When to visit Lagoa Santa
July is the classic month, but every time of year has its own reason to visit the lagoon and the Rio Aporé.
Updated on 2026-10-08
The short answer: July. It is the month when Lagoa Santa, in the state of Goiás, Brazil, looks its best, with clear skies, cold early mornings, mist over the lagoon at dawn and the town celebrating its anniversary on the 21st. The long answer depends on what you are after: peace and quiet, a full river, fishing, low prices or events. This guide explains each season, what happens in each month and which period suits each type of traveler.
The best time: July and the dry season
From May to September it hardly rains in southern Goiás. The sky stays blue for weeks, humidity drops, the Rio Aporé recedes and turns clearer, and the thinner vegetation makes wildlife easier to spot. June, July and August are the most comfortable months, with afternoons around 28 to 31 °C and early mornings that can dip to 15 °C or below.
July combines all of that with school vacations and the city anniversary on July 21, with concerts, festivities in the square and crowded streets. It is high season par excellence: lodgings fill up, prices rise and you need to book ahead. If you prefer the same weather without the crowds, June and August offer the same scenery with more tranquility.
The best moment of the day in the dry season is sunrise. The mist that forms over the lagoon dissolves within half an hour. Arrive before 6:30 a.m. and bring a warm layer to take off only when you get into the water.
The rainy season: green, full and empty
From October to March, afternoons bring almost daily downpours, the heat tops 31 °C and the air turns humid. In exchange, the Cerrado turns green, the river fills and the town empties outside the holidays: guesthouses with vacancies, restaurants with no wait and the lagoon almost all to yourself. The thermal water, which feels warming in winter, seems too warm at midday in summer; the dip is more pleasant early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Rain rarely lasts all day.
Two things to watch: the dirt roads to farms and fishing spots get bad after heavy rain, and the full, dark river limits boat trips and swimming in the Aporé.
High and low season
- High: all of July, New Year's Eve and the first half of January, Carnival and the October 12 holiday. Book weeks ahead and expect higher nightly rates.
- Mid: the other long weekends (Holy Week, Tiradentes Day, May 1, Corpus Christi, September 7, November 15) and the weekends of June and August.
- Low: weekdays outside vacation periods and the months of March, April, May, September and November. This is when you can negotiate rates and find the lagoon empty.
Month by month
| Month | Weather | Crowds | Highlight |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Rainy and hot | High in the first half | Feast of the Three Kings; school vacations |
| February | Rainy and hot | High at Carnival | Carnalagoa, the town's carnival |
| March | Rains easing | Low | Full river, green landscape, low prices |
| April | Transition, mild nights | Mid (Holy Week, Tiradentes) | Fest-Vôlei and car-audio contest |
| May | Start of the dry season, cool | Mid (May 1) | River starts to clear; good fishing |
| June | Dry, cold mornings | Mid (Corpus Christi) | Festa Junina; mist on the lagoon |
| July | Dry, the coldest of the year | Very high | City anniversary on July 21; vacations |
| August | Dry, hot afternoons | Mid | Clear skies, the same scenery as July with fewer people |
| September | Dry and hot, end of the dry season | Mid (September 7) | Seniors' Festival (Festa da Melhor Idade) |
| October | First rains, heat | High on the October 12 holiday | Patron saint Our Lady of Aparecida and CELEBRAI |
| November | Rainy | Low | Start of the piracema spawning closure (check); empty town |
| December | Rainy and hot | High in the last week | New Year's Eve |
The Fishing Festival, contested in pairs and reaching its 22nd edition in 2026, has its date set year by year; the "bolão de pesca" fishing tournaments at the Clarito Pereira Campos Municipal Lake take place throughout the year. Dates and details of all festivals are in town festivals.
Who should go when
Families with children
July is the natural choice, for the vacations and the events. If your schedule allows, June and August offer the same weather with an emptier lagoon and lower rates. Bring a towel and a warm layer for getting out of the water on cold mornings.
Couples
Weekdays in May, June, August and September: mist at dawn, sunset on the Aporé and quiet restaurants. See the 2-day itinerary.
Anglers
The dry season, May to September, is the best phase on the river: low, clear water and fish concentrated in the pools. From roughly November to February, the piracema spawning closure is in force in the Paraná basin; dates and rules change every year, so check the current regulation before traveling. All of that, plus the Fishing Festival, is in fishing in Lagoa Santa.
Birdwatchers
The dry season, for visibility, and always at dawn. September and October bring the Cerrado into bloom and more activity in the treetops. The species list is in geography, wildlife and flora.
What is the best month to visit Lagoa Santa?
July, for the dry weather, the misty mornings over the lagoon and the city anniversary on July 21. For the same weather without the crowds, June and August are the best alternatives.
Is it worth going in the rainy season?
Yes, if your priority is peace and price. The lagoon stays at 31 °C, the landscape turns green and the town is empty. Rain usually comes as late-afternoon downpours; the river, however, runs full and is less inviting for swimming and boating.
Is the lagoon open all year round?
Yes. The water comes from the Guarani Aquifer and rises at about 31 °C in every season, with the same flow. What changes is the comfort out of the water: more pleasant in winter, hotter in summer. Check Thermas Lagoa Santa's hours at (64) 3640-1122 (from abroad: +55 64 3640-1122).