BrazilTour

Mato Grosso

The State of Mato Grosso is located right in the middle of Brazil, in the Central-Western Region. At the start of its colonization, during the 17th century, this State was the main destination of the important expeditions coming form the coast to break through and populate the inland of the Country, create commercial entrepôts and find natural deposits of gold and precious stones.

The capital, Cuiabá, was – and still is today – the biggest arrivals and departures place in the State. Facing a river of the same name, the city is crossed by many roads and avenues, but in the center, still keeps the old colonial mansions and the narrow roads from the gold rush period. It is considered one of the warmest locations in the country, with average annual temperature of 26ºC; and between August and October, thermometers can reach 40ºC and the weather gets very dry.

There we can find the Chapada do Guimarães, a scenery of unique beauty formed by sandy mountains that seem to have been cut, reminding of a city made of rocks. There are many cliffs, canyons and beautiful waterfalls. And it is in Mato Grosso State where great part of one of the most intriguing places in the Country is located: the Pantanal, the biggest floodable region in the world, where the sucession between floods and ebb tides gives origin to an unique feeding chain, populating the region with a varied fauna

Cutting across the Pantanal, the Transpantaneira - a mud road, full of small wooden bridges – allowing a parade among birds and mammals of the region along the path. The road began to be built in the 1970´s, but it hasn´t been finished yet; today it serves as the main route for tourism trips. The 145km stretch is full of surprises, such as macaws and herons flying, capybaras, alligators, deer and many other animals. The region shelters at least 650 species of birds, 80 of mammals and 50 of reptiles.

It was also at Mato Grosso State where some of the first efforts to promote proximity with the indians from the Country have been made; resulting on the foundation of Xingu Republic, by the margins of the river with the same name. Today, the Xingu Indigenous Park encompasses an area of 22 thousand square kilometers, where many tribes live and keep millennial traditions and languages threatened with extinction. The State, with the fifth biggest native population in Brazil, is inhabited by about 15 thousand indians. The municipality of Feliz Natal, 520km from Cuiabá, is the base for visiting the Park.

Although the mato-grossense mines haven´t got the same vitality of those which attracted countless colonizers in the 18th century, today the State stands out, together with the State of Pará and Rondônia, in gold mining. The main mining poles are split among five locations: Baixada Cuiabana, Peixoto Azevedo, Alta Floresta, Guaporé and Nova Xavantina.

The countless wonders at Mato Grosso State await your visit. Come, and become a fan!

Services
Mato Grosso do Sul State Tourism Office
http://www.sedtur.mt.gov.br/