# Central West (Brazil)

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

* 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

* -15.793889-47.8827781 Brasília - Brazil's surreal planned capital
* -21.133333-56.4833332 Bonito - center of the so-called "Caribbean of the Central West", an area with incredible clear blue ponds and rivers
* -17.743889-48.6258333 Caldas Novas - the world's largest hydrothermal complex
* -20.468611-54.6222224 Campo Grande - capital of Mato Grosso do Sul and southern gateway to the Pantanal
* -19.008889-57.6527785 Corumbá - western gateway to the Pantanal, near the border with Bolivia
* -15.595833-56.0969446 Cuiabá - capital of Mato Grosso and northern gateway to the Pantanal
* -16.680556-49.2563897 Goiânia - capital of Goiás, a modern city planned during the art-deco era
* -15.933889-50.148 Cidade de Goiás - historic city famous for its colonial architecture and religious events
* -15.852643-48.9589159 Pirenopolis - old colonial city with cobblestone streets and waterfalls

## Other destinations

* -15.304056-55.8668611 Chapada dos Guimarães National Park in Mato Grosso
* -14.083333-47.6666672 Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park in Goiás
* -18.08333-52.916673 Emas National Park — UNESCO World Heritage site due to its diverse and old ecosystem
* -17.4-57.54 Pantanal
* -13.275-50.1627785 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