Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Rota das Aguas
Rodovia MT 241, Km 65
T
65 3102
2019,
offers multi-day packages and works with private
accommodation in chalets as well as
pousadas
.
W
rotadasaguas.tur.br.
This local tour agency
Águas Quentes
Hotel Aguas Quentes, BR 364, Km 77 Serra de São Vicente • Daily 9am-5pm • R$90 for day pass, including lunch; entry also included in
full-board room rates •
T
65 3614 7500,
W
hotelmt.com.br • There are daily buses to the town (1-2hr) from the rodoviária in Cuiabá
The hot baths of
ÁGUAS QUENTES
, 86km east of Cuiabá in the Serra de São Vicente,
just off the BR-364 towards Rondonópolis, function as a weekend and honeymoon
resort for locals. The baths are within the rather expensive
Hotel Aguas Quentes
and this
is the only accommodation option in the area with access. The water, said to be mildly
radioactive, comes in four different pools, the hottest at around 42°C, and is regarded
as a cure for rheumatism, liver complaints and even conjunctivitis.
7
Chapada dos Guimarães and around
A paved road winds its way up to the scenic and increasingly popular mountain village
of
CHAPADA DOS GUIMARÃES
, set on the plateau of the same name just 64km from
Cuiabá. Located bang on one of the oldest tectonic plates on the planet, it is here on
this plateau that the true geodesic centre of South America was pinpointed by satellite,
much to the chagrin of the Cuiabanos who stick resolutely to their old 1909 mark; the
actual spot, the
Mirante da Geodésia
, is located on the southern continuation of Rua
Clariano Curvo from Praça Dom Wunibaldo, 8km away.
Parochial disputes aside, Chapada is an interesting settlement in its own right,
containing Mato Grosso's oldest church, the
Igreja de Nossa Senhora de Santana do
Sacramento
, a fairly plain colonial temple built in 1779, which dominates the top
end of the town's leafy Praça Dom Wunibaldo. These days, with a population nearing
sixteen thousand, the village has something of a reputation as a centre for the Brazilian
“New Age” movement, with crystal shops, health-food stores and hippy communities
all springing up over the last few years.
If you're here in July, you're in for a treat, with the staging of the
Festival de Inverno
-
a mix of drama, exhibitions and music, the latter ranging from traditional, sacred and
tribal music to funk and rap.
Parque Nacional da Chapada dos Guimarães
Over three hundred square kilometres of the stunning countryside around the village of
Chapada dos Guimarães is protected as the
Parque Nacional da Chapada dos Guimarães
.
Consisting of a grassy plateau (at 800m the highest land in Mato Grosso), it is scattered
with low trees and makes a marvellous backdrop for photographing the local flora and
birdlife. Within walking distance, there are waterfalls, fantastic rock formations and
precipitous canyons, as well as some interesting, partially excavated archeological sites.
Highlights in the park include - about 25km to the north of the village - the
impressive and weird rock formations of
Cidade da Pedra
, some of them up to 300m
tall, the spectacular waterfalls of
Cachoeira da Martinha
, 30km further north, and a
couple of interesting cave systems - the
Casa de Pedra
, not far from Véu de Noiva and,
further afield, the
Caverna Aroe Jari
(the latter with cave paintings). Good views of the
Cidade da Pedra can be had from
Porto do Inferno
, a viewing point some 16km from
the village on the road into the Chapada from Cuiabá.
Véu de Noiva waterfall
The most spectacular of all the sights in the Parque Nacional da Chapada dos
Guimarães is the
Véu de Noiva waterfall
, which drops over a sheer rock face for over
