Mato Grosso do Sul Attractions
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Situation and CharacteristicsThe state of Mato Grosso do Sul was formed from the southern part of Mato Grosso state in 1979; in the border region between the two is the Pantanal. Mato Grosso do Sul is bordered on the north-east by Goiás and for a short distance by Minas Gerais, with the Rio Paranaiba forming a natural boundary; on the south-east it is separated from São Paulo and Paraná by the Rio Paraná; and to the south-west and west are the neighboring countries of Paraguay and Bolivia. As in Mato Grosso, arable farming and stock-rearing are major elements in the economy, supplemented nowadays by the state's rich deposits of manganese and iron ores, mostly shipped from the river port of Corumbá on the Rio Paraguai.
Campo Grande, Brazil
Campo GrandeSituation and characteristicsCampo Grande (founded 1889), capital of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, lies 694km/431mi south of Cuiabá and 1014km/630mi north-west of São Paulo.Bus stationRua Joaquim NabucoAirportAeroporto Internacional Antìnio JoãoHistoryThe rise of Campo Grande began with the opening of the railway line to Corumbá in 1914. As the leading commercial, industrial and agricultural center of the old state of Mato Grosso the town benefited from its good communications with São Paulo and the southern states of Brazil. For many years it had separatist ambitions which led it in 1924 and 1932 to support São Paulo's rebellions against the federal government. In 1932 it gave help to the Paulistas only on the understanding that São Paulo would later support the movement for the independence of the southern part of Mato Grosso state. These hopes were fulfilled in 1977, when the state of Mato Grosso do Sul was established.
Dom Bosco Museum
Dom Bosco MuseumThe Museu Dom Bosco is Rua Barão do Rio Branco has important natural history collections, including 7000 mollusc shells, 7000 butterflies, 3000 other insects and 1600 birds, reptiles, mammals and fishes. It also contains much ethnographic material on the local Indians.
Craft House
Casa do ArtesãoThe Casa do Artesão (Craft House) displays articles of leather, bast, wood, straw and other materials made by local craftsmen and Indians.
Campo Grande International Airport
The Campo Grande airport services a number of international destinations.
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Bonito, Brazil
BonitoBonito, situated in the south-west of Mato Grosso do Sul, 248km/154mi south-west of Campo Grande and just under 130km/80mi south of Miranda, is an important tourist center, a good base for excursions on the Rio Miranda into the Pantanal to the north. The rivers in the area are an angler's paradise, and there are a number of interesting caves (which can be visited only with a guide and a permit from the Prefecture).Bus Station: Rua Pedro Alvares Cabral
Ilha do Padre
12km/7.5mi east of Bonito, in the Rio Formoso, is the Ilha do Padre ("Father's Island"), with its waterfalls and good fishing waters. 8km/5mi beyond this is the junction of the Rio Mimoso with the Rio Formoso. Here too there is excellent fishing.
Caves
15km/9.3mi north-west of Bonito on the road to Morraria is the Gruta de Nossa Senhora Aparecida. 24km/15mi south-west of the town is the Gruta do Lago Azul ("Cave of the Blue Lake"), which is 156m/512ft deep. The cave takes its name from an underground river of bluish water which flows through it.The caves can be seen only on a conducted tour. They are normally closed, and only the guide has a key.
Taica Falls
17km/10.5mi north-east of Bonito are the Taica Falls, in which the Rio Mimoso plunges down over travertine terraces.
