Positioned on the Cuiaba River, the Hotel Pantanal Norte (formerly Hotel Porto Jofre) is best known as a fishing lodge, however it is also in one of the best places in Brazil to see jaguar in the wild. It has direct access to the river, making it easy to head into quiet creeks and tributaries to spot the enigmatic and elusive feline.
Accommodation consists of 28 comfortable, air-conditioned bungalow rooms with en suite bathroom, TV and minibar. Facilities include a restaurant that serves home-made local dishes, bar, TV room, internet room and convenience store. There's a swimming pool and lots of outside space in which to relax or observe birds or wildlife in the down time between excursions.
Once a riverport for transporting cattle, food and agricultural produce for the farms of the region, Hotel Pantanal Norte stands at the end of the 145-kilometre-long unasphalted Transpantaneira Highway, which leads north to Pocone, from where a tarmac road continues another 100 kilometres to Cuiaba, the capital of Mato Grosso state. During the five hour transfer from Cuiaba, particularly in the dry season (July to October), you often see caiman, capybara, plus jabiru stork, macaws, egrets, spoonbills, cardinals, and - if lucky - jaguars, rheas and deer. In the wet season, depending upon the state of the road, the drive may take a lot longer.
Staying in comfortable lodges, this trip offers some of the finest opportunities to see rare wildlife in the Pantanal. In the company of skilled naturalist guides, search for the elusive jaguar on the Cuiabà River, before continuing to Cristalino Private Reserve, which possesses a high number of species and endemics.
Find out more about Pantanal & Amazon Wildlife Extravaganza
Join acclaimed award-winning photographer Nick Garbutt, to watch and photograph wildlife in the Pantanal. This immense landlocked delta in the heart of South America offers some tremendous habitats and the finest opportunity to see the elusive jaguar, as well as other iconic and rare animals, often up close.
Find out more about The Pantanal: Brazil’s Wetland Wonder
The Pantanal, a seasonally flooded grassland dotted with cerrado woodland, is home to a vast array of birds, including jabiru stork and hyacinth macaw, and mammals, such as giant otter and jaguar. We search this naturalists’ paradise for its wildlife, often at close quarters, by vehicle and boat.
Find out more about Wildlife of the North & South Pantanal
Accessed via the town of Cuiaba, the northern Pantanal is home to some of Brazil’s rarest wildlife, such as jaguar and giant river otter. Many of the lodges here are still functioning cattle ranches, offering day and night trips by boat, vehicle, on foot and on horseback, accompanied by local naturalist guides.
Find Out More about {acc:title}
Where: Mato Grosso
Ideal for viewing: capybara, giant anteater, giant river otter, jaguar, yacare caiman
Excellent for: Wildlife cruises, Wildlife photography, River safaris, Jaguar watching
This ecological paradise is the world’s largest wetland, with 124 mammals (including the world’s largest jaguars), 177 reptiles, 1,100 species of butterfly, and a myriad of birds, brightly coloured flowers, and shoals of fish. There are significant differences between the north and south; we recommend visiting both.
Find Out More about {acc:title}
Where: Mato Grosso & Mato Grosso do Sul states
Ideal for viewing: capybara, giant anteater, giant river otter, jaguar, yacare caiman
Excellent for: Wildlife photography, Self-drive, River safaris, Jaguar watching, Birdwatching
