Central West (Portuguese: Região Centro-Oeste) is the only landlocked Brazilian region. The region offers excellent opportunities for eco-tourism activities such as exploring caves, rappelling down waterfalls or just trekking through the cerrado (an ecosystem similar, in some ways, to the savannah). It is also well known for the Pantanal, the world's largest wetland, close to the Brazil's western border.

States

Maytrea Garden, in Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park

Goiás A landscape of plateaus, colonial-era historic districts, and well-preserved, ecologically diverse cerrado savannahs.

Mato Grosso Sandstone mountains, birdwatching, unusual cave formations, and a chunk of the Pantanal wetland.

Distrito Federal The Brazilian federal district (cut out of the surrounding state of Goiás), basically consisting of the capital Brasília and its metro area.

Mato Grosso do Sul Incredible nature, including the vast wetland of the Pantanal, underwater caves for diving, beautiful landscapes, and diverse wildlife.

Cities

Snorkeling in the clear waters near Bonito

• 1 Brasília - Brazil's surreal planned capital
• 2 Bonito - center of the so-called "Caribbean of the Central West", an area with incredible clear blue ponds and rivers
• 3 Caldas Novas - the world's largest hydrothermal complex
• 4 Campo Grande - capital of Mato Grosso do Sul and southern gateway to the Pantanal
• 5 Corumbá - western gateway to the Pantanal, near the border with Bolivia
• 6 Cuiabá - capital of Mato Grosso and northern gateway to the Pantanal
• 7 Goiânia - capital of Goiás, a modern city planned during the art-deco era
• 8 Cidade de Goiás - historic city famous for its colonial architecture and religious events
• 9 Pirenopolis - old colonial city with cobblestone streets and waterfalls

Other destinations

Véu de Noiva Falls in Chapada dos Guimarães National Park

• 1 Chapada dos Guimarães National Park in Mato Grosso
• 2 Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park in Goiás
• 3 Emas National Park — UNESCO World Heritage site due to its diverse and old ecosystem
• 4 Pantanal
• 5 São Miguel do Araguaia — estance park of Araguaia River

Understand

The region's economic activity is on the rise and based on agriculture and cattle raising, as well as commerce and intense government activity in Brasilia.

Get in

By plane

Cities with airports receiving the most domestic flights are Brasília, Goiânia, Cuiabá, Corumbá, and Campo Grande.

By car

• From Bolivia - There are border crossings between Puerto Suarez, Bolivia and Corumbá, Mato Grosso do Sul and between San Matías, Bolivia and Cáceres in Mato Grosso.
• From Paraguay - Mato Grosso do Sul shares a border with Paraguay, with the most important border crossing between Pedro Juan Caballero, Paraguay and Dourados.

Major Brazilian federal highways coming in from other regions are:

• BR-010 into Brasília from Belém, passing through Tocantins
• BR-040 into Brasília from Belo Horizonte and Rio de Janeiro
• BR-050 into Brasília from Uberlândia, Uberaba, Campinas, São Paulo, and Santos
• BR-262 into Mato Grosso do Sul from the states of São Paulo and Minas Gerais and as far east as Vitória, Espírito Santo
• BR-364 into Mato Grosso from the states of Rondônia and Acre

Go next

Article Geo different to Wikidata
Wikivoyage: Latitude -15.66535, Longitude -53.94287 (Map, Geohack)
Wikidata: Latitude -14.783, Longitude -53.517 (Map, Geohack)
Difference: 108.3km