Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ambushed miners along the routes to Goiás and Cuiabá from São Paulo, posing a
serious threat to Portuguese expansion and development in the mid-eighteenth century.
The centre of the action takes place on the riverfront and around Avenida Virginia
Ferreira, where the shops, restaurants and bars are, but the main reason for coming
to Coxim is to throw a line during the fishing season between August and October
(see box opposite).
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
COXIM AND AROUND
By bus
The bus takes around three to four hours from
Campo Grande (six or seven hours from Cuiabá). Both leave
more or less every hour.
Tourist information
For more information on Coxim's
attractions, you could try the tourist information o
ce
(
T
67 3291 1143) at the bus station (
T
67 3291 1552),
though its opening hours are very unpredictable.
ACCOMMODATION
The town offers plenty of accommodation possibilities including hotels,
fazendas
and
pousadas
, mostly aimed at
fishing
holiday-makers. There are also several accommodation options 5km away in the neighbouring village of
Silviolândia
.
7
Hotel Coxim
Rodovia Br-163 Km 726
T
67 3291 1480.
This pleasant hotel is probably the fanciest in town,
although that's not saying much. It has a decent pool and
restaurant, and the clean
rooms
with large bathrooms have
all the regular mod cons.
R$160
Hotel Santa Ana
Rua Miranda Reis 931
T
67 3291
1602
. Central-ish hotel on the riverfront with basic but
clean rooms and friendly service. The generous breakfast is
a highlight, as is the pool and sauna. It might be
slightly
bland, but it does represent good value for money.
R$145
Ponta Porã
PONTA PORÃ
is an attractive little settlement, right on the Paraguayan border up in the
Maracaju hills. The
Avenida Internacional
divides the settlement in two - on one side of
the street you're in Brazil, on the other in the Paraguayan town of
Pedro Juan Caballero
.
On the Paraguayan side you can polka the night away, gamble your money till dawn or,
like most people there, just buy a load of imported goods at the duty-free shops, while the
Brazilian side is a little more staid. There's a strange blend of language and character, and a
unique
mestizo
cuisine, making it an interesting place to spend a day. Ponta Porã also has a
tradition as a distribution centre for
maté
- a herb brewed to make a tea-like drink.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
PONTA PORÃ
By bus
Frequent buses to Campo Grande (every two hours;
4hr) and Corumbá (approximately 4 daily; 13hr) leave from
the main bus station 4km out of town (
T
67 3431 4145).
Internacional (
T
67 3431 6312) on the Brazilian side. If
you're pushed for time, catch a cab from the bus station; the
fare is about R$30, including waiting time.
Onward travel by bus
Once in Paraguay, there's a
reasonably good road direct to Concepción, a major source
of imports and contraband for Brazilians; daily buses make
the five- or six-hour trip in good weather. It's another five
hours from there to Asunción; there's also a direct service
(8-10hr) from the bus station in Pedro Juan Caballero.
Money and exchange
There's no problem changing money
at decent rates on Av Internacional, but it's impossible to
change travellers' cheques on Sundays and holidays.
TO PARAGUAY
Entry requirements
Crossing the border is a relatively
simple procedure for most non-Brazilians. An exit stamp
must be obtained from the Polícia Federal at Av Presidente
Vargas 70 (
T
67 3437 0500) on the Brazilian side, then it's
a matter of walking four or five blocks down Rua Guia Lopes
to the Paraguayan customs and control. If you need a visa
for Paraguay you can get this from the consulate on Av
ACCOMMODATION
Internacional
Av Internacional 2604
T
67 3431 1243.
One of the cheapest hotels in town, the popular
Internacional
has simple rooms and friendly service.
Rooms
overloo
king the garden are a little quieter than the
others.
R$100
Pousada do Bosque
Av Presidente Vargas 1151
T
67
3431 1181.
For a plush stay it's hard to beat
Pousada do
Bosque
, just outside Ponta Porã and surrounded by lush
greenery. The old colonial-style building is cha
rming
and
has a swimming pool as well as a football pitch.
R$170
