Jaguar Watching Holidays

The largest of South America's big cats, jaguars form a single species that once roamed from the southern tip of the continent as far north as the United States and Mexico border. 

Today, however, the jaguar is found only in remote regions of South and Central America – particularly the Amazon Basin, the Pantanal in Brazil, Los Llanos in Colombia and the jungles of Guyana. 

About Jaguar

The jaguar (Panthera onca) is a powerful carnivore that figured prominently in many native cultures. Unlike many cats, jaguars do not avoid water but are good swimmers. Rivers provide prey such as fish, turtles and caiman, but they also hunt deer, peccaries, capybaras and tapirs, sometimes climbing trees to prepare an ambush and killing their prey with one powerful bite.

Most are tan or orange with distinctive black rosettes, but some are so dark they appear to have no markings, although closer inspection invariably reveals otherwise. They live alone and mark their territories by defecating or clawing trees. Females have litters of one to four cubs, which are born blind and helpless but learn to hunt during the two years or so they spend with their mother.

Our jaguar trips are designed to give you the very best jaguar watching experiences and take you to the best places in the world to see these majestic animals.  

You can join a group trip or we can tailor-make a jaguar watching itinerary to suit your exact requirements, just get in touch with one of our experts to arrange your perfect jaguar tour. 

Best places to see Jaguar

Brazil’s famed Pantanal wetland provides the perfect habitat for jaguars, here you can explore the maze of channels and seek out these amazing creatures whilst staying on a river boat, or stay in lodges and explore on daily excursions to see jaguar and the wealth of other wildlife.

You can also search for jaguar on our group trips to the Pantanal. Our Wildlife of the Pantanal itinerary explores the North Pantanal – arguably the best place in the world to see jaguars in the wild and provides a unique experience as most jaguar watching is from boats. Our Wildlife of the North & South Pantanal group trip offers fantastic jaguar watching opportunities in both locations and also spends a few days in the Southern Pantanal where you can go on vehicle safaris to see jaguars and search for giant anteaters.

We also offer a range of jaguar photography trips – join Ben Sutcliffe on our Brazil's Big Five Photo Safari and photograph jaguar, capybara and a wealth of birds and other wildlife. Or join Nick Garbutt on our North & South Pantanal Wildlife Photography trip which combines both regions of the Pantanal.

For a different jaguar experience, away from the crowds, our Colombia jaguar itinerary explores the Llanos wetlands and offers good opportunities to see jaguars on dedicated safaris. Similarly, our Best of the South Pantanal holiday explores the remotest parts of this huge wetland, where exclusive sightings of jaguars are possible on the Rio Negro.