Situated 260 kilometres from Campo Grande, capital of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, the town of Bonito and all its surrounding region has countless grottoes, caves, springs, natural aquaria, waterfalls, lakes and archaeological sites.
The Baía Bonita Aquarium is one of the best known places in the region. Situated on the Anhumas estate, 21 kilometres from the small city, the cave, discovered by the Terena Indians in 1924, provides a magnificent morning spectacle: between 7.30 am and 9.30 am, the sun’s rays enter the cave and are reflected in the water, turning it blue and creating steam that rises in the colours of the rainbow. The cave’s stalactites are also reflected in the waters of the lake, creating a mirror image. The Lago Azul (Blue Lake) is a pre-historic site where in 1992, Brazilian and French divers discovered animal fossils around ten million years old, including those of a giant sloth.
The Baía Bonita Aquarium is another of the region’s best known places. Situated seven kilometres from the city, it is formed from the spring of crystal waters from the River Formoso and is full of exotic plants and shoals of coloured fish, such as blue or gold curimba that grow to a length of 30 cm and are easily seen by the visitor.