Pantanal Wildlife Tour

While the Amazon rainforest often steals the spotlight, the Pantanal is South America’s true wildlife powerhouse. The world’s largest wetland, it spans nearly 195,000 square kilometres across Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay — roughly ten times the size of Florida’s Everglades — and has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The Pantanal is a biodiversity hotspot, home to over 3,500 plant species, 700 birds, 159 mammals, 98 reptiles, and countless amphibians, fish, and invertebrates. Iconic wildlife includes jaguars, giant otters, capybaras, lowland tapirs, marsh deer, giant anteaters, Black-and-gold Howler monkeys, and Green Anacondas, along with millions of Yacare caimans. Birdlife is equally spectacular, featuring herons, ibises, Jabirus, Greater Rheas, and the world’s largest parrot, the Hyacinth Macaw.

This private Pantanal wildlife tour takes you to the heart of this extraordinary ecosystem, offering unparalleled opportunities to see rare and endangered species, experience pristine wetlands, and explore one of the planet’s most remarkable natural landscapes.

Day to Day Itinerary

DAY 1: Cuiabá airport to Nobres

You will arrive at the Marechal Rondon International Airport in Cuiabá in the morning, where you will meet your guide and transfer to our first stop. After driving for about two hours we will arrive in Nobres where we will overnight.

We will have lunch at Estivado Baleneary – a swimming area with crystalline waters, schools of fishes and we might even be entertained by Brown Capuchin Monkeys (cebus apella)

In the afternoon we will visit the Enchanted Aquarium, a reservoir of crystalline blue water that emerges from mysterious underground springs where we can see some of the 32 species of fish that have been identified in the springs.   We will have a chance to explore the springs and immerse ourselves in the mysterious waters with the surrounded by fishes.

In the early evening we drive to the Macaw Lagoon to watch and photograph the spectacular sunset as well as Blue-and-yellow Macaws and Red-bellied Macaws

We will overnight and enjoy dinner in Nobres.

DAY 2: Nobres to Chapada dos Guimarães

This morning after breakfast we make our way to Chapada dos Guimarães National Park. The park is in the Pantanal Biosphere Reserve, located in a region of rugged terrain with dramatic cliffs and waterfalls, and contains the geographical centre of the continent.

Our first stop will be the Salgadeira Waterfall and then we will spend some time at Bride’s Veil (waterfall) where we might be able to find and photograph Red-and-Green Macaws. These giant birds nest on the rock faces along the canyons.

We will enjoy dinner and overnight at to Chapada dos Guimarães

DAY 3: Chapada dos Guimarães to Pouso Alegre

DAY 4: Pouso Alegre Lodge to Porto Jofre

We will spend some more time around the lodge this morning and after checking out we drive further into the Pantanal. As we enter the richest lower area of the Transpantaneira, plant and animal diversity increases. We could see herds of Capybara, and Yacare Caiman dwelling in streams and ponds by the roadside. We might even come across some remarkable reptiles, including Yellow Anaconda. There will be plenty of photo opportunities on our way to Porto Jofre.

There is plenty of wildlife along the road, as we cover the entire Transpantaneira to reach  Porto Jofre and check in at our lodge situated on the riverbank of the mighty Cuiabá River. Porto Jofre is a settlement at the southern end of the Transpantaneira Road, at Km 146, and is adjacent to wetlands with marshland habitats rich in waterfowl, migratory birds, and other wildlife. These are protected Ramsar Convention and World Heritage Sites.

We arrive at our lodge late afternoon. If time allows we go on our first boat safari in search for Jaguars and other wildlife concentrated along the riverbanks. 

DAYS 5 & 6: Porto Joffre

We will have two full days devoted to boat safaris on the Cuiabá River and its tributaries, to maximize our chances of watching and photographing the mystical Jaguar in the Meeting of the Waters State Park. Most sightings are made from the boat, and the animals normally offer good photo opportunities. The boat also offers excellent chances for other mammals and of course for a diverse array of colourful birds and stunning landscapes.

Here, the sandy-coloured water of the Amazon River and the black water of the Rio Negro (literally translating as black river in English) collide. You would expect two rivers that meet to blend into one another but that is not the case here. At the meeting of the rivers, there is a distinct line that forms between the two waters and it is an utterly mesmerising sight.

Our outings will always be during the day, cruising the rivers in search of Jaguars which often come to the river banks in search of food, water, or just to cool off in the water.

The Jaguar (Panthera onca) is the largest native cat species of the New World and the third largest in the world. This spotted cat closely resembles the Leopard, but is usually larger and sturdier. It ranges across a variety of forested and open terrains. As a keystone species, it plays an important role in stabilizing ecosystems and regulating prey populations. It is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, and its numbers are declining.

DAY 7 & 8: Porto Jofre to Piuval Lodge

This morning we will bid farewell to Porto Jofre and make our way back up the Transpantaneira road to our final destination of our tour, Piuval Lodge.

After checking in and having a midday break we will go out for a forest walk in the monkey forest and climb up the 20m canopy tower. Here we hope to find Bearded Capuchin, Black Howler Monkey, Azaras’s Agouti and many other mammals, along with a stunning sunset!

During the days here we will enjoy boat safaris hoping to see a wide variety of  mammals which are quite widespread in the Pantanal, though given the open savanna-like vegetation of this area, some species including Brazilian Tapir, White-lipped Peccary and Marsh Deer are easier to spot here than further south.

We could also see some super colourful avian species, including Hyacinth Macaw, Toco Toucan, Turquoise-fronted Parrot, Peach-fronted and Blue-crowned Parakeet, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Blue-crowned Motmot, Striped, Dark-billed and Squirrel Cuckoo and many more.

Dinner will be enjoyed at the lodge followed by a night safari on foot to track down crepuscular animals.

DAY 9: Return to Cuiabá and flight home

This morning we will be making our way back to Cuiabá airport for your onwards flight home or to enjoy an extension to Cristalino Reserve which is one of the largest private reserves in the Amazon.

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