Quad biking the Serra Trail, Bonito MS: relief, forest and a viewpoint

The Serra Trail is the quad bike route with the most relief around Bonito: it climbs the foot of the Serra da Bodoquena, crosses forest and ends at a high point with a view. It asks more of the rider than the flat trails do.

What the Serra Trail is

The Serra Trail runs by quad bike across the broken ground at the foot of the Serra da Bodoquena, in the Bonito region. The line has climbs, descents, loose stone and shaded forest sections — the opposite of the open grassland of the Boiadeira.

It is the most technical of the three quad trails in town. No experience is required, but attention is: on ground with a gradient, your posture on the machine and your speed control make a real difference.

Riding on hill ground

What changes compared with a flat trail is speed management. On a climb, the common mistake is easing off the throttle halfway up and losing traction; on a descent, braking with the machine across the slope. The briefing covers both, and the guide repeats the instruction before the steepest sections.

Posture counts too: on uneven ground, keeping your body slightly off the seat absorbs the impact far better than sitting rigid. Riders who do that in the first few minutes finish without a sore back.

What you see along the way

The Serra da Bodoquena is not a high range, but it is broken, and the contrast between the valley grassland and the forest on the slopes shows along the route. In the shaded sections the temperature drops noticeably. At the high point the view reaches the plain and, on a clear day, lets you understand the geography of the region better than any map.

It is a perspective no other outing around Bonito provides: the attractions in town are almost all inside forest, inside a cave or inside a river, and none of them shows the region from above.

What to bring

• Closed shoes with good soles — there are stops on rocky ground.
• Long sleeves: branches and sun both reach you on a hill trail.
• Eye protection against dust and insects.
• Water, which is often forgotten on land-based outings.
• A camera secured to your body: nothing loose survives uneven ground.

When to go

The dry season is clearly better here. With rain, hill ground becomes slippery and descents demand far more of the rider, which leads operators to suspend departures. In dry months, firm ground and clear visibility from the viewpoint make the outing worthwhile.

Frequently asked questions

Is it hard to ride?

More demanding than the flat trails, but still accessible to beginners after the briefing. Anyone uneasy can ride as a passenger.

Is the view worth it?

It is the main argument for the outing: none of the other quad trails in the region ends at a high point overlooking the Bodoquena.

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