While the mammals are impressive, it is the amazing abundance of birds that gives the Pantanal its fame. Large numbers of beautiful and rare birds, such as Hyacinth Macaws, are often seen. It is a destination of three major South American migratory routes. The ease with which the birds can be seen is a bonus for the experienced birder and first time nature tour participant.
Whatever your passion, be it fishing, boating, birdwatching, wildlife, horseback riding or hiking - your dreams will be fulfilled in the Pantanal!
If you are interested in visiting three ecosystems during your trip to Brazil, it is recommended that you travel to the state of Mato Grosso. Here you will encounter the Pantanal wetlands, Amazon Rainforest, and savannah. The main gateway to the Pantanal through Mato Grosso is Cuiabá. There are several entrances to the Amazon rainforest. The third ecosystem, the savannah, is found in Chapada dos Guimarães, an incredible destination in itself, as well as an excellent side-trip from the Pantanal.
If you are interested in visiting the Pantanal, and in addition enjoy trekking, wildlife, snorkeling and cave-diving, we suggest visiting Mato Grosso do Sul. The primary gateway to this region is via Campo Grande. From there you can begin your adventures into the Pantanal wetlands and on to Bonito, where you will encounter some of the most incredible caves in Brazil.
Open Door, with a professional and experienced international staff, is the major incoming tour operator for customized tours to this amazing region with main office in Campo Grande and support-desk in Cuiaba. Their experienced, English-speaking guides guarantuee an unparalleled experience during which you will learn as much as you desire about the unique culture and biodiversity. Website : www.opendoortur.com.br - E-mail: info@opendoortur.com.br
In the flooded season (generally from the end of December until March), the rivers overflow, making the region a large flooded plain with shallow waters. The fishes and reptiles seperate to find their own way and the other animals concentrate in the dry areas (capão and cordilheiras). During this time, the means of transportation are horses, tractors and boats.
In the season of dryness (from June to the beginning of December) the water level lowers and the plain starts to show the rivers well defined, many lagoons appear that may end up dry. During this period you may face a great concentration of animals (mammals, birds and reptiles) feeding around these lagoons.
It is the back and forth movement of the waters that makes it possibel for the Pantanal to house a wide range of fauna and flora species, both on land and in the water. The immense diversity can be confirmed by just looking around at a dawn or dusk. A short list of animals that you frequently or rarely see:
Common Wildlife:
Birds: tabiru, heron, white necked heron, tiger-heron, toucan, blue macaw, hawk, caracara, kingfisher, lapwing, screamer, spoon bill, hornero, cardinal, jacana, greater rhea, seriema, parrot, parakeet, cormorant, necked ibis, woodpecker, etc.
Reptiles: alligator, etc. Mammals: capivara, pampa deer, deer, coati, otter, great otter, wild pig, monkey, bugio, ant eater, etc.
Rare (it may be your lucky day): jaguar, anaconda, real heron, turtle, anta.
Information provided by Open Door Tours (www.opendoortur.com.br)
Whatever your passion, be it fishing, boating, birdwatching, wildlife, horseback riding or hiking - your dreams will be fulfilled in the Pantanal!
If you are interested in visiting three ecosystems during your trip to Brazil, it is recommended that you travel to the state of Mato Grosso. Here you will encounter the Pantanal wetlands, Amazon Rainforest, and savannah. The main gateway to the Pantanal through Mato Grosso is Cuiabá. There are several entrances to the Amazon rainforest. The third ecosystem, the savannah, is found in Chapada dos Guimarães, an incredible destination in itself, as well as an excellent side-trip from the Pantanal.
If you are interested in visiting the Pantanal, and in addition enjoy trekking, wildlife, snorkeling and cave-diving, we suggest visiting Mato Grosso do Sul. The primary gateway to this region is via Campo Grande. From there you can begin your adventures into the Pantanal wetlands and on to Bonito, where you will encounter some of the most incredible caves in Brazil.
Open Door, with a professional and experienced international staff, is the major incoming tour operator for customized tours to this amazing region with main office in Campo Grande and support-desk in Cuiaba. Their experienced, English-speaking guides guarantuee an unparalleled experience during which you will learn as much as you desire about the unique culture and biodiversity. Website : www.opendoortur.com.br - E-mail: info@opendoortur.com.br
In the flooded season (generally from the end of December until March), the rivers overflow, making the region a large flooded plain with shallow waters. The fishes and reptiles seperate to find their own way and the other animals concentrate in the dry areas (capão and cordilheiras). During this time, the means of transportation are horses, tractors and boats.
In the season of dryness (from June to the beginning of December) the water level lowers and the plain starts to show the rivers well defined, many lagoons appear that may end up dry. During this period you may face a great concentration of animals (mammals, birds and reptiles) feeding around these lagoons.
It is the back and forth movement of the waters that makes it possibel for the Pantanal to house a wide range of fauna and flora species, both on land and in the water. The immense diversity can be confirmed by just looking around at a dawn or dusk. A short list of animals that you frequently or rarely see:
Common Wildlife:
Birds: tabiru, heron, white necked heron, tiger-heron, toucan, blue macaw, hawk, caracara, kingfisher, lapwing, screamer, spoon bill, hornero, cardinal, jacana, greater rhea, seriema, parrot, parakeet, cormorant, necked ibis, woodpecker, etc.
Reptiles: alligator, etc. Mammals: capivara, pampa deer, deer, coati, otter, great otter, wild pig, monkey, bugio, ant eater, etc.
Rare (it may be your lucky day): jaguar, anaconda, real heron, turtle, anta.
Information provided by Open Door Tours (www.opendoortur.com.br)
Participants reported to have seen monkeys. The following morning we did a lovely boardwalk through the jungle that ended at a watchtower overlooking the surrounding forest and grasslands with ponds-water holes, spotting wildlife here and there.
The Araras Lodge is very attractive. Each room has a lovely patio with comfortable chairs and hammock. We enjoyed especially the grass-roofed open-air breakfast area overlooking the pool and close to a small area full of little birds being fed every morning. In front of the lodge, a crab-eating fox had taken camp and he would let us observe him from close.
The Araras Lodge is very attractive. Each room has a lovely patio with comfortable chairs and hammock. We enjoyed especially the grass-roofed open-air breakfast area overlooking the pool and close to a small area full of little birds being fed every morning. In front of the lodge, a crab-eating fox had taken camp and he would let us observe him from close.
The Brazilian Pantanal
Of the 4 lodges we visited in the Pantanal, Caiman definitely is superior. There we had the best accommodation (Baiazinha Lodge), the best guide and the greatest variety of tours, where we saw more variety of wildlife than from the other lodges. However, it has to be considered that we stayed 4 nights instead of 2. We may not have liked the accommodation as much at the major Caiman Lodge or any of their other lodges. However, Baiazinha built on stilts into the lake in stunning wood architecture right above the caimans, with only 6 guest rooms with little patios, the lovely dining and sitting area and outstanding pool area, with views across the lake from everywhere is absolutely unique. Even their cooking was excellent (the cooks had very friendly personalities). The atmosphere at that lodge was private and very special.
Arrival at the Lodge
After a pleasant flight from Campo Grande, Roberto was waiting for us at the airport in Cuiaba. He was very kind, spoke good English and we had an interesting guided trip to the Araras Lodge. There we enjoyed a delicious dinner during which we met two couples who had been at the conference in Porto Seguro. After dinner we were taken on a guided walk to experience the sounds of the Pantanal night. The following day was a special highlight; Starting early in the morning our tour went on safari with the safari truck then arriving at a lovely place on the Rio Clarinho, the Sentinela Camp. We were then taken on the river in several Canadian canoes for an interesting guided wildlife tour (birds, caimans, deer). Someone claimed to have seen river otters, but most of the others in the group including us did not see any.
Arrival at the Lodge
After a pleasant flight from Campo Grande, Roberto was waiting for us at the airport in Cuiaba. He was very kind, spoke good English and we had an interesting guided trip to the Araras Lodge. There we enjoyed a delicious dinner during which we met two couples who had been at the conference in Porto Seguro. After dinner we were taken on a guided walk to experience the sounds of the Pantanal night. The following day was a special highlight; Starting early in the morning our tour went on safari with the safari truck then arriving at a lovely place on the Rio Clarinho, the Sentinela Camp. We were then taken on the river in several Canadian canoes for an interesting guided wildlife tour (birds, caimans, deer). Someone claimed to have seen river otters, but most of the others in the group including us did not see any.
Returning to the camp, a delicious Brazilian barbequed lunch was prepared. There was even a bowl of water to wash our hands in and a very unusual “outlook” outhouse - everything very well organized. Hammocks had been set up for us under an open-air roof for afternoon relaxation (what a luxury in the middle of the jungle!). During some leisure time we enjoyed the beautiful place and some of us were fishing for piranhas and feeding them to a hungry caiman nearby. However, our guide was helping with handling that small fish with the dangerously sharp teeth. He also attached small twigs to the piranhas in order to make them float on the water, thus we could observe kingfishers to catch them and eat them, carefully avoiding their teeth. The outing concluded with a 1-hour walk through the nearby small (jungle) forest, which we did not participate in because it was too hot, and we had previously done some walking there on our own.
On to Rio de Janeiro
The following morning Ben took us back to the airport, where we arrived in good time. Upon arrival in Rio, Daniel Cabral, who took us to the Hotel Mar Ipanema, picked us up. He turned out to be an outstanding tour guide and a very kind and gracious person speaking perfectly English. During our conversation, we mentioned that we would like to eat at a churrascaria that night. When we took care of the formalities at the hotel, he immediately called the excellent Churrascaria Porcao nearby and made arrangements for their gratuity taxi to pick us up from our hotel because we did not have a map and it was raining, a rare event in Rio, as we were told. The food was fantastic and afterwards the taxi took us back to the hotel. Despite the rain, we still managed to go for an enjoyable evening walk along the beach.
We were very comfortable at the hotel and the excellent down-stairs restaurant “Madalena”. The closeness to the beach was very convenient and we took an advantage on that repeatedly during the following day. Keeping the room for late check-out until 18:00 was perfect, thus we could relax prior to our long journey home. When coming to the lobby short before 20:00 Daniel Cabral was already waiting for us and gave us a pleasant and very informative ride back to the airport.
We thank Open Door for the excellent organization of our trip. All pick-ups worked perfectly, were on time and very friendly. The flights were all on time and our luggage was always transferred correctly, thus we received it upon arrival. Important also: we never got sick, following your advice of drinking bottled water and never eating fresh green-leaf salads. Again thank you for all your help and good planning. Without you we could not have done it!
When our friends at the university in Belo Horizonte were looking for a travel agency to help them with the organization of the international conference, they had the hardest time and the one they finally found in Sao Paulo was incredibly poor. If we had not found you on the internet (www.opendoor.com.br), we would have been truly in trouble. Travel agencies here in Davis (despite the university of 26,000 students and many professors and others traveling abroad) or Sacramento have no idea about Brazil and do not help you at all. All they do is handing you a few catalogues with preplanned tours and you are on your own. I doubt that it is any different in Los Angeles or any other place in the US. Not only did you organize a great tour for us in the Pantanal, but your expertise covers also all the rest of Brazil including flights, as you demonstrated to us. We were very pleased with the reasonable flights you chose for us, especially since we were not eligible for a flight pass.
Marietta and Domenico Bernoco - Davis, California
General Information on the Brazilian Pantanal
You dont have to be a wildlife enthusiast to fall in love with the Pantanal. It is the worlds largest interior wetland and one of mother nature's favorite playgrounds. The abundance and diversity of its vegetation and animal life are spectacular.
Wildlife in its most primitive form and men with their cattle farms share the same space. Along with the Amazon, the Pantanal, located in the western part of the states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, is considered an example of the best of Brazil - untouched nature. It is in fact an amazing mixture of ecosystems with different landscapes such as savanna, floodplains, lagoons, bays and forests crossed by many rivers, connected to the Paraguai river. These characteristics give the Pantanal some important titles like the Third Largest Biosphere Reserve of the World and Natural Patrimony of Humanity (UNESCO).
The following morning we went on an interesting horseback ride with Ben and a local guide, first through a dense forest and then grassland. The highlight of the day was the afternoon boat tour where we finally saw the endangered giant river otter. We stayed close to several adult animals for quite a while (until the bucket of fish that the guide brought was finished) and thus had ample observation and photo opportunities. When leaving their area we observed giant river otter families with their pups on the riverbank across. On the long way to and back from the river otter site into the sunset, we enjoyed viewing plenty of other wildlife.
Each of these lodges has its special charm, the Jaguar Eco because of its isolation deep down in the Pantanal with the possibility to see the jaguar and the very personal contact with its owners, and the Santa Tereza because of its fantastic location on the Pixaim River and the interesting boat trip and horse back ride.
Each of these lodges has its special charm, the Jaguar Eco because of its isolation deep down in the Pantanal with the possibility to see the jaguar and the very personal contact with its owners, and the Santa Tereza because of its fantastic location on the Pixaim River and the interesting boat trip and horse back ride.
The Pantanal is the best display of unbounded and undisturbed wildlife in the Americas, a paradise for wildlife watchers and photographers. Furthermore, it may come as a surprise to many that, due to the fact that the view is unobstructed by thick vegetation, it is an even better show than could be expected in the neighboring Amazon jungle. Some authors say that Pantanal has the richest fauna of the New World, even compared to Africas fauna.
Exploring the Pantanal is like being in the world’s largest zoo. As many as 242 species of fishes, 650 species of birds, 110 different mammals and 50 species of reptiles have already been identified, in addition to the 1,500 plant species: the biggest concentration of wildlife in the Americas. Wide open areas facilitate the spotting of animals such as the rare Marsh Deer, Giant Anteater, Capybara, Giant Otter, Black-and-Gold Howler, Yellow Anaconda and Jaguar.
Exploring the Pantanal is like being in the world’s largest zoo. As many as 242 species of fishes, 650 species of birds, 110 different mammals and 50 species of reptiles have already been identified, in addition to the 1,500 plant species: the biggest concentration of wildlife in the Americas. Wide open areas facilitate the spotting of animals such as the rare Marsh Deer, Giant Anteater, Capybara, Giant Otter, Black-and-Gold Howler, Yellow Anaconda and Jaguar.
The Pantanal is the only place where one has a reasonable chance of seeing a Jaguar.
Marietta and Domenico Bernoco, from California, visited Brazil and arranged some tours of the Pantanal and other regions of Brazil with Open Door. (www.opendoortur.com.br). The Pantanal covers such a large area with a vast array of wildlife on show, so they decided to visit 4 separate lodges in the area, with all the food, accommodation, transport together with English speaking knowledgeable guides arranged for by Open Door Tours. For more general information on the Brazilian Pantanal including when to go and the wildlife you may see and scroll to the bottom of the article.
Our wildlife experience in Brazil was fantastic. Our guides were very good, with Hugo from the Caiman Lodge being the top. At one point I asked him whether there was any bird in all the Pantanal the name (including the scientific name) of which he did not know. His English is excellent and, despite his young age, he knew well how to deal with the different guests. I would say he really went out of his way in helping and making everybody comfortable.
Our wildlife experience in Brazil was fantastic. Our guides were very good, with Hugo from the Caiman Lodge being the top. At one point I asked him whether there was any bird in all the Pantanal the name (including the scientific name) of which he did not know. His English is excellent and, despite his young age, he knew well how to deal with the different guests. I would say he really went out of his way in helping and making everybody comfortable.
The Pantanal Wetland expands a long distance beyond the horizon
After dinner, Benedito took us for a nighttime safari concentrating on search for jaguars. The following morning we enjoyed a wonderful sunrise, while driving deeper into the Pantanal, Ben eagerly helping us spotting wildlife, especially along the many simply constructed wood bridges (on average 1 per km) along the Transpantaneira Road. A number of them appeared to be in hazardous condition however, Ben navigated them in a skilled way. He also took us on walks through forested areas, where in one he knew a big-cat hide out. Ben took us on at least 3 safaris per day hoping to see a jaguar. On the second night safari, something funny happened. Ben had to take a physiological brake, stopped the engine and got out. While outside and without the noise of the engine, he heard the typical panting and snorting of a big cat nearby in the thicket (presumably a jaguar) and pointed it out to us. Certainly, it was too dangerous for us to get out in the dark night and pursue it on foot. However, it was very exciting that we had come close enough to hear a jaguar also if we did not see him. Ben certainly did everything he could for our chance to see one. He is a kind quiet person from Brazilian cultural background, which was especially interesting to us. His English is good, only sometimes we had difficulty understanding him, mostly because of his low voice.
The experience of nature and wildlife in this most isolated part of the Pantanal was breathtaking. To see how people live here, young families divided because the wife has to stay in the city, where the children could go to school, made us sad. Eventually while on safari on the Transpantaneira and a side road, we met old pantaneiros on their horses.
Santa Tereza Lodge on the Pixaim River
On Sept 4, Ben transferred us to the Santa Tereza Lodge. We were stunned about its lovely location on the Pixaim River. During a short walk around the lodge, we saw a black hawk on a post from very close and a lot of other wildlife close to the river (caimans, capybaras and a very rich bird life). However, the lodge apparently was not maintained as well as the others. The room was ok, but in the shower the switch to adjust the water temperature was so high that I could not reach it and had to ask my husband to adjust it for me. In the dining room, we met Roberto again (who was the guide for another couple) and many other people, which was fun. After the delicious food in the Jaguar Lodge, here it was mediocre. Whilst this particular lodge was inferior to the others, however the wonderful wildlife experience more than outweighed this.
The experience of nature and wildlife in this most isolated part of the Pantanal was breathtaking. To see how people live here, young families divided because the wife has to stay in the city, where the children could go to school, made us sad. Eventually while on safari on the Transpantaneira and a side road, we met old pantaneiros on their horses.
Santa Tereza Lodge on the Pixaim River
On Sept 4, Ben transferred us to the Santa Tereza Lodge. We were stunned about its lovely location on the Pixaim River. During a short walk around the lodge, we saw a black hawk on a post from very close and a lot of other wildlife close to the river (caimans, capybaras and a very rich bird life). However, the lodge apparently was not maintained as well as the others. The room was ok, but in the shower the switch to adjust the water temperature was so high that I could not reach it and had to ask my husband to adjust it for me. In the dining room, we met Roberto again (who was the guide for another couple) and many other people, which was fun. After the delicious food in the Jaguar Lodge, here it was mediocre. Whilst this particular lodge was inferior to the others, however the wonderful wildlife experience more than outweighed this.
On Sept.2 at 14:00 hr sharp, Benedito picked us up in his safari SUV, and we arrived in time before dinner at the Jaguar Lodge, so we could have a little walk around past the electricity-producing generator and into a little forest where we saw a deer from close. It was a pleasure to meet Eduardo and his mother Mariana who prepared our outstandingly delicious meals during the time we were there. At the time, we were their only guests and had room #1 with a nice patio in front. The room and bath were very spacious and nice with windows on opposite sides, furnished with two twin beds, a night table and a large table. We had electricity mornings and evenings only, and there was a candle for nighttime use on the night table. We enjoyed this outback experience. Lack of air conditioning was no problem because resulting from the hurricane that currently had happened at the southeast border of Brazil the weather was pleasantly cool, so cool that for breakfast and dinner we had to wear a sweater in the open-windowed restaurant.
The Blue Parrot is just one of many bird species that populate the Pantanal
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