-day facilities with a restaurant.
• Balneário do Sol: a river swimming area with a restaurant and lawns, an option for anyone who wants somewhere less crowded than the Municipal beach.
• Ilha do Padre: an island in the Formoso River with small falls, rapids and a camping area. Good for spending the day with a bit more nature around you.

How to fit them into an itinerary

River beaches pair well with short tours in the same area. The Municipal River Beach and Aquário Natural are a few kilometers apart and make a morning and an afternoon with no long drive. Praia da Figueira works well as a full rest day in the middle of a 5- or 7-day itinerary.

In the 3-day itinerary, the river beach fills the afternoon you arrive; in the 7-day version it takes the rest day. For anyone on a tight budget, river beaches are the backbone of Bonito on a budget.

What to bring

Swimwear, a towel, sunscreen to use out of the water (not in it), a mask and snorkel if you have them, cash or a card for the restaurant, and a change of clothes. Shoes that can get wet help on the rocky banks.