Tourism

Cliffs, wetlands and crystal-clear rivers, all within a day trip of the conference. What to see around Cuiabá, and the packages our partner agency prepared for BRACIS 2026.

Let's meet Mato Grosso & Cuiabá!

Cuiabá and Mato Grosso offer a unique blend of culture, local cuisine, and striking natural landscapes—along with the region's warm people and warm climate—making the perfect setting for BRACIS 2026! Cuiabá is also the gateway to iconic destinations such as Chapada dos Guimarães, the Pantanal, and Nobres, among many others.

Don't miss the chance to explore the historic center, visit the obelisk marking the Geodesic Center of South America, stroll through the Porto riverside area, and experience one of Brazil's most diverse regions.

Façade of the Mercado Público in Cuiabá, dated 1899
Aerial view of the cable-stayed bridge over the Cuiabá river, with the city skyline behind
Colourful historic façades on the Porto riverside in Cuiabá
White-water rafting on a river in Mato Grosso

The region

Mato Grosso sits in the geographic heart of South America. Cuiabá, its capital, was founded in 1719 by gold prospectors on the banks of the Cuiabá river, and grew into a city of about 650,000 people in a State where the Cerrado savanna meets the Pantanal wetland.

But not only that: Mato Grosso is the only one in Brazil to hold three biomes: the Amazon rainforest to the north, the Cerrado in the centre, and the Pantanal to the south-west. That is why some cities in different regions can look so different from one another: sandstone cliffs and waterfalls in one direction, flooded plains full of wildlife in another, and crystal-clear spring-fed rivers in a third.

October, the month we'll host BRACIS, is known to be hot and dry, though it is near the beggining of the rain season. Expect daytime highs above 35 °C (95 F), low humidity, but also long golden with orange tones sunsets. Light clothing, sunscreen, sunglasses and a bottle of (cold) water are nice add ups for walking around the city or going on some of the partner agency trips!

Geodesic centre
An obelisk in Praça Moreira Cabral, downtown Cuiabá, marks the geodesic centre of South America, calculated by Marshal Cândido Rondon in 1909.
3 biomes
Amazon, Cerrado and Pantanal meet in Mato Grosso, the only Brazilian state with all three.
65 km
That's the distance to Chapada dos Guimarães, one of the most interesting touristic cities near Cuiabá
35 °C / 95° F
Bring light clothes if you plan to do some trips around Cuiabá or other cities!

Where to go

Aerial view of the sandstone cliffs of Chapada dos Guimarães
Aerial view of the Véu de Noiva waterfall falling into a canyon
Sunset over the cliffs of Chapada dos Guimarães, seen from a lookout1
Church of Santana in the town of Chapada dos Guimarães, with a wooden cross in the square2

Chapada dos Guimarães

65 km from Cuiabá · about 1 h by road

A plateau of red sandstone cliffs rising 800 metres above the Cuiabá basin, protected as a national park since 1989. Its most famous sight is the Véu de Noiva waterfall, an 86-metre drop into a green canyon that can be seen from an easy trail.

The park also hides dozens of smaller waterfalls with natural pools, the rock formations of Cidade de Pedra, and lookouts over the plain. The small 18th-century town, with its whitewashed church and cobbled square, is a good stop for lunch and regional sweets before catching the sunset from one of the mirantes.

  • Véu de Noiva waterfall
  • Cliff-edge lookouts
  • Waterfalls with natural pools
  • Historic town centre
Aerial view of a meandering river through the Pantanal forest3
Two caimans resting on a riverbank in the Pantanal4
A jabiru stork opening its wings in a wet meadow along the Transpantaneira road5

Pantanal

100 km to Poconé · gateway to the Transpantaneira road

The world's largest tropical wetland, shared by Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay. From Cuiabá, the northern Pantanal is reached through Poconé and the Transpantaneira, a 147-kilometre dirt road crossed by more than a hundred wooden bridges.

The road itself is the safari: caimans line the ponds, capybaras graze on the banks, and jabiru storks, herons and macaws are everywhere. In October the water is at its lowest and animals concentrate around what remains, which makes it one of the best months of the year for wildlife watching.

  • Transpantaneira road
  • Caimans, capybaras and jabiru storks
  • Boat trips on the rivers
  • Sunset over the flooded plain
Shoals of fish in the transparent water of a river in Nobres, next to a wooden deck6
Turquoise, transparent water of the Aquário Encantado spring in Nobres, with fish and a fallen trunk7
Blue-and-yellow macaws flying between buriti palms at the Lagoa das Araras, in Nobres8

Nobres

150 km from Cuiabá · about 2 h by road

Around the district of Bom Jardim, limestone springs feed rivers so transparent that snorkelling here is called flutuação, floating: you drift downstream with the current, over white sand and among shoals of fish, without ever needing to swim.

The best-known spots are the Aquário Encantado, a natural spring pool, and the Salobra river. Nearby lagoons, caves and small waterfalls round out a day that mixes water, forest and very little effort.

  • Floating down crystal-clear rivers
  • Aquário Encantado spring
  • Natural pools and caves
  • Forest trails
The Mercado Público building and its square lined with palm trees, in Cuiabá
The Bom Despacho church in Cuiabá lit at night
The obelisk marking the geodesic centre of South America, in Cuiabá
Regional sweets in glass bowls at a market stall

In the city

Cuiabá · walking distance from the venue

The conference venue sits in the Porto district, the oldest part of Cuiabá, by the river that gave the city its name. A few blocks away are the Mercado do Porto, a public market from 1899 where fish, fruit and regional produce arrive every morning, and the riverside promenade.

Downtown, the historic centre keeps colonial houses around the cathedral square, while the Bom Despacho church watches over the city from its hill. Try the local food: pintado and pacu from the river, rice with dried meat, farofa de banana, and the sweets made from cashew, guava and pumpkin. For a bit more history, look for the Museu do Morro da Caixa D'Água Velha, the city's 1882 water reservoir turned museum, the Sesc Arsenal, a 19th-century war arsenal that is now a cultural centre in the Porto, and the Museu do Rio Cuiabá, in the old fish market by the river.

  • Mercado do Porto and Museu do Rio
  • Historic centre and the geodesic obelisk
  • Morro da Caixa D'Água Velha and Sesc Arsenal
  • Regional cuisine
  • Riverside at sunset

Partner agency

Aventura MT

Aventura MT is the partner agency of BRACIS 2026. They put together three day trips for conference participants, with departures every day of the event from the venue. Prices, dates, what is included, booking and any questions about the trips are handled directly by the agency, through the link below.

Chapada dos Guimarães

A full day on the plateau. The trip starts with a swim at the Salgadeira waterfall, follows the cliffs with photo stops, and takes the 800-metre trail to the Véu de Noiva lookout.

In the afternoon there is time in the historic town before catching the sunset from the Morro dos Ventos lookout. Transport, a licensed guide and travel insurance come with the trip; lunch is a stop along the way.

Nobres

Floating down the Salobra river from the Aquário Encantado spring, about an hour and a half in the water among the fish, followed by a free swim at the Refúgio Água Azul. The walks to each spot are short, around 400 metres.

Transport, entry fees, guides, life vest and snorkelling mask come with the trip; lunch is a stop along the way.

Pantanal

A drive along the Transpantaneira with photo stops for caimans, capybaras and birds, then a day at a Pantanal lodge with a regional lunch. In the afternoon there is an optional boat trip on the river, or the pool and games room at the lodge.

On the way back the group stops for the sunset over the wetland. Transport, lunch, guide and travel insurance come with the trip.

Photo credits

  1. Chapada dos Guimarães — Sunset over the cliffs of Chapada dos Guimarães, seen from a lookout. Aventura MT, Courtesy of the partner agency (source)
  2. Chapada dos Guimarães — Church of Santana in the town of Chapada dos Guimarães, with a wooden cross in the square. Aventura MT, Courtesy of the partner agency (source)
  3. Pantanal — Aerial view of a meandering river through the Pantanal forest. Aventura MT, Courtesy of the partner agency (source)
  4. Pantanal — Two caimans resting on a riverbank in the Pantanal. Aventura MT, Courtesy of the partner agency (source)
  5. Pantanal — A jabiru stork opening its wings in a wet meadow along the Transpantaneira road. Flávio André / MTur, Public domain (source)
  6. Nobres — Shoals of fish in the transparent water of a river in Nobres, next to a wooden deck. Aventura MT, Courtesy of the partner agency (source)
  7. Nobres — Turquoise, transparent water of the Aquário Encantado spring in Nobres, with fish and a fallen trunk. Marinelson Almeida, CC BY 2.0 (source)
  8. Nobres — Blue-and-yellow macaws flying between buriti palms at the Lagoa das Araras, in Nobres. Diego Bento / CECAV, CC BY 4.0 (source)