10 Interesting facts about the Lago Azul cave

One of the main tourist attractions in the MS and a must see to whoever comes to Bonito, the Lago Azul Cave has many stories, interesting facts and has amazed people from all over the world. See here 10 interesting facts that you need to know about it:

1. Its size makes it one of the biggest water filled caves on the planet! At 100 meters below the entrance you can see a lake of intense blue color.

2. To get to the lake, you need to climb down a stair with almost 300 steps, which is the equivalent of a 12 store building. The descent is made through a rustic stair without handrail, so you need to be careful at this stage.

3. The Lago Azul Cave is one of the most important caves of the national speleological heritage. It was listed as a Natural Monument in 1978 by IPHAN (Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico Nacional), which has guaranteed its preservation with an rigorously controlled access. In a crate that could easily hold 100 people, there is never more than 15 at a time.

4. Since it is considered the Bonito's postcard, it is one of the most sought after tours. Book your tour in advance to make sure you will visit, because it has a limit of 305 people per day, organized in groups with set schedule departures, always accompanied by local tourist guides.

5. No one truly knows it real depth, 87 meters is the maximum explored, and its source is still a mistery. It is believed there is an underwater river that fills the lake. 

 6. The water is actually crystal clear - the blue shade is caused by the sunshine combined with other factors such as its location and the presence of minerals on the bottom of the lake. In the early morning the blue becomes even more intense, and outside the visiting hours it is no longer possible to see this color. Between December and the beginning of January the blue looks even brighter.

 7. The place is remarkable not only because of its size and beauty, but also because of the perfect naturally sculpted stalactites and stalagmites, rock formations that typically occur inside caves, as a result of the sedimentation and crystallization of dissolved minerals in the water. The stalactites hang from the roof vertically, and the stalagmites grow from the ground toward the ceiling, they were carved into the interior of the cave for thousands of years.

 8. A series of fossils of prehistoric animals have been found in the cave, such as a giant sloth and saber-toothed tiger that lived during the Pleistocene geological period (6.000 to 10.000 years ago) by a Franco-Brazilian expedition of espeleodivers inside the lake in 1992.

9. Two rocks in the cave reflect the initials “LA” (pictured). It seems nature itself gave it its name.

10. The visitors must wear a helmed offered by the tour, and the use of sneakers or other closed shoes with rubber sole is mandatory. Only children over 05 are allowed.