Why the Pantanal is a must-visit for a luxury wildlife safari
Home to an impressive range of wildlife, including jaguars, anteaters, anacondas, giant otters and over 650 bird species, it is a remote region and often difficult to access, particularly during the rainy season from December to March. With few paved roads, exploring is typically done on horseback, in a 4×4 or by canoe.
Much of the land remains uninhabited, with cattle ranching taking up around half of it. You can join the local Pantanal cowboys, known as vaqueiros, to herd cattle and sharpen your lassoing skills, or venture out on foot or by boat in search of anacondas, exotic birds and the shy jaguar. The true spirit of the Pantanal can be experienced by staying at one of our carefully chosen lodges, each offering their own individual experience.
"The true spirit of the Pantanal can be experienced by staying at one of our carefully chosen lodges, each offering their own individual experience."
Where to stay on a holiday in the Pantanal
Luxury eco-lodges and conservation in the southern Pantanal
In the southern Pantanal, Caiman Ecological Refuge, one of the more accessible lodges for a luxury Brazil holiday, is about four hours by car from the nearest airport, Campo Grande. Originally a cattle ranch founded in 1912, it is currently the most luxurious option anywhere in the Pantanal.
Expert cowboys and guides help you spot rare wildlife on the ranch, and you can also fish for giant dorados while spotting tapirs and capybaras nearby. Caiman partners with local conservation foundation Onçafari, who is doing incredible work monitoring jaguar populations, reducing human-jaguar conflict, and restoring natural habitats. We can arrange for you to spend a day out on patrol with the rangers – an experience not to be missed.
Deeper within the Southern Pantanal, Fazenda Barranco Alto is an intimate eco-lodge with just six rooms, hosted by the fantastic Leuzinger family who will take you out exploring the land on horseback or discovering vaqueiro traditions. Rise early and catch otters fishing for their next meal, admire brilliantly coloured macaws swooping from the treetops or head out for a night safari followed by stargazing through the lodge’s telescope. Accessible only by plane in the wetter summer months (December to March), during the dry season Barranco Alto is a six-hour off-road drive from Campo Grande.
Untamed adventure in the northern Pantanal
The northern Pantanal is generally more remote and less developed than its southern counterpart, and is arguably the best place on Earth to see wild jaguar. The area around Porto Jofre is particularly strong, and here you can stay on a luxury river houseboat, heading out each day by motorboat to cruise along the banks, often the best place to spot a resting jaguar. One of the highlights of the northern Pantanal is the Transpantaneira Highway, a 90-mile stretch of unpaved road that cuts through the heart of the Pantanal and provides some of the best wildlife viewing opportunities.
Thanks to its better-developed infrastructure, the Southern Pantanal is a great choice for families and first-time visitors, but if you prefer a rawer and wilder experience, the northern Pantanal is unbeatable.
