Waterfalls in Bonito: Which to Visit, Trails and Best Time of Year

The waterfalls of Bonito, in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, lie on private farms in the Serra da Bodoquena hills and are visited on guided trails that pass a series of falls, with stops to swim in the pools. The list below shows the options registered in this guide, with distance, duration, effort rating and reference price.

How to choose

There are two kinds of waterfall tour. The first is the easy half-day trail, with small and medium falls and several pools: Estância Mimosa, 26 km from town, and Parque das Cachoeiras, 17 km away, are the examples. They work for an afternoon after a river snorkel and are good with children.

The second kind is the full-day tour, and here the name is Boca da Onça, in Bodoquena, about 55 km to the north. The main fall is 156 meters, the tallest in Mato Grosso do Sul, and the trail passes a sequence of falls before reaching it. The return is by a long stairway with hundreds of steps. Fit visitors can swap part of the trail for a rappel from a platform. It includes lunch at the farm and takes the whole day, with the drive there and back.

Between the two are Rio do Peixe, 36 km away, with a trail past several waterfalls in sequence, and Ceita Corê, which combines a waterfall trail with a spring and a tour of the farm.

When they run fullest

Waterfall volume follows the rain. From December to March the falls are strong and loud, but clarity drops and some pools may be closed to swimming because of the force of the current. From May to September, the dry season, volume is lower and the water clearer, with the pools in better condition.

If you are coming to Bonito mainly for river snorkeling, the dry season is the best time and the waterfalls will still have water. If you want to see the falls at full flow, the start of the dry season (April and May) usually combines volume and visibility. More on this in best time to visit Bonito.

Trails and effort

• Easy: Estância Mimosa and Parque das Cachoeiras. Shaded trails, even terrain and frequent stops. Closed shoes or hiking sandals.
• Moderate: Rio do Peixe and Ceita Corê. Longer trails, some stretches of wet rock.
• Demanding: Boca da Onça. A trail of several hours and a stairway on the way back. Not recommended for anyone with knee problems or poor fitness; the alternative is the shorter route the farm offers, when available.

For all of them, bring swimwear under your clothes, a towel, shoes that can get wet, insect repellent for the trail (not for the water) and a change of dry clothes. Each tour on the list has its own what-to-bring checklist.

Waterfall or river beach?

If the idea is to spend the afternoon in the water without walking, a river beach does the job better and costs less. A waterfall is worth it when you want a trail, forest and varied scenery. To see how the two categories fit into an itinerary, see things to do in Bonito.