Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
with the delicious
bacalhão
fritters.
Fri 7-11pm, Sat
11am-3pm & 7-11pm, Sun 11am-3pm.
Felipe
Rua Cipriano Curvo 598
T
65 3301 1793.
One of
the village's most popular restaurants with
comida por
quilo
at lunchtime just off the main square. Offers good
value for money.
Daily 11.30am-11pm.
Barra do Garças
Over 500km from Cuiabá, on the frontier between Mato Grosso and Goiás states,
BARRA DO GARÇAS
is a useful and interesting point at which to break a long bus
journey. This small and isolated, but still fast-growing town of some 60,000 people sits
astride the Rio das Garças, one of the main headwaters of the Araguaia, underneath
low-lying wooded hills. It's a surprisingly good base for a variety of nature-based hikes
or relaxing hot-water springs, and the nearest river beach, the
Praia de Aragarças
, is
barely 1km away. In the mountainous terrain that stretches from Barra do Garças up to
the Serra do Cachimbo, the most impressive feature is the highly eroded red-rock cliff
of the 700m
Serra do Roncador
, 150km due north of the town. Waterfalls and caves
abound in the region; close to the limits of the town there are fourteen waterfalls in
the Serra Azul alone, a range that rises to over 800m.
7
Parque Balneário das Águas Quentes
6km northeast of Barra do Garças • Daily 6am-9.30pm • Small charge •
T
66 3405 1313
Just 6km northeast of town, there are more river beaches and the popular natural hot
baths of the
Parque Balneário das Águas Quentes
. Besides curing all the usual
complaints, the waters are proudly proclaimed by the town's tourist o
ce to have the
capacity to augment one's
vitalidade sexual
- you have been warned.
ARRIVAL AND GETTING AROUND
BARRA DO GARÇAS
air-taxi service BRC (
T
66 3861 2140) and operates flights
to Brasília, Cuiabá, Goiânia and Rondonópolis.
BY BUS
Bus connections from the rodoviária on Rua Bororós (
T
66
3401 1217) along the BR-070 between Cuiabá and Brasília
are good, and there is also an airport, Julio Campos, 15km
out of town (
T
66 3401 2218), which is served by the local
BY CAR
Car rental
Localiza (
T
66 3861 2140).
INFORMATION
Tourist o
ce
There is a municipal tourist o
ce,
FUNDATUR, on Praça Tiradentes (Mon-Sat 9am-6pm;
T
66 3861 2227 or
T
66 3861 2344).
TOURS AND ACTIVITIES
Ecotours
There are three environmental organizations in
town that may be able to help with information on the
region and ecotours, as well as possibilities for rock
climbing, potholing and canyoning: CELVA, Centro Etno-
Ecológico do Vale do Araguaia, Av Araguaia 146 (
T
66
3861 2018); União Eco-Cultura do Vale do Araguaia, Av
Min. João Alberto 100; and the Fundação Cultura
Ambiental do Centro Oeste, Caixa Postal 246. Barra do
Garças also serves as a possible starting point for visits to
the world's largest river island, the Ilha do Bananal, in
Tocantins state (see p.435).
Xavante and Bororo reserves
For information and to
find out about written authorization to enter one of the
indigenous reserves, contact FUNAI, Rua Muniz Mariano 3,
Setor Dermat (
T
66 3861 2020).
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Serra Azul Plaza
Praça Tiradentes 572
T
66 3401
6663,
W
serraazulplazahotel.com.br.
The swishest
place to stay in town, although that's not saying much,
this hotel is comfortable, if a little soulless. If this one's
full, try
the sis
ter hotel
Tawfiq's Palace Hotel
on the same
square.
R$140
Restaurante Vitória Régia
Rua Mato Grosso
T
66
34011940.
This popular lunchtime
por quilo
restaurant
serves a good variety of salads and hot dishes, including
quality meats straight from the
churrascaria
. Football fans
will appreciate the games shown on the TV in the
background.
Daily 11am-5pm.
