Campo Grande
Capital Of Mato Grosso Do Sul And The Gateway To Bonito And The Southern Pantanal; Home Of The Bioparque Pantanal Freshwater Aquarium · Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul
Campo Grande is the capital of Mato Grosso do Sul, a planned, spacious city of wide avenues, tree-lined streets and big parks, set on the high plains between the Pantanal and the farmlands of the interior. It became a municipality in 1899 and a state capital only in 1977, when the state was created. Honestly, it is a base: most travellers land here and drive on, about four hours to Bonito's clear rivers or a few hours west to the southern Pantanal around Miranda and Aquidauana. A day in the city is still worthwhile. The Bioparque Pantanal, opened in 2022, is a large freshwater aquarium often described as one of the largest in the world, with tanks of Pantanal and Amazon fish. The Feira Central is the place to eat sobá, a noodle soup brought by Okinawan immigrants and now a city symbol. The Parque das Nações Indígenas has lakes, capybaras and a fine museum of Indigenous cultures nearby, and the Mercadão sells chipa, tereré herbs and Paraguayan snacks. Blue-and-yellow macaws nest in the city's trees and fly over the streets.
Centro and Parque das Nações Indígenas, Campo Grande, MS, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
A city, so streets and parks are open daily, but the key sights have their own patterns. The Bioparque Pantanal has been free to visit with a timed booking made online in advance, released in batches that fill quickly, and it closes one or two days a week, usually early in the week - confirm the current booking system, days and whether walk-ins are allowed. The Feira Central works in the evenings from roughly midweek to Sunday, busiest on weekend nights, and is closed on some weekdays - confirm. The Mercadão works through the day from Monday to Saturday, with shorter hours on Sundays. Parque das Nações Indígenas is open from early morning to evening and is busiest at dawn, sunset and on weekends. The museum of Indigenous cultures and the Memorial da Cultura Indígena keep office-style hours and close on some days. Transfers and buses to Bonito and the Pantanal leave on fixed schedules, mostly in the morning; Bonito's tours themselves need booking through an agency in advance.