Bonito & Jardim – Brazil's Crystal Freshwater Diving

About Bonito & Jardim (Mato Grosso do Sul, Inland Freshwater)

Bonito and Jardim in Mato Grosso do Sul offer some of the world's most extraordinary freshwater diving and snorkelling experiences in crystal-clear rivers and flooded caves with visibility exceeding 40 metres. The Abismo Anhumas (Abyss of Anhumas) is a showpiece adventure requiring a 72-metre rappel into a cathedral-sized cave with a crystal-clear lake, massive stalactites, and technical scuba diving in one of nature's most dramatic settings. Lagoa Misteriosa (Mysterious Lagoon) is a deep blue sinkhole exceeding 220 metres depth where technical divers explore freshwater sponges and the mysterious cone formation at depth. Rio da Prata offers snorkelling and scuba drifting down a transparent river teeming with huge pacu, piraputangas, and dorados with caimans watching from the banks. Nascente do Rio Sucuri, one of the world's clearest rivers, provides gentle freshwater drift diving with lush aquatic vegetation ideal for beginners. Various limestone cave sumps including Gruta do Mimoso offer advanced technical cave diving in pristine environments. Bonito is a world-renowned ecotourism destination where diving combines with snorkelling, caving, and wildlife watching in a strictly regulated sustainable tourism model.

Highlights

• ✓Abismo Anhumas 72m rappel into cathedral cave
• ✓Lagoa Misteriosa deep blue sinkhole over 220m
• ✓Rio da Prata crystal-clear river drifting
• ✓Nascente do Rio Sucuri one of world's clearest rivers
• ✓40+ metre visibility in freshwater
• ✓World-class ecotourism destination

Getting There

Fly to Campo Grande (CGR) and drive 4-5 hours west to Bonito. Alternatively, fly to Bonito's small airport (BYO) with limited connections. Most visitors arrive via Campo Grande with pre-arranged transfers. The roads are paved but rural.