Travelling with award-winning wildlife photographer Nick Garbutt, this itinerary explores the relatively unknown and unexplored area of the Pantanal, with great opportunities to see and photograph the elusive jaguar.
The Pantanal supports a breathtaking array of species. Travelling on foot and by boat, or even by horseback or snorkelling should you wish, through spectacular wetlands and forest, you will enjoy the very real possibility of seeing iconic and rare animals frequently and up close.
The itinerary is designed to take in several diverse elements whilst keeping travel distances to a minimum and maximising time spent at key locations and offering excellent photographic opportunities. Daily sessions with Nick will enable you to pose questions you've always wanted to ask in situ and hone your photography talents.
Typical Itinerary
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Day 1:
Depart UK
Fly overnight to São Paulo, Brazil.
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Day 2:
Arrive São Paulo, onward flight to Cuiabá & drive to Piuval, Northern Pantanal
On arrival in São Paulo, we connect with an onward flight to Cuiabá in Mato Grosso state, then transfer by road (approximately two hours) to the northern extremity of the Pantanal.
In the late afternoon we will explore the surroundings and hopefully see hyacinth macaws for the first time. After nightfall there may be a chance to look for monkeys and other nocturnal creatures.
Accommodation: Pousada Piuval, 1-night
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Day 3:
Explore Northern Pantanal: drive to Alegre
In the morning we will explore the mosaic of habitats in the vicinity. The dry areas at Piuval are particularly good for birds like greater rhea and red-legged seriema, and both giant anteaters and tamanduas (lesser anteaters) are seen frequently. There is a lake where a boat trip offers the chance to get close to and photograph all manner of water birds including, herons, ibises, storks and kingfishers.
After lunch at Piuval, we will transfer 30 kilometres or so further south to our next location, Pousada Alegre, a large ranch, which is excellent for a wide variety of wildlife. Once again there is a mosaic of grassland, wetland and forest, but overall this habitat is considerably wetter than further north, and the species composition is different.
Accommodation: Pousada Alegre, 2-nights
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Day 4:
Full day at Pousada Alegre
There are plenty of good photo opportunities around the lodge, including a resident pair of hyacinth macaws and other birds.
This is also a particularly good location for giant anteaters and tapirs. Patches of forest are home to black howler monkeys, black-tailed marmosets and coatis, while areas adjacent to small ponds and lakes offer excellent photo opportunities for a variety of wetland birds.
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Day 5:
Further into the Pantanal & the Cuiabá River
We spend the morning at Pousada Alegre, where there are certain to be many more chances for good photographs. After lunch we drive approximately 90 kilometres in an open safari truck south down the Transpantaneira road to Porto Jofre. Depending on how much wildlife we see along the way this drive should take approximately three to four hours and we should arrive in time to enjoy a sunset on the lagoon adjacent to our lodge
Accommodation: Hotel Pantanal Norte, 5-nights
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Days 6-9
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Cuiaba River in Encontro das Aguas State Park
Over the next four days we will take morning and afternoon boat trips on the Cuiabá and Piquirí Rivers and their tributaries in Encontro das Aguas (Meeting of the Waters) State Park looking for jaguars and other wildlife. There is a very healthy population of jaguars in the vicinity, and numerous different individuals are regularly seen along the banks of the watercourses and in the adjacent forest. Some animals remain quite shy, while others are extremely tolerant, often allowing prolonged and close sightings.
The area teems with other wildlife too. There is a good chance of seeing Brazilian tapir, yellow anaconda and tolerant family groups of both giant river otters and neotropical otter. The birding is also excellent, with numerous large and colourful species like jabirú stork, toco toucan, chestnut-eared aracari, bare-faced curassow and several varieties of parrots and parakeets seen daily.
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Day 10:
Transfer to Araras
After breakfast we transfer by open-topped truck, 120 kilometres north back along the Transpantaneira to Araras Lodge. Here a mosaic of grassland, marsh, open water and forest provides a variety of habitats for an impressive array of species – all within a short walk of the lodge. Tonight there is a possibility of a night drive after supper.
Accommodation: Pousada Araras Eco Lodge, 3-nights
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Days 11-12
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Northern Pantanal – Araras
We have two full days to explore this private reserve and watch wildlife on foot – raised boardwalks lead through the wetlands into nearby deciduous forest, where canopy towers offer bird’s-eye views of the surrounding area. These are good places to look for black howler monkeys and tufted capuchins, and it is also possible to see black-tailed marmosets. Around the lodge are the nests of hyacinth macaws and large numbers of yacaré caiman and capybara.
There are also options to explore narrow forest-lined waterways by canoe, where encounters with giant otters, and birds like sunbitterns and belted kingfishers are possible. Day and night drives in an open safari truck allow us to explore areas further afield and drives in the dark along the Transpantaneira can be hugely productive.
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Day 13:
Transfer to Taiama Ecological Reserve
After breakfast we drive via Poconé, at the start of the Transpantaneira, to Cáceres, then across ranchland and through forest to the banks of the Paraguay River, close to Taiama Ecological Reserve. After lunch we take our first boat trip to look for jaguars and other wildlife.
Accommodation: Hotel Baiazinha, 3-nights
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Days 14-15
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Taiama Ecological Reserve
Two days of boat excursions on the Paraguay River allow us to explore the reserve and adjacent areas. This is one of the best (and most secluded) areas to see jaguar and other Pantanal wildlife. Although the experience is similar to that of the Cuiabá River, the density of jaguars is higher, and visitor numbers dramatically lower. Some cats have become tolerant and regular sighting are often possible.
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Day 16:
Transfer to Cuiabá, fly to São Paulo
This morning we transfer back to Cuiaba via Cáceres, in time to catch an afternoon flight to São Paulo.
Accommodation: Airport hotel, 1-night
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Day 17:
Depart São Paulo
Depart São Paulo on an overnight flight back to the UK.
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Day 18:
Arrive UK
Please note: This itinerary is based on current domestic schedules. Local airlines reserve the right to change these without notice, hence there is no guarantee that this will be the exact itinerary we will follow. Changes may be forced upon us, but every effort will be made to keep the final itinerary as faithful as possible to the one proposed.
