One of the top wildlife lodges in the Pantanal, Barranco Alto offers comfortable and relaxed accommodation in a traditional small fazenda. Wildlife is right on the doorstep, and the remote setting enables plenty of freedom with activities.
Set within the heart of the southern Pantanal in one of the most wildlife rich areas, the charming, Fazenda Barranco Alto has been owned and run by the Schweizer family since 1988, when Jorge Schweizer first purchased the land and began his studies on the giant otters that live in the Rio Negro next to the farm. The lodge is now looked after by Jorge and Evelyn Schweizer’s oldest daughter, Camilla Schweizer, and while the parts of the land are still farmed, the lodge has a strong emphasis on nature conservation, wildlife research, education and community engagement.
The lodge has just six ensuite rooms, keeping the experience small and intimate for its guests. Each room has air-conditioning, Wi-Fi and typical Pantanal décor. The welcoming main building houses the dining hall and kitchen, which features typical Brazilian cuisine, with much of the produce coming for the homemade meals coming from the farm. Soft drinks, local beer and delicious caipirinhas are included with wine available for an extra cost.
There are also plenty of hammocks under a shady mango tree, and a relaxed living area and small library to enjoy in between activities.
One of the highlights of a stay at Barranco Alto is the flexibility with activities and freedom to explore a huge tract of wilderness. There are options for game and night drives, boat trips, wildlife walks and horse riding. For some, a highlight is the option to venture along the Rio Negro in kayaks, where sightings of giant and neotropical otters, capybara, caiman and occasionally jaguars are even more intimate.
The grassy plains, seasonal lakes and galley forest surrounding the lodge are home to all the key wildlife of the Pantanal and includes abundant giant anteaters, tapirs, peccaries, rheas and macaws. Both jaguar and puma are also present, and seen most weeks.
The lodge is most easily accessed on a charter flight from either Aquidauana (thirty minutes) or Campo Grande (one hour), or it is a five to six-hour drive from Campo Grande, with the potential to spot wildlife throughout the journey.
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