Bonito

Bonito is a small remote town, close to the Pantanol, increasingly known worldwide as an eco-tourism destination. The town itself has a relaxed atmosphere (with a great hostel), plenty of little restaurants and cafés, but it is the spectacular surroundings that attracted me.

There are many attractions in the area, varying from subterranean caves with lakes and stalactite formations to snorkel excursions in the Rio Sucuri, Prata and Aquario, with waters as clear as in the Caribbean.

The incredible clear waters spring from subterranean sources in a limestone base, which releases calcium carbonate into the water. This calcium carbonate has a strong purifying effect, resulting in natural aquariums surrounded by lush forest.

I spent a amazing and very relaxing day snorkeling down the Rio Prata. You start upstream and then just float, letting the current take you, all the while looking down at beautiful fish.

Luckily, we were able to hire an underwater digital camera and take photos of the fish.  Photographing fish is very difficult, let me tell you.  It took over a hundred shots just to get a few decent ones.  Think I'll stick to landscapes, they don't move or live underwater.

I also visited the Blue Lake Cave which is amazingly beautiful. The lake is an azure blue and looks very tempting for a dip. Capturing it on camera proved a fun challenge. I had to use a tripod with exposures up to 3 seconds. Thanks to Frank for his advice on that!