Pantanal & Jaguars

Arrival in Sao Paulo, transfer to Hotel Hampton for overnight stay.

Early arrival at Campo Grande Cumbres homestead around 9:00am, being met by our local guide at the homestead. We drive by van or minibus to Aguape Lodge (4hrs), with stops to see mammals and and birds along the way.

Enjoy lunch at Aguape Lodge and, after checking into our rooms, we spend time birding around the lodge until the end of the day, looking for birds such the Chaco Chachalaca, Hyacinth Macaw, Blue-fronted Parrot, Nanday Parakeet, Toco Toucan, Lineated and White Woodpeckers, Narrow-Billed Woodcreeper, Greater Thornbird, Giant Cowbird, Crested Oropendola, Purplish and Plush-crested Jays, Red-crested Cardinal, and many others.

Enjoy dinner at Aguape Lodge before your night sleep.

Today will take you on a safari. On this, you can find Southern Screamer, Blaze-winged Parakeet, Gilded Hummingbird, Toco Toucan, Pale-crested and White-fronted Woodpecker, Red-billed Scythebill, Helmeted Manakin, and the Scarlet-headed Blackbird. Both days, after an early breakfast, we embark on a safari drive with good chances to see the Undulated Tinamou, Capped Heron, Jabiru, Savanna Hawk, Rufescent Tiger Heron, Buff necked and Plumbeous Ibises, Roseate Spoonbill, Hyacinth and Yellow-collared Macaw, Redbilled Scythebill, Orange backed Troupial, and many others. After lunch back at the lodge, we enjoy a siesta in the hot part of the day, and then we make another safari drive until the end of the day, returning in the dark with chances to see mammals like the Crab-eating Fox, South American Coati, Capybara, Marsh Deer, Southern Tamandua, Crab-eating Raccoon, River Otter, and night birds such as Common and Great Potoo, Spectacled and Striped Owl, Pauraque and Scissor-tailed Nightjar.

Accommodations at Aguapé Lodge.

After breakfast, we take a bird walk to hopefully spot birds such as Great Rufous Woodcreeper, Blaze-winged Parakeet, Black-crowned Tityra, Chestnut-eared Aracari, and Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl. We will also enjoy a motorboat excursion on the Aquidauana River. On this river you can spot a family of Giant River Otters and special birds like Black collared Hawk, five species of kingfisher, Rufous-tailed Jacamar and Blue-throated Piping Guan.

After an early lunch at the lodge we drive back to Campo Grande, check in to the hotel, and then enjoy a short visit to the “nesterar“, a place where a nice concentration of macaws and herons nest near the city.

Accommodations in Mohave Hotel

After an early domestic flight to Cuiabá we begin the second (northern) half of our Pantanal adventure! Driving south, we reach the famed Pantanal via a paved road to Poconé. Along the way to our lodge, we might see Ringed Kingfisher, Red-crested Cardinal, Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture, Toco Toucan, Jabiru, Limpkin, our Capybaras and Yacaré Caiman.

Accommodations at lodge Pousada Piuval.

Enjoy a rich early morning breakfast and then get ready to enjoy a full day wildlife viewing along the Transpantaneira. Keep an eye out around the lodge for Red Brocket Deer, Marsh Deer, Crabeating Fox, Greater Rhea, Chestnutbellied Guan, Bare-faced Curassow, and a mix of wading birds. Bridges are hotspots from which we can view the presence of a huge food supply; Green Kingfisher, Great Egret, Cocoi Heron, both Bare-faced and Green Ibises, and White-lored Spinetail are just a few species we may see.

Overnight in Pousada Piuval.

After some morning wildlife viewing at the ranch, we depart down the Transpantaneira river, looking to the roadside ponds and canals, filled with waders such as Roseate Spoonbill, Plumbeous Ibis, Limpkin, cormorants, herons, kingfishers, and their predator, Yacaré Caiman. At Porto Jofre, the “end of the road,” palms attract several resident pairs of Hyacinth Macaw.

Overnight in a hotel or flotel, subject to availability.

Awake on the river to a host of sounds and the sight of macaws and more flying overhead. We use smaller speedboats to spend the day searching for the iconic Jaguar, known for their affinity to water. They are good swimmers, and often lay down along the shore after a swim. Chances are good that we see at least one individual, male or female – perhaps even together! We lunch on board, take a short siesta and try for Jaguar again in the afternoon. Wildlife is plentiful in this remote part of the Pantanal, so once we accomplish the main task we have time to admire other species like Giant Otter, Black Skimmer, Pied Plover, Southern Screamer, and Yacaré Caiman. We also visit little streams for skulkers like Pygmy Kingfisher and Sungrebe. By late afternoon we return to our welcoming houseboat. We celebrate our sightings with caipirinhas before dinner.

Overnight in hotel or flotel (subject to availability).

After two days immersed in the wildest part of the Pantanal, we return north, retracing our route. On the way we find a troop of Black-and-Gold Howler Monkeys, Chestnut-eared Aracari, Snail Kite, Rusty backed Antwren, Common Tody Flycatcher, White-browed Blackbird, and others species as we drive to our next lodge. Watch out for Cream-colored Woodpecker, Ashy-headed Greenlet, Short-crested Flycatcher, Mato Grosso Antbird, Great Antshrike, and Purple-throated Euphonia. Near water we find Whistling and Capped Herons, Pygmy and Ringed King. Once we arrive at the Mato Grosso Hotel on the Rio Pixaim, we settle in and check the feeders for brilliant-colored troupials, Palm, Silver, and Sayaca Tanagers, and Redcrested Cardinal.

Overnight at Mato Grosso Hotel on the Rio Paxaim.

This morning, pending what we still need to see, we can do a safari drive, or we can take a small boat ride on the Pixaim River to spot secretive species like Agami and Zig-Zag Heron. This is a good spot for Giant Otters and, with luck and some searching, a Tapir.

Today we look for Black-capped Donacobious, Greenand rufous Kingfisher, Little Blue Heron, and other species like some very impressive iguanas, we may have the opportunity to spot some special birds like Helmeted Manakin, Mato Grosso Antbird, Band-tailed Antbird, Black-hooded Tanager, Blue-crowned Trogon, and more. Dinner finds us sampling authentic Grosso cuisine, including legendary piranha and local beef.

Overnight at the Mato Grosso Hotel, on the Pixaim River.

Today, we make our way back to Cuiabá, the paved road is perhaps a welcome sight as we bid adieu to the Pantanal. Upon arrival at the Cuiaba airport, with flights organised back to Sao Paulo, services end.