Tips for visiting Lagoa Santa

Lagoa Santa, in the state of Goiás, Brazil, is a small town with a big attraction. Most travel problems here come from expecting big-city infrastructure: a bank branch on every corner, flawless cell signal, a restaurant open at 11 p.m. It is not like that, and that is fine. These fifteen tips deal with what usually catches visitors off guard and help you look after the place that is the reason for the trip.

What to pack

1. Two swimsuits and your own towel

You will get into the lagoon more than once a day. With two swimsuits, there is always a dry one for the next dip. Thermas has changing rooms but does not provide towels for day use.

2. Flip-flops or water shoes

The lagoon floor has rocks, roots and sandy stretches; the banks of the Rio Aporé are rock slabs. Neoprene water shoes or flip-flops with a strap prevent cuts and falls on the wet stone steps.

3. Biodegradable sunscreen, and no tanning oil

Oils and tanning products form a film on the water's surface and harm the aquatic plants and fish that make the lagoon what it is. Use biodegradable sunscreen, apply it at least 20 minutes before getting in and reapply only during breaks. A hat and a UV shirt take care of most of the protection without any product at all.

4. A warm layer for the early hours and repellent for dusk

Between June and August, the early morning in Lagoa Santa can drop close to 10 °C, even if the afternoon tops 28 °C. That contrast is what creates the mist over the lagoon. Bring a jacket for the dawn dip. Repellent comes in handy on the riverbanks and on the trails at dusk.

5. A dive mask and binoculars

The water has visibility of several meters and the fish do not flee. A simple mask turns a dip into an aquarium tour. The binoculars are for the forest birds: whistling heron, helmeted manakin, saffron-crowned tanager and, with luck, blue-and-yellow macaw.

Money, signal and opening hours

6. Cash and Pix set up

The town's ATM is limited and may run out of cash on a high-season weekend. Withdraw money in Itajá or Rio Verde before arriving. Pix (Brazil's instant payment system) is accepted in most places, but it depends on signal, which brings us to the next tip.

7. Cell signal comes and goes

Inside the Thermas forest and along stretches of the river the signal drops. Download the regional map before the trip, warn your family that you may be out of reach and agree on a meeting point with your group instead of relying on the phone.

8. Small-town hours

Shops close at noon for lunch and early in the evening. Restaurants serve in short windows, and several close on Sunday night. City Hall is open Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Check Where to eat and plan your meals.

9. High season is July, plus Carnival and the Fishing Festival

July has the best weather and the whole town up and running, but also lines at the lagoon and full guesthouses. If you prefer quiet, June and August have the same dry weather with half the people. See When to visit.

In the lagoon and on the river

10. Respect the fish and the plants

Do not feed, chase or try to catch the fish. Do not step on the submerged plants or pull anything off the bottom. The lagoon is an ecosystem with a natural renewal of 3.6 million liters per hour, and it is precisely because it is intact that it impresses.

11. Bathing time, hydration and children

Water at 31 °C relaxes you and dehydrates you without your noticing. Alternate 20 to 30 minutes of bathing with breaks in the shade and drink water. Avoid alcohol before getting in. Small children wear arm floats and stay within arm's reach: there are deep pools a few meters from the shallow edges. Pregnant women and people with high blood pressure or heart conditions should talk to their doctor first.

12. The river is not the lagoon

The Rio Aporé has current, submerged rocks and deep pools. Life jackets on boats, no diving headfirst and watch for rain upstream in the wet season. Details in Rio Aporé.

Respect for the place

13. Trash goes back with you

There is no collection inside the Thermas forest or on the small river beaches. Bring a bag for your own trash and for whatever you find along the way. A cigarette butt is trash, and in the dry Cerrado it is a fire hazard.

14. Drones and photography

Aerial photos of the lagoon are spectacular, but flying a drone over bathers and inside private property requires authorization from Thermas and compliance with the rules of ANAC and DECEA (Brazil's civil aviation and airspace authorities). Ask permission first, never fly over people and avoid dawn, when the noise breaks the silence everyone came for. Photograph other people only with their consent.

15. The Cerrado is fragile

Stay on the trails and boardwalks, do not cut branches or collect plants, do not light fires outside authorized areas and do not set off fireworks. Between May and September the vegetation is dry and fire spreads in minutes. If you see a wild animal, such as a capybara, a giant anteater or a crab-eating fox, watch from a distance and do not feed it.

Phone numbers you hope not to need