Alta Floresta is a city in the Brazilian state Mato Grosso. It's located at the southern edge of the Amazon rain forest and is a popular eco-tourism destination.

Understand

During the 1980s gold rush, Alta Floresta became a mining ground and quickly grew to over 100.000 inhabitants. As the economic profit of gold mining declined, so did the number of people living here. The current population is estimated under 50.000 (2010). Today, Alta Floresta is diverging economic activities, and ecotourism is one of the focal points for development.

Get in

Alta Floresta has a rather large airport of its own. From Aeroporto de Alta Floresta, several airlines operate daily flights to many Brazilian cities.

Highway MT-208 connects Alta Floresta to Nova Monte Verde and Nova Bandeirantes.

See

• Airport Avenue Lake (Lago da Avenida do Aeroporto). A good place to see capivara grazing and egrets nesting. 
• 1 Cristalino State Park. Offers great opportunities to explore exceptional Amazon flora and fauna. Some 500 species of birds alone have been catalogued in the area. Run by the Cristalino Ecological Foundation, an Alta Floresta based environmental NGO with many educational projects.  
• Igreja Matriz, Avenida Ariosto da Riva - Centro. 
• Municipal Theater (Teatro Municipal). 
• Natural History Museum, Museu de História Natural. 
• Praça da Cultura (in front of the Municipal Theater). The Douglas DC3 airplane parked here was used to send supplies to rural ranchers in the area. Inside the plane you can watch a film about the history of the plane. 
• Recanto das Orquídeas. This well-kept orchidarium sits alongside the riverbank with tall trees and a chance to see capivara, jacaré (cayman), and monkeys, as well as over 5000 orquids and cacti. 

Buy

• Casa do Artesanato, Av Ludovico Riva Neto, s/n Centro, ☏ +55 66 3521-9207. Regional handcrafts. 
• Municipal Free Trade Fair (Feira livre municipal). 

Eat

• Churrascaria Cambalacho, Av. Jaime Veríssimo de Campos, 482, ☏ +55 66 3521-3376. 
• Lapiova Lanches, Av Ludovico Riva Neto, s/n c 1224 - St F, ☏ +55 66 3521-4725. 

Sleep

• Floresta Amazônica Hotel, Av. Teles Pires, 2001, ☏ +55 66 3512-7100. 
• Grande Hotel Coroados, Rua F1 (Gumercindo de Moraes), 188, ☏ +55 66 3521-2390. 
• Hotel Pirâmide, Av. Aeroporto 445 - Centro, ☏ +55 66 3521-2400. 
• Pousada Rio Azul, ☏ +55 66 3521-3822.