Alta Floresta is a frontier city in northern Mato Grosso, set where cattle country, old gold-rush history, and the southern edge of the Amazon meet. The city itself is functional and spread out, but it is one of Brazil's better access points for serious rainforest travel without starting in Manaus or Belem.
The reason to come is the forest north of town. Cristalino State Park and the neighboring private reserves protect a rich transition zone of Amazon and Cerrado life, with canopy towers, river trips, monkeys, giant otters, and hundreds of bird species. Birders treat Alta Floresta as a major name; casual travelers will mostly experience it through organized lodge transfers and guided outings.
Alta Floresta is not a casual city break. It rewards people who are willing to fly in, arrange guides, and spend time in the forest. If that is the trip you want, the town is more than a gateway: it is the practical hinge between urban Brazil and a very wild stretch of rainforest.