Jaguars of Pantanal – Brazil
Duration
5 Days
Tour Type
Wonderful Extensions
Group Size
2 People
Departures
Fixed Date
Overview
PANTANAL is the largest floodplain of the planet, and UNESCO declares the place as World Heritage and Biosphere Reserve, the true wildlife sanctuary of South America.
Located the center of the continent, with an area of approximately 150.000 km², Pantanal consists of a transition area, containing elements of Cerrado, the Amazon and Atlantic forests, of Paraguayan Chaco and Caatinga. Such fantastic biodiversity includes approximately: 698 species of birds, 80 species of mammals, 26 of fish and 50 of reptiles.
* This program is also available on a 4 days / 3 nights package.
* The Jaguar Express is only available from 15th June to 15th November.
Day 1: Arrival and Photo Safari
Day 2: Canoeing and Trekking
Day 3: Horseback Riding and Trekking
Day 4: Jaguar Express
Day 5: Departure
Tour Highlights
Photo Safari: Explore the Transpantaneira Park Road, spotting diverse wildlife and stunning landscapes.
Canoeing Adventure: Paddle through rivers, encounter giant river otters, and fish for piranhas.
Horseback Riding: Ride through the unique Pantanal landscape on docile Pantaneiro horses.
Jaguar Express: Embark on a thrilling boat safari to spot the elusive jaguar.
Observation Towers: Climb high observation towers for panoramic views and bird watching.
Itinerary
Meeting and greeting at Cuiaba airport. After a briefing on your trip, departure at 13h20 or 17h00, depending on your flight schedule.
This transfer is divided into two different stages. The first is a journey on a paved road along farms and cattle ranches. After reaching Poconé – we take the Transpantaneira Park Road at km “0” (108 km / 67.1 mi. from Cuiaba). This is a park road at its best, allowing us to drive above the water level, watching the flora and fauna of the Pantanal ecosystem – a photo safari along 146 km of dirt road with several stops along the way for photos and information.
Welcome drink on arrival and accommodation.
Later, the guide will lead you into an introductory walk through the surroundings of the lodge, explaining our concepts and many conservation projects. Continue to the Great Egret Lookout, a 12 m / 39 ft. high observation tower.
After dinner, night walk under the Southern Hemisphere sky.
After breakfast, take a photo safari through private dirt roads towards the Clarinho River.
Reaching its banks, board a canoe and paddle down the river, exploring the forest that grows by the riverbanks and mangroves. Here lives a colony of “ariranhas” – giant river otters. With some luck, you may spot a family playing with their babies and teaching them how to swim and fish. Chance of fishing the elusive piranha, not an easy task, but fun. Enjoy a barbecue lunch under the shadow of the trees (*). Hammocks available to enjoy a “siesta”.
Return to the Lodge in time for the afternoon tea.
Later on, trek the Howler Monkey trail to the Howler Monkey Tower, our highest observation point – 25 m high -, for a magnificent view of the sunset.
After dinner, join a night drive in search of nocturnal animals.
(*) If the Sentinela Camp is not accessible (depending on the weather and terrain conditions), this canoeing tour will take place on the Corixo River. In that case, we will return to the lodge for lunch.
After breakfast, enjoy a horseback ride, which will allow you to explore the diversity of the Pantanal landscape including some flooded areas of the Pantanal plain.
The Pantaneiro horse are docile and has adapted, through the centuries, to eat with its nose underwater. In this region, the horse is the Pantaneiros’ best friend, a daily companion during work and leisure.
Return to the lodge for lunch.
In the afternoon, trek the Rondon Trail towards the 13 m high Jabiru Stork Tower, where you can watch a Jabiru Stork nest.
Return to Araras Eco Lodge for dinner and overnight.
After breakfast, departure towards Cuiabá River at the end of Transpantaneira, 115km that will take approximately 2h30.
Join one of our boats for a 6 hours safari looking for the elusive and admired Jaguar. We will be exploring Cuiabá river, Piquiri, Three brothers riverbanks, bays and channels. The jaguar is the 3rd biggest feline in the world, and the unique that bite its pray in the skull, paralyzing it instantly.
Our lunch will be a lunchbox with fruits and sandwiches prepared by the Lodge cuisine, in order not to miss an unique chance of meeting this magnificent predator.
Return to Jofre region around 17h00.
Board our safari vehicle back to the lodge, arriving for dinner.
Early rising, to witness the awakening of the Pantanal at dawn.
Breakfast and departure at 7h30 or 12h30 to Cuiaba, with stops along the Transpantaneira Park Road for photos and a last glimpse of this unique ecosystem.
Hotels & Lodges
NOTES
Araras Eco Lodge offers 19 comfortable air conditioned rooms, windows with mosquito netting, ceiling fan and private bathrooms. Excellent regional food, bar, swimming pool with covered deck, large verandas with hammocks.
The order of the activities may be modified according to the program at the lodge and weather or terrain conditions. The Araras Pantanal Eco Lodge team commitment is for a full enjoyment of the Pantanal Flood Plains, making it an unforgettable stay.
What is the best time to visit the Pantanal?
There is no better or worse period to visit the Pantanal. Each season has its own beauty. It also depends on what you want to see and do. If you come in the rain season (November – April) the vegetation is exuberant and the clear and clean water flows a large part of the land. In the dry season, the birds are breeding and caimans join together. For further information read Pantanal seasons on the Pantanal page.
For jaguar tours you’ll have the best chance of seeing jaguars from mid June up to and including October.
Itinerary Map
Included/Excluded
What’s included:
- Lodge accommodation for 4 nights
- Daily buffet breakfast, 3 lunches and 3 dinners
- All transfers, touring and sightseeing via shared services
- Activities as listed in the itinerary
- Hotel taxes and service charges
- Shared activities as per program with naturalist English speaking guide for max. 8 guests.
What’s not included:
- Round trip flights to and out of Cuiaba airport.
- Beverages, personal expenses, activities outside the lodge, and other items not mentioned above are not included.
