What to do in Cuiba

Start with the heritage centre around Praça de República, ducking into the sunshine-yellow Palácio de Instrução for its eccentric mix of Paraguay War relics and moth-eaten taxidermy. SESC Casa do Artesão, a restored mansion turned craft market, sells proper treasures – indigenous pottery and hand-carved jaguars that beat airport souvenirs any day. Drive 65km to Chapada dos Guimarães for the spectacular Véu de Noiva waterfall and sandstone cliffs, or stay local at Parque Mãe Bonifácia's 77 hectares of cerrado forest where marmosets chatter overhead. For something uniquely Cuiabá, pedal boat past resident capybaras at Parque Tia Nair, then join locals for evening beers at a streetside bar – or discover why this unlikely jungle city claims to have Brazil's best Arab food.