Join award-winning wildlife sculptor Nick Mackman on a unique art safari through Brazil’s Pantanal, that combines memorable wildlife encounters with expert sculpture tuition.
This exciting journey takes us deep into the Northern Pantanal, one of South America’s most rewarding wildlife destinations, in search of its most iconic species. With sculptor Nick Mackman’s guidance, we learn to observe and interpret these animals through an artist’s eye, appreciating the finer details that make each encounter unique and unforgettable.
Our adventure begins and ends at two remote lodges along the Transpantaneira, a famous road into the Pantanal renowned for the abundant wildlife that surrounds it. The lodges each offer excellent sightings of a range of wonderful species, including hyacinth macaw, capybara, caiman and, with luck, elusive ocelot and Brazilian tapir.
The heart of our tour is spent at a riverside hotel perfectly located for wildlife viewing, which becomes our creative base. Our time here allows us to explore the waterways of the renowned “Jaguar Zone”, aptly named due to its unrivalled sightings of these magnificent big cats. This region is also home to a magnificent array of other wildlife, including giant river otter, capybara, caiman, and a dazzling array of birds. Each day, exciting boat safaris are sure to offer endless inspiration for our artistic journey.
Between excursions, we enjoy art workshops back at our base, offering a unique setting to sculpt while surrounded by wildlife. During these sessions, Nick helps us to hone our skills, teaching us how to translate observations, sketches and designs into realistic, three-dimensional sculptures. By the end of our journey, we will have finessed our work and brought our pieces to life with the details that give them expression and movement, inspired by the real-life sightings we encounter in the Pantanal.
Typical Itinerary
-
Day 1:
Depart UK
-
Day 2:
Arrive Cuiabá & Transfer to Aymara Lodge
After landing in Cuiabá, we begin driving along the famous Transpantaneira, a gravel road stretching deep into the Northern Pantanal. As we travel, we can enjoy our first sightings of some of the Pantanal’s spectacular wildlife in the surrounding grasslands and wetlands, including capybara, yacaré caiman, and numerous striking wetland birds.
After lunch and some time to settle into our charming lodge, we head out to explore the surrounding forest trails or take our first canoe safari. As night falls, we have the option of a night safari, which may offer sightings of crab-eating fox or a beautiful ocelot.
Accommodation: Aymara Lodge, 2-nights
-
Day 3:
Wildlife Excursions From Aymara Lodge
Today we begin our immersion in the Pantanal, exploring the wildlife rich landscapes around our lodge through guided walks and boat safaris. With Nick’s support, we also start viewing the wildlife with a creative lens, seeking species that spark inspiration and lend themselves to sculpture.
Our lodge is surrounded by an impressive variety of habitats, each offering its own wildlife highlights. Along forest trails, we may encounter troops of Azara’s capuchin monkeys and, with luck, hear the resonant calls of the black and gold howler monkey. Birdlife is exquisite: blue-crowned motmot, chestnut-eared aracari, yellow-chevroned parakeet, and the iconic toco toucan are all likely sightings. A blue and yellow macaw is also a frequent visitor to the lodge’s feeders.
A peaceful canoe trip along one of the nearby rivers provides a fresh source of artistic inspiration. Here, elegant herons, vibrant kingfishers, and striking reptiles such as yacare caiman and green iguana inhabit the waterways.
After dark, we can venture out on a night drive along the Transpantaneira in search of elusive nocturnal wildlife, including crab eating raccoon, brocket deer, and possibly even tapir or ocelot.
-
Day 4:
Transfer to Porto Jofre
Today we travel deeper into the Pantanal along the Transpantaneira toward Porto Jofre, watching for new wildlife as we go. This road always delivers surprises, and we hope to encounter several species of raptor, marsh deer, and perhaps a herd of peccaries among many other possibilities.
Upon arriving in Porto Jofre and settling into our riverside hotel, we enjoy lunch in the company of the resident hyacinth macaws. We are now on the edge of what is locally known as the "Jaguar Zone", and this location provides an exceptional base for exploring the most jaguar-rich region of the Pantanal.
After settling in, we head out onto the river by motorboat to begin discovering the area, searching for jaguar, giant otter, and an extraordinary variety of other wildlife.
Accommodation: Hotel Pantanal Norte, 5-nights
-
Days 5-8
:
Daily Sculpture Workshops & Boat Safaris
We have four whole days to fully explore this remarkable region. Each day begins and ends on the water, with morning and late afternoon boat safaris, while our evenings (or lunchtimes) are dedicated to sculpting workshops inspired by the wildlife we’ve encountered.
The quiet riverbanks and forest edges here are prime jaguar territory. This area offers some of the highest quality and quantity of jaguar sightings anywhere in the world. Under Nick’s guidance, we have a rare opportunity to study the movements and expressions of these powerful predators, observations that can help us capture the fine details that bring our sculptures to life.
This part of the Pantanal is also rich with other wildlife. Families of giant river otters interacting, capybara grazing along the banks, and caiman lying in wait all provide compelling artistic subjects. With luck, we may also spot a Brazilian tapir cooling off in the water at dawn, encounter a solitary neotropical river otter, or catch a glimpse of a tayra patrolling the river’s edge. Birdlife is abundant and spectacular, with highlights such as black skimmer, maguari stork, turquoise-fronted Amazon, blue-crowned trogon, rufous-tailed jacamar, and a wide variety of raptors.
Between boat excursions and in the evenings, our artistic workshops take place. Our riverside hotel provides an inspiring setting for sculpting sessions led by Nick, accompanied by the sounds and atmosphere of the Northern Pantanal. Here, we learn the sculpting process from start to finish. Nick helps us translate our wildlife encounters into sketches and designs, eventually shaping them into finished sculptures. Her work is celebrated for its realism, expression, and sense of movement, and she guides us in identifying the subtle details that make a sculpture truly come alive. These sessions are relaxed, enjoyable, and a wonderful opportunity to connect with and be inspired by the wildlife surrounding us.
-
Day 9:
Transfer to Pousada Araras Eco Lodge
After our time exploring this extraordinary region, we make our way north back up the Transpantaneira to our final lodge at Araras.
This lodge is set in wonderfully biodiverse grounds, and this afternoon we can begin exploring, hoping to see wildlife such as Azara’s agouti, howler monkeys, rufescent tiger heron and, with luck, giant anteater.
Accommodation: Pousada Araras Eco Lodge, 2-nights
-
Day 10:
Explore Araras Reserve & Surrounding Area
Our final day in the Pantanal is spent exploring the private reserve surrounding Pousada Araras Eco Lodge. This diverse landscape supports an exceptional range of wildlife, and we can enjoy vehicle safaris, guided walks, and panoramic views from canopy towers.
As we wander the grounds on foot, we’re likely to be treated to close encounters with hyacinth macaws and toco toucans, two of the Pantanal’s most iconic birds, alongside striking species such as bare-faced curassow and chestnut-eared aracari.
Vehicle safaris allow us to venture farther into the reserve, where we have good chances of finding species typical of the savannah habitats, including greater rhea, burrowing owl, and brocket deer. With luck, we may even encounter a giant anteater or their smaller relative, the southern tamandua. We also hope to enjoy a final night drive, searching for nocturnal wildlife such as crab-eating fox, Brazilian tapir, and perhaps even an ocelot.
-
Day 11:
Transfer to Cuiabá & Depart
Today, after a final morning excursion, our adventure comes to an end as we transfer back to Cuiabá, but we hope for some final sightings of wildlife on the journey.
We arrive at Cuiabá airport in time for our flight back to Sao Paulo, then connect with our onward flight back to the UK.
-
Day 12:
Arrive in UK
Please note: While our daily art workshops will generally be scheduled to run over lunchtime (the warmest part of the day) and the evenings when it gets dark, they remain flexible to account for any wildlife sightings we may have. The timings may be adjusted on the day if we have a particularly exciting encounter.
