Nova Xavantina

Day Trips

Touch down in Nova Xavantina and check into a cozy pousada near the town center. Enjoy a strong Brazilian coffee and pastel at a local café while observing friendly early risers. Chat with the owner to gather insider tips for the days ahead.

Take a leisurely stroll through Praça da Matriz, discovering colorful colonial facades and lively street art. Visit the municipal market to sample regional fruits and artisanal cheeses. Meet local vendors and learn about Mato Grosso’s unique culinary traditions.

Dine at a family-run restaurant serving fresh fish from the Rio das Mortes. Sip on a caipirinha made with local cachaça as you watch live sertanejo music. Return to your pousada under a sky awash with stars, greeting fireflies along the path.

Depart early for Cascata dos Namorados to beat the crowds and feel the mist on your skin. Hike along a well-marked trail through lush gallery forest alive with birdsong. Pause at scenic viewpoints to photograph the falls framed by emerald foliage.

Refuel with a packed picnic of pão de queijo and tropical fruit beside the pool at the waterfall’s base. Take a refreshing swim in the crystalline water and let the soothing roar of the cascade wash over you. Relax on sun-warmed boulders while reading or journaling.

Return to town and freshen up before dinner. Savor a hearty feijoada at a local tavern accompanied by live forró rhythms. Cap off the night with a stroll along quiet streets lit by vintage lampposts.

Head north to Salto das Andorinhas and trek the rugged trail through rocky terrain. Spot swallows weaving above the plunging water and pause at natural lookout points. Feel the exhilarating spray as you approach the tiered waterfall.

Enjoy a riverside lunch of grilled tilapia and mandioca at a rustic picnic area. Join an optional guided swim beneath the falls for an adrenaline rush. Spend time exploring nearby grottoes and travertine pools.

Sample local specialty pratos feitos at a buffet-style eatery in town. Exchange stories with fellow travelers over dessert of brigadeiro or pudim. Wander back to your lodging under a canopy of twinkling stars.

Visit Poço da Usina, a serene plunge pool once powered by an old hydroelectric plant. Paddle out on a rented kayak or simply float in the calm, emerald-green water. Listen to the rainforest come alive around you with hidden wildlife calls.

Savor a riverside barbecue prepared by local guides, featuring freshly caught fish. Swim or jump from natural diving platforms into the deep pool below. Take your time to photograph the towering palm trees reflected in the glassy surface.

Return to town for a casual pizza dinner at a popular pizzeria. Share photos of aquarium-like waters and jungle vistas with new friends. End the night with a cool sorbet from a street vendor.

Drive through rolling hills to reach the remote Cachoeira da Serra Azul. Trek through highland pastures and shaded groves until you hear the thunderous roar of water. Feast your eyes on the powerful blue-hued falls cascading into a natural amphitheater.

Unpack a light lunch of pão francês sandwiches and juicy papaya slices. Hike upstream along rocky ledges to discover smaller hidden cataracts. Bathe in sunlit mist and watch butterflies dance in the spray.

Return to town for a well-earned dinner of arroz com pequi, an indigenous fruit delicacy. Walk barefoot on the pousada’s lawn, enjoying the soft hum of crickets. Drift to sleep to the sound of distant frogs by a lantern-lit veranda.

Set out to Cachoeira do Prata for a day of nature immersion. Follow a shady trail lined with bromeliads and orchids, listening for howler monkeys overhead. Arrive at the falls and marvel at the silver-white curtain of water against mossy rocks.

Join a naturalist guide for a riverside foraging workshop, sampling wild honey and nuts. Swim in the cool pool below the falls, then relax on sunbaked stones. Spot dragonflies darting above shallow streams winding through the forest.

Dine on a rustic recebejado-style meal at a countryside estancia, complete with freshly baked pão de milho. Enjoy live acoustic guitar by the host’s fireplace. Retire early to wake refreshed for tomorrow’s adventures.

Rise before dawn for a fishing excursion on the famed Rio das Mortes. Board a wooden canoe and glide through mist-shrouded waters as night birds call. Learn traditional casting techniques from experienced fishermen.

Feast on your catch prepared riverside—crispy fried fish with farinha and lime. Lounge in hammocks strung between trees, sipping coconut water and watching iguanas bask on sunlit logs. Photograph kingfishers diving for prey.

Return to town and enjoy a wood-fired pizza topped with fresh herbs. Sample a specialty sorghum beer crafted by a local microbrewery. Stroll by the riverbank for a final glimpse of firelit fishing huts.

Travel to a nearby Xavante village for a respectful cultural exchange. Greet community elders and learn about traditional crafts, such as pottery and beadwork. Participate in a dance demonstration celebrating local rites.

Share a communal meal of milho verde and fish stew cooked over an open fire. Hear stories of ancestral legends passed down through generations. Shop for authentic handicrafts directly from artisans.

Return to your pousada and reflect on the day’s insights over a cup of erva-mate tea. Attend a local festival or live music night if available. Rest early to prepare for the final days of exploration.

Embark on a guided birdwatching tour at the state ecological station. Scan the canopy with binoculars for macaws, toucans, and hummingbirds flitting among the branches. Learn to identify calls and plumage differences from an expert naturalist.

Picnic under a towering buriti palm, then trek to hidden lagoons teeming with aquatic life. Spot capybaras grazing at the water’s edge and herons stalking along the shallows. Capture scenic reflections of palms mirrored in glassy pools.

Visit a local brewery that blends Amazonian fruits into innovative craft beers. Sample flight tasters paired with artisanal cheese boards. Share stories with fellow birders about rare sightings and jungle encounters.

Check into a nearby fazenda for a final dose of rural charm. Help feed cattle or gather fresh eggs from free-range hens. Enjoy a hearty country breakfast of bolo de fubá and coffee with milk.

Tour the farm’s sugarcane fields and manioc crops, learning sustainable farming practices. Relax on a porch swing overlooking rolling pastures as you sip freshly pressed sugarcane juice. Pack up and bid farewell to your hosts.

Return to Nova Xavantina for a celebratory farewell dinner at a riverside restaurant. Toast to new friendships and unforgettable memories with a glass of sparkling wine. Head to the airport or bus station, carrying the tranquil spirit of the cerrado in your heart.