Formoso Adventure, Bonito MS: rafting the Rio Formoso rapids

Formoso Adventure is the raft descent of the Rio Formoso, with group paddling, a guide and swimming stops between the rapids. It is the most accessible adventure activity in Bonito: it asks for willingness, not fitness.

What Formoso Adventure is

Formoso Adventure is an inflatable raft descent of a stretch of the Rio Formoso, near Bonito. The group paddles together under the command of a guide, crossing rapids and stopping in the calm reaches to swim. It is a lighter version of rafting: the Formoso rapids are of moderate intensity and the route runs through open country with forest on the banks.

Its great advantage is accessibility. It needs no experience, no particular fitness, and fits into half a day — which makes it the easiest adventure activity to slot into a crowded itinerary.

What you actually do in the boat

The group sits on the side tubes with their feet braced and paddles together on the guide command from the stern. The commands are few and shouted: forward, back, stop. It is not about strength — it is about rhythm, and the rhythm belongs to the whole group.

In the rapids the work is the guide: they position the boat and the rest follows. The classic beginner mistake is stopping paddling exactly when the guide asks for more, at the moment the rapid starts and instinct says grab the rope.

Why the Formoso has rapids at all

The Rio Formoso runs over a limestone bed, and limestone does not wear away evenly: some parts dissolve faster, others resist. The result is steps and bars of rock in the bed, creating fast stretches between calm pools. That alternation is why the same river can host a contemplative snorkel float at one point and a raft descent a few kilometres downstream.

Who can do it

It is the most inclusive adventure activity in a Bonito itinerary: no fitness required, no experience required, and it accommodates mixed ages in the same boat. The restrictions that exist are minimum age and, with some operators, swimming ability — and they vary with the river condition on the day.

Anyone with back or shoulder problems should think twice: the impact in the rapids is sudden and the paddling motion is repetitive.

Photography: leave the phone behind

There is no worse setting for loose equipment: water, impact and movement. A phone in your hand in a raft on a rapid is a phone at the bottom of the river. If the operator offers a photo service, that is the safe route; if not, an action camera strapped to a helmet or vest is the only sensible alternative.

Frequently asked questions

Is this rafting?

It is a raft descent with paddling, on rapids of moderate intensity. Anyone who knows big whitewater will find it gentle; anyone who has never done it will find it plenty.

Do you get very wet?

Yes. Wear swimwear and bring a dry change — phones only in a sealed, secured case.

Written by: Adriano Habermann Last updated: September 13, 2026