Mato Grosso do Sul

The state

Mato Grosso do Sul was created in 1977 from the southern half of Mato Grosso and remains one of Brazil's youngest states. It combines the southern Pantanal, the limestone Serra da Bodoquena with its springs and caves, and wide Cerrado farmland. Its culture is shaped by the Paraguayan and Bolivian borders, by one of the country's largest Indigenous populations, including Guarani-Kaiowá and Terena communities, and by settlers from Okinawa and other parts of Brazil. You feel it in chamamé and polca music, in the shared ritual of iced tereré and in Campo Grande's famous sobá noodle soup.

For agencies, Bonito is the anchor: snorkel floating in transparent rivers, cave visits and sinkholes, operated through accredited local guides and controlled visitor numbers, which makes it reliable for families, FIT and incentive groups. It combines well with fazenda lodges in the southern Pantanal, reached from Campo Grande or Corumbá, and with Campo Grande's Bioparque Pantanal. Logistics note: the state runs one hour behind Brasília, attractions in Bonito require advance vouchers, and road transfers between Campo Grande, Bonito and the Pantanal are long, so direct flights to Bonito help shorter programs.