Cáceres, Mato Grosso, Brazil
Historic gateway to the Pantanal Norte and Rio Paraguai
Cáceres was founded in 1778 on orders of Luis de Albuquerque de Mello Pereira e Cáceres and populated with Chiquitanos from the Spanish Jesuit Missions to the west to secure Portuguese interests in Mato Grosso. It is the uppermost port on the Paraguay River and was U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt's last outpost of civilization on the River of Doubt Expedition. Colonel Percy H. Fawcett passed through San Luis de Cáceres while surveying the Brazilian-Bolivian border. The municipality is home to 'Pantaneiro' cowboys and 'Fazendas' large and small.
The Pantanal - a huge wetlands wilderness of swamps and marshes containing thousands of species of wildlife - can be accessed by pre-arranged tours on larger Boat Hotels or small craft on a daily basis, or a stay at a Hotel Fazenda.
In town are reasonably priced hotels, a variety of restaurants and countless bars. Traditional night-life is centered on the 'Praça Barão do Rio Branco'. There is a municipal museum and the city is the seat of UNEMAT, the State University system with a lively student and academic life.
Birding and Fishing bring tourists from all over Brazil and the world to the area. Many Budget Travelers pass through on the road from Machu Pichu and La Paz to the beaches of Rio and the Nordeste as well as to Manaus and Amazonia. Weekends, Festivals and Shows often see crowds of locals from the surrounding cities and the capital fill the town.
Come join the fun ...
