Central West

The Central West region comprises of the states of Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Goiás and the Federal District of Brasilia. The area is especially known for the Pantanal.

The Pantanal, a vast wetland area in western Brazil, which cuts across the states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul (as well as western Brazil and northeastern Paraguay) is one of the world's great wildlife reserves. Because of the veldt-like open land, it is also the best place to see wildlife in Brazil. 650 species of birds, among which are storks (including the stately tuiuiu or jabiru stork), egrets, herons, coots, ducks and ibises, can be observed in the region. Animal life is represented by, among others, sunbathing alligators, deer, otters, emus, boa constrictors and monkeys. All these can be seen by visitors with only a few hours to spare in the Pantanal. Cuiabá, founded in 1719 by a group of slave-hunters, now the capital of Mato Grosso, is the major gateway to the Pantanal. 135 km from Cuiabá, penetrating deep into the Pantanal starts the Transpantaneira Highway, a 150 km road, elevated 2-3 meters above the flooded plains, which starts right after the village of Poconé and ends at Porto Jofre. Other gateways to the Pantanal are Campo Grande and Corumbá. There are two distinct seasons: the rainy season from December to March, when most of the area floods, and the dry season (July to October), the nesting and breeding season. The climate is humid tropical with temperatures between 7ºC (in the coldest months: June and July) and 40ºC (in summer: December to February). The average temperature is 24ºC.

A visit to the North Pantanal (starting in Cuiabá) can easily be combined with a visit to the Chapada dos Guimarães. These tablelands, located only 65 km from Cuiabá and about 800 meters above sea level, are considered one of the oldest plateaus on earth. Home to the newly established national park with magnificent rock sculptures, caves and waterfalls, it overlooks the Paraguay river and the Pantanal floodplains. Highlights of a visit to the Chapada dos Guimarães are the Véu da Noiva (bride's veil) waterfall, the lookout of the Geodesic Center of South-America and the Andorinhas Falls.

When visiting the South Pantanal (starting in Campo Grande), it is only a short but very worthwhile trip to the village of Bonito in the Serra do Bodoquena, a famous center for adventure and eco-tourism. The Bodoquena Hills, which are very rich in limestone, granite, marble and minerals, offer excellent possibilities for horse-riding, rafting, swimming in crystal clear rivers, mountain-biking, trekking, potholing, snorkeling, fishing, rock climbing and even cavern-diving. Highlights of a visit are the Gruta do Lago Azul (Blue Lake Cavern) and snorkeling down the Sucuri river.