Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
more personal and affordable. Offers delightful bungalow
accommodation in intimate wooded surrounding
s, with
excellent service and food, and its own tour agency.
R$305
Zagaia Eco-Resort
2km from the centre by the airfield
T
67 3255 5500,
W
zagaia.com.br.
Top of the range,
ultra-modern complex with three swimming pools, various
playing fields, horse riding, numerous restaurants a
nd even
a cabaret - popular with holiday-makers from Rio.
R$490
CAMPING
There are three o
cial campsites around the Bonito area;
you can get their details from the travel agents in town or,
in advance, from one of the tourist information of
ces in
Campo Grande (see p.446). The n
eares
t to town are
Camping do Peralta
(
T
67 3255 1901;
R$30
/person)
on the
outskirts, and
Camping Nomadas
(
T
67 3255 1729;
R$25
/
person) near the bus station.
EATING AND DRINKING
Cantinho do Peixe
Rua Coronel Pilad Rebuá 1437
T
67 3255 3381.
A popular spot with locals, this fish
restaurant set in a modern building on the main road
serves huge portions of
jacare
(alligator),
pintado
(catfish) and
pacú
(local river fish). Service is good and
some
northwestern end of town, the restaurant at this pretty
pousada
serves high-quality meals at lunchtime and in the
evenings; it's best to call to reserve a table in high season.
Daily noon-3pm & 6.30-11.30pm.
Taboa Bar
Rua Coronel Pilad Rebuá 1841.
Gra
tied
walls, live music and an extensive menu ranging from
grilled chicken with rice and buttered vegetables, to soups
and salads, make this bar a popular hangout for a twenty-
and thirty-something crowd. As the night progresses,
you're likely to see Brazilians get up and dance - especially
on weekends.
Vicio da Gula
Rua Coronel Pilad Rebuá 1852
T
67 3255 2041.
Popular and inexpensive corner café
in the centre with outside seating, serving exotic fruit
juices and milkshakes, burgers (including alligator),
sandwiches, pizzas and a myriad of delicious cakes.
Daily noon-2am.
7
of
the
waiters
speak
English.
Mon-Sat
11.30am-3pm & 6-11pm.
★
Casa do João
Rua Nelson Felicio dos Santos 664
W
casadojoao.com.br.
Wonderful, down-to-earth
family-run restaurant specializing in Pantanal cuisine. Try
the
traira
(a carnivorous river fish) or the fried
jacare
(alligator). Meat dishes include the filet mignon with
gorgonzola sauce. The restaurant was once the owners'
family home, and all of the furniture is recycled.
11am-3pm & 6.30-11pm; closed Tues.
Pousada Olho d'Agua
Estrada Baia das Garças
T
67
3255 1430.
Located 3km from the centre on the
TRIPS FROM BONITO
Bonito's
tour companies
are unusually well tuned in to the requirements of overseas
visitors, and all offer identical trips at identical - and reasonable - prices to all the places
described here, plus a wide range of other options. The municipality limits the number of
visitors to Bonito's natural wonders and systematically enforces a whole array of regulations
intended to protect this ecologically “pure” region. Many of the sites charge for entry, and
for some, such as the famous Gruta do Lago Azul, you require both authorization and a
guide to visit. Such
permits
and guides are arranged by the tour companies or hotels
themselves. Some hotels, like
Pousada
Olho d'Agua
and
Muito Bonito,
have their own tour
agencies or can help you arrange a trip with one of the tour companies. Note that very few
guides speak English, so if you need an
English-speaking guide
you must request this
when you book with an agency or at the hotel. With advance warning, an interpreter or
bilingual guide can be organized for an extra fee; the local tour guides association is AGTB
(
T
67 3255 1837).
Tour companies include: Ygarapé Tours, Rua Coronel Pilad Rebuá 1956 (
T
67 3255 1733,
W
ygarape.com.br), who also offer scuba diving for beginners; Bonitour, Rua Coronel Pilad
Rebuá 1957 (
T
67 3255 1628,
W
bonitour.com.br).
INDEPENDENT TRAVEL
Almost all the sites require transport, which makes it virtually impossible to visit them
independently. Some hotels, like
Pousada Muito Bonito
, can arrange daily
car rental
for
around R$150, and someone may be happy to rent you his or her
bicycle
for the day.
Another cheap option if you're on your own is to go by
moto-taxi
- there's a firm on almost
every corner or you can ask your hotel to order you one. There are a few
minivan
companies
that go to the main sights every day at a certain time too - find out their schedules from any
of the tour agencies in town.
