Brazil - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 324

ENTERING BOLIVIA FROM CORUMBÁ
If you need a visa to enter Bolivia, the consulate is on Rua Cabral 1607 ( T 67 3231 5605), while
yellow fever vaccinations are available at Rua Colombo 723 (daily 2-5pm). The Brazilian customs
point (Mon-Fri 8am-noon & 2-6pm, Sat & Sun 9am-1pm) is located a twenty-minute bus ride
northwest of town; take the regular bus marked “Fronteira” (R$2.40) from the small terminal on
Rua Tiradentes between Rua 13 de Junho and Rua Dom Aquino (taxis charge R$20-30). This is
a busy crossing, often with long queues, so get there early if you don't want to be turned away
come the lengthy lunch break. The Bolivian migración is a few minutes' walk away, on the
outskirts of Quijarro (see p.215), from where there's regular onward transport to Santa Cruz.

CORUMBÁ
CORUMBÁ was founded as a military
outpost in 1778 and rose to prominence
due to its strategic location on the
Paraguay River. Located in the western
Pantanal, today it dedicates itself to the
more peaceful pursuits of ranching,
mining and ecotourism. Of the three
main Pantanal towns, Corumbá is best
placed for getting right into the Pantanal
by bus or jeep, and has more than its fair
share of guides and agencies to choose
from, as well as boats for hire. Oddly
enough, the town is more accessible from
Bolivia than from Brazil. The town is not
safe at night, so you do need to take care
and avoid walking the streets after 10pm.

By bus The small rodoviária is located at Rua Porto
Carreiro 750 ( T 67 3231 2033), a 10-15min walk south of
the city centre.
Destinations Andorinha ( W andorinha.com) serve Campo
Grande. Campo Grande (9 daily; 6-7hr).
Tourist information W corumba.com.br is a half-decent
tourist web portal on the town and surrounding area.

3

ACCOMMODATION
Laura Vicuna Rua Cuiabá 775 T 67 3231 5874, W hotel
lauravicuna.com.br. A peaceful and friendly place, very
neat and tidy with clean rooms (all with TV, a/c and wi-fi),
and a quirky line in sculpture (look out for the Don Quijote
and Sancho Panza ), as w ell as free wi-fi and internet.
Breakfast included. R$120
Ì Pousada do Cachimbo Rua Alan Kardec 4, Bairro
Dom Bosco T 67 3231 4833, W pousadadocachimbo.com
.br. On the site of a former cattle farm, this delightful
colonial pousada is located 5min from Corumbá on the
edge of the Bay of Tamengo. It's ideal for a small taster of
what the deeper Pantanal will be like, with birds tweeting
about as well as the occasional duck strolling around the
garden. All roo ms have a/c, there's a pool, wi-fi and even
a football pitch. R$100
Salette Rua Delamare 893 T 67 3231 6246. Convenient
central location and muito atmosphere, with original
mosaic tile floors, crisp white linens, handsome period
sinks and battered antique beds and furniture. Some
rooms with decent views of the c athedral. Breakfast
included. TV and a/c R$40 extra. R$50

Museu de História do Pantanal
One of the city's highlights is
undoubtedly the Museu de História do
Pantanal on Rua Manoel Cavassa 275,
Porto Geral (Tues-Sat 1-6pm; free;
T

67 3232 0303, W muhpan.org.br).
The museum, designated a national
heritage building in 1992, was erected in
1876 when Corumbá was Latin America's
third major river port; curiously, most of
the materials used for its construction
were imported from England. The
museum covers over 8000 years of the
region's human history in a highly
interactive manner, with a variety of
archeological and ethnological artefacts
complemented by modern resources in
a high-tech setting.

EATING AND DRINKING
There are plenty of cheap snack bars throughout town,
especially on Rua Delamare west of the Praça da República,
serving good set meals for less than R$8. Being a swamp
city, fish is the main local delicacy, with pacu and pintado
among the favoured species. You'll find bars all over town
- the more relaxed are those down on the riverfront,
where you can usually get a game of pool with your drink.
Galpão Rua 13 de Junho 797, at Rua Antônio Maria Coelho.
A cavernous local with cart-wheel windows and a thatched
awning, serving cowboy-sized portions of comida caseira at
a bargain R$10/person. Mon-Sat 10.30am-3.30pm.

ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
By plane Aeroporto Internacional de Corumbá ( T 67 3231
3322) is located 3km from the centre on Rua Santos Dumont.
From here, all flights go via the regional hub Campo Grande
(see p.329). The bus with route card “Popular Nova” (R$2.40)
runs to and from Rua Antonio João in the centre.