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Voykit pocket guide · Brazil
São Miguel do Araguaia
Visit São Miguel do Araguaia for a day trip to Bananal Island and Araguaia National Park; 1 day is enough.
São Miguel do Araguaia is a small town in Goiás that serves as a gateway to Bananal Island, the world's largest river island, and the northern part of Araguaia National Park. The sights are concentrated and can be seen in a half‑day, making a single day visit sufficient.
- Country
- Brazil
- Best months
- May–Sep (dry season)
- Avoid
- Dec–Mar (heavy rain; river levels rise)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- BRL
- Money
- Currency is the Brazilian real (BRL, R$). About R$5–5.8 per US dollar in 2026 — check. Cards and tap-to-pay are accepted almost everywhere, even at beach kiosks.
- Daily spend
- Budget R$120–180 excl. bed · Mid R$180–280 excl. bed · High R$280+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Vivo, Claro and TIM cover the country; buying a prepaid SIM needs a passport and sometimes a CPF — an eSIM before you fly is easier.
- Emergency
- Police 190 · Ambulance 192 · Fire 193
- Plugs
- Types N, C · 127 V (Rio, São Paulo) or 220 V (Brasília, much of the Northeast) · Check the voltage on the socket; most chargers are dual-voltage.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: 10% service (serviço) usually on the bill; optional but normal.; Beach kiosk / bar: Often included; round up.; Taxi / Uber: Not expected; round up.; Guide: US$5–15 per person per day.; Hotel staff: Small tip for porters.
- Water
- Do not drink tap water; filtered water is provided in most homes and hotels.
- Toilets
- Put toilet paper in the bin, not the toilet, in most places.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Prato feito (rice, beans, meat) at a local restaurant | R$15–30 |
| Bottle of water (500 ml) | R$2–4 |
| Beer, 600 ml bottle | R$8–15 |
| Taxi or moto-taxi across town | R$10–20 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | R$80–150 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- GYN · Goiânia (Santa Genoveva)
- About 400 km (249 mi) by road via BR-060/BR-153; long-distance buses run from Goiânia's rodoviária, check times.About 249 mi (400 km) by road via BR-060/BR-153; long-distance buses run from Goiânia's rodoviária, check times.
- BSB · Brasília
- About 500 km (311 mi) by road; bus connections via Goiânia, check times.About 311 mi (500 km) by road; bus connections via Goiânia, check times.
Typical fares
- Boat or ferry, São Miguel → Bananal Island
- about R$30 each way, schedule varies with the river (check)
- Taxi across town
- R$10–20
- Long-distance bus, Goiânia → São Miguel do Araguaia
- about R$150–200 one way, 8–10 h (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The town is walkable; taxis and moto-taxis cover the rest. Access to Bananal Island is by boat or ferry from the riverfront, and the crossing depends on the river level.
See and do
Known for
- Bananal Island
- Araguaia National Park
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Bananal Island (Araguaia National Park) | Boat or ferry from the São Miguel riverfront, then a local guide for the park sector | About 2 h round trip plus time on the island |
| Aruanã | Road via BR-070 and GO-530, or river boat | About 4–5 h by road |
| Barra do Garças | Road via GO-530 and BR-158 | About 6–7 h by road |
Sleep
- Town centre pousadas
- Basic rooms near the riverfront and the bus stop; book ahead in the July holiday period.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | Com licençakohm lee-SEN-sah |
| Thank you | Obrigadooh-bree-GAH-doo |
| How much is it? | Quanto custa?KWAHN-too KOOS-tah |
| Where is the toilet? | Onde fica o banheiro?OHN-jee FEE-kah oo bahn-YAY-roo |
| I would like to go to Bananal Island | Quero ir à Ilha do BananalKEH-roo eer ah EE-lyah doo bah-nah-NAHW |
| Can I pay by card? | Posso pagar com cartão?POH-soo pah-GAR kohn kar-TOWNG |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake, hug or cheek kiss (one in São Paulo, two in Rio); avoid: Being stiff with new acquaintances
- Gestures: Use thumbs-up freely; avoid: The OK hand sign (it is rude)
- Language: Try Portuguese; say obrigado/obrigada; avoid: Defaulting to Spanish
- Time: Expect relaxed social punctuality; avoid: Being late for tours and flights
- Beach: Bring only a towel, cash and a copy of your ID; avoid: Leaving things unattended
Scams and watch-outs
- Boat and ferry crossings to Bananal Island run on set hours and stop when the river is low or high; confirm the day's departure at the riverfront before you plan around it.
- The northern third of Bananal Island is Araguaia National Park; the rest is an indigenous preserve, so enter only with a local guide and the required authorisation.
- Distances in Goiás are long: the nearest big-city airport is hours away by road, so do not plan a same-day flight out after an island trip.
Generally safe for day visitors; stay on marked paths and keep valuables secure.
One and two days
No timed day plan for São Miguel do Araguaia yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Bananal Island
- Araguaia National Park
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: São Miguel do Araguaia, revision 4856748 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4856748
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
São Miguel do Araguaia
Para este endereço, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No consulate in town; the US consulate is in Brasília, other embassies in Brasília (check addresses).
Cash matters: small pousadas, boats and riverside kiosks may not take cards.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/sao-miguel-do-araguaia). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.