Mato Grosso

Mato Grosso is a state in the Central West of Brazil. The state is home of important landscapes of the Amazon and the Pantanal.

Cities

 * &mdash; the state capital is a good starting point for trips to the Pantanal
 * — a city at the southern edge of the Amazon rain forest that is a popular eco-tourism destination
 * — thermal bath and bathing resort, on the border to Goiás in the east
 * — considered the "Gateway to the Pantanal" and has an interesting old town from the early 19th century, and is known for the international fishing festival
 * &mdash; a small city with several caves, rivers with limpid waters
 * — annual events include a fishing festival on the banks of the Juruena River, an agricultural exhibition, and an indoor rodeo
 * — a charming agricultural town surrounded by lush green fields and rolling hills
 * — a gateway to the João Basso Ecological Park, which has waterfalls, caves, cave inscriptions and trails
 * — the Teles Pires river is great for sports activities such as amateur and sport fishing, canoeing, and rafting
 * — has suitable places for sport fishing, and offers extreme sports

Other destinations

 * — its colonial-baroque-style church Nossa Senhora de Santana do Sacramento dates from 1779. The city lies on the edge of the national park of the same name with waterfalls, caves and diverse animal and plant world, landscape form: cerrado and rain forest
 * — one of the largest swamplands on earth, occupies the south-west of the state on the border with Bolivia
 * — a national park created to protect the environment and the several tribes of Xingu indigenous peoples in the area
 * — a national park created to protect the environment and the several tribes of Xingu indigenous peoples in the area

Understand
The state is characterized by three major landscapes: the Amazon rainforest in the north, the Cerrado savannah in the center and the Pantanal swamp area in the south.

Get in
Marechal Rondon International Airport, near Cuiabá, in the suburb of Várzea Grande, is the principal airport in the state.

See
The Chapada dos Guimarães National Park, with its caves, grottoes, tracks, and waterfalls, is one of its tourist attractions. The extreme northwest of the state has a small part of the Amazonian forest. The Xingu Indigenous Park and the Araguaia River are in Mato Grosso. Farther south, the Pantanal, the world's largest wetland, is the habitat for nearly one thousand species of animals and many aquatic birds.

Itineraries

 * Paraguay River

Do
Fishing in the Teles Pires, São Benedito and Azul rivers is productive practically all year long.

The Pantanal's backbone is the Paraguay River, which cuts through the region from north to south. The Miranda, Aquidauna, Taquari, and Cuiabá rivers flow into the Paraguay River. From October to April, the high waters reveal outsized lakes, bays, river branches, and outlets. The Transpantaneira Highway connects the town of Poconé to Jofre Port, along the Cuiabá River bank. It is a dirt road with 126 wooden bridges, and extends for 149 km (93 mi). On the way, it is possible to observe wild animals, especially alligators, capybaras, and birds, among other wild animals.

The Gruta da Lagoa Azul State Park  is a state park in the municipality of Nobres, Mato Grosso, with an area of 12,513 ha (30,920 acres). The blue lagoon cave holds a pool of blue water formed from underground water of the Saloba River. The park has several other limestone caves. It is covered with deciduous forests, and is home to howler monkeys, tapirs, jaguars, and macaws.