Gruta São Mateus e Museu

HIKING & CAVING

This two hour guided tour begins with a suspension bridge and a 1.3 km trail through the forest to reach the cave. Our tour guide didn’t speak English, but he spoke Portuguese so clearly and slowly for us, that we could understand most of it. We could see his enthusiasm and fascination for caves and he knew all about it.

PETRIFIED TOWER OF PISA

The cave is full of beautiful rock formations, stalactites and stalagmites in different colours and shapes. The most outstanding is one shaped a bit like the tower of Pisa in Italy, but straight up. We have been to many caves all over the world and this shape we have never seen before. There are also many pretty stalactites shaped like waved curtains and there is even coral from back in the days when there was a sea here! Caves always have a long history as it takes about a year for a stalactite (hanging) to grow 1 millimetre! Near the exit of the cave we saw some bats from up close, hanging in a little hole.

MAGIC MANSION WITH MATCHING OLD-TIMER

Upon exiting we followed the same trail back to the gorgeous mansion of São Mateus; overgrown with plants and housing Museu de História Natural e Kadiwéu. Before and/or after the tour you can visit this museum, which showcases antique furniture and other items typical of the region, as well as stuffed local animals. For us the highlight at the museum was the gorgeous turquoise Ford old-timer, owned by the friendly English speaking son of the farm owners.

It was a nice tour and it is a great outing for an afternoon and therefore easy to combine with a morning tour.