Bodoquena, MS: the town of tall waterfalls and canyons

What defines Bodoquena

Bodoquena is a municipality of Mato Grosso do Sul sitting on the Serra da Bodoquena itself, a little over an hour by road from Bonito. What sets it apart from its neighbours is relief: here the range is higher and more broken, and the result is big waterfalls and deeply cut valleys.

Anyone building a multi-day itinerary in the region usually sets aside a whole day for Bodoquena. It is not a quick add-on: the drive is longer and the outings here are, as a rule, full-day.

What there is in Bodoquena

• Boca da Onça: a valley with the tallest fall in the state, a waterfall trail and an abseil.
• Salobra canyons: a crossing between limestone walls, in the water.
• Stretches of the Rio Salobra with low-capacity, conservation-focused visits.
• Access to the Serra da Bodoquena, the massif that explains the water across the region.

Why the waterfalls here are different

In Bonito and Jardim the rivers run over low-gradient ground and form wide, low falls with shallow pools. In Bodoquena the range is higher and the valleys are cut: water falls from greater heights, in free fall, and carves deeper pools at the base.

It is the same rock and the same water — only the gradient changes. And the gradient is why the municipality concentrates tall waterfalls, canyons and abseiling alike: all of them need a vertical wall, which only exists where the range is broken.

A warning about effort

Outings in Bodoquena ask more of the body than those around Bonito. The waterfall trail at Boca da Onça is long with a continuous drop; the Salobra canyons require hours in cold water with swimming sections. Anyone planning should spread that out — two heavy days in a row are more tiring than expected.

How to plan a day in Bodoquena

• Set aside the whole day: a second attraction does not fit.
• Confirm the river condition the day before, especially in the rainy season.
• Leave early — the drive eats into both ends of the day.
• Bring lunch or confirm where to eat: facilities are sparser than in Bonito.
• Do not schedule two heavy days back to back: this trail charges you the next morning.

When to go

Here the two seasons pull in opposite directions. Rain, from December to March, swells the waterfalls and makes the valley more spectacular — at the cost of a slippery trail and suspended canyon trips, which become dangerous with the river high. The dry season, May to September, delivers firm trails, canyons operating and less powerful falls.

Frequently asked questions

Can I go and come back from Bonito in a day?

Yes, and that is the usual format. Just allow for the drive taking a chunk out of both ends of the day.

Does it suit a family with small children?

The main outings here are the least suitable in the region for small children. Bonito and Jardim have far better options.

Written by: Adriano Habermann Last updated: October 12, 2026