Bom Jardim
All of Brazil, within reach.
A blue field with a white lozenge and a green circle bearing a gold five-pointed star. Blue stands for the sky, white for peace, green for the vast territory and the star for republican ideals and the mineral wealth that drew early settlers; first adopted in 1890 and restored in 1947.
Bom Jardim in pictures
About Bom Jardim
Bom Jardim is a district of the municipality of Nobres, about 65 km from Nobres town and roughly 140 to 150 km from Cuiabá, and it is where almost all of the area's clear-water tourism happens. The village, home to around 500 people, grew from a land-reform project of the late 1980s that divided a 50,000 hectare estate into 100 hectare plots for some 700 families. Around it, rivers and springs filtered through limestone and dolomite run exceptionally clear. Visitors float with mask and snorkel among dozens of fish species at the Aquário Encantado, a spring pool about 6 m deep that feeds a float of around 1 km down the Rio Salobra, and at neighbouring sites on the same river such as Reino Encantado and Refúgio das Águas. Closer to the village are the Lagoa das Araras, a buriti-fringed lagoon where macaws gather at dusk, and the Balneário Estivado river pool. The Gruta da Lagoa Azul, a limestone cave with a blue lake inside a state park nearby, remains closed to visitors. For agencies, Bom Jardim works as a two or three night extension from Cuiabá, pairing with Chapada dos Guimarães and the northern Pantanal, or as a quieter alternative to Bonito for floating programs. Nobres town itself is rarely visited, and the Serra Azul waterfall, just across the municipal line in Rosário Oeste, is usually sold from here. Every attraction is a separate, time-slotted visit sold through a Digital Single Voucher by accredited agencies, with daily capacity limits, so a realistic pace is two sites a day and holiday periods need booking weeks ahead. Floats require guides and safety equipment, and conventional sunscreen is not allowed. Lodging is in simple pousadas, there is little or no mobile signal and no reliable ATM, and several sites are on unpaved roads, so private transfers are the practical choice. The drier months from May to September give the clearest water. The state has approved the paving of a new access road to the Lagoa Azul cave, but no reopening date has been confirmed and it should not be sold until it actually opens.
Várzea Grande–Marechal Rondon International Airport
Mato Grosso's main gateway in Várzea Grande, operated by Aeroeste since 2019, with Azul, Gol and LATAM links to São Paulo, Brasília and other Brazilian cities.
How Bom Jardim came to be
Sourced milestones your team can use for guest briefings and storytelling, not filler copy.
Curiosities & practical notes
What's on the table
Pacu assado
Firm-fleshed pacu river fish seasoned with lime and garlic, often stuffed with banana farofa and roasted until the skin is crisp.
Caldo de piranha
A broth made from piranha, seasoned with garlic, onion, pepper and herbs and served with manioc flour.
Mojica de pintado
Pieces of pintado catfish cooked in a sauce of onion, garlic, tomato and pepper and thickened with cassava, a riverside classic.
Maria Isabel
Rice cooked with shredded dried beef, garlic, onion and pepper, a practical dish of the Mato Grosso interior.
Farofa de banana-da-terra
Plantain fried and mixed with manioc flour for a sweet and savoury side dish, the usual partner of grilled fish.
Furrundu
A traditional sweet of green papaya cooked with rapadura and spices such as clove, cinnamon and ginger.
What there is to see
Marked where a site carries UNESCO World Heritage status directly, versus a locally or nationally protected landmark.
Aquário Encantado
A clear spring pool about 6 m deep, 12 km from the village, where visitors float among schools of fish before continuing down the Rio Salobra.
Reino Encantado
A property at the springs of the Rio Salobra with a 300 m trail and a guided float of about 1 km among more than 600 resurgences.
Refúgio das Águas
A float of about 710 m on the Rio Salobra, reached by a 600 m trail, beside Aquário Encantado.
Lagoa das Araras
A lagoon fringed by buriti palms close to the village, where macaws and parakeets gather at the end of the day.
Balneário Estivado
A natural pool on the Rio Estivado about 1 km from the village, with clear water, fish, a bar and a restaurant.
Parque Estadual Gruta da Lagoa Azul
A 12,513 hectare state park created in 1999 around a limestone cave with a blue lake, closed to visitors while access works are prepared.
What else we brief agencies on
This is what we prepare for every RFP, whether or not it's published on this page yet:
On request for every proposal
- Best season / weather windows and blackout dates for groups & MICE
- Permit and quota logistics for regulated attractions, lead time and group-size caps
- Accessibility notes and physical-difficulty ratings per activity
- Vetted ground partners, guides and transport already used on past programs
- Sustainability / certification credentials relevant to client RFPs, where they genuinely exist
- Real, checked room and vehicle availability for your travel dates, not a generic quote
