Azulbahia - Quality Travel

BRAZIL'S EXCLUSIVE QUALITY TRAVEL SPECIALIST
Declared by UNESCO as a World Biosphere Reserve and a Natural Patrimony of Mankind,
the Pantanal is the world’s largest wetland area and without doubt the hotspot for wildlife
watching in Brazil. Its biodiversity includes over 650 different bird species, 262 fish species,
1,100 butterfly species, 80 species of mammals, 50 reptile species and more than 1,700
species of plants, thus making the Pantanal the place with the largest concentration of
fauna of the Americas. Alligators, Capybaras, Brazilian otters, monkeys, blue macaws,
macaws, herons, cormorants, ibises, curassows, parakeets, parrots, toucans, and wood
ibises are an integrating part of the Pantanal landscape.

The Pantanal is roughly divided into two parts: The South and North. Apart from ecological
nuances the main distinction is the gateway to access the Pantanal In the case of the North
it is Cuiabá, in the South it is Campo Grande.

The best time to visit is from May to September, when the waters begin to go down,
making it easier to observe the fauna. During the rainy season, between October and
February, the region is plagued by mosquitoes, the heat is intense and the
Transpantaneira Highway totally impassable.

SOUTH PANTANAL
In the South Pantanal, the most prominent site is the Pantanal Park Road. It is possible to
observe countless wild animals along the way, such as alligators, capybaras, macaws,
wood ibises, caracaras, deer and anacondas. The Paraguay River is the Pantanal’s back-
bone. It cuts through the region from North to South. The Miranda, Aquidauna, Taquari
and Cuiabá rivers flow into the Paraguay River.

Our choice for South Pantanal is one one of the pioneer lodges in Ecotourism in the South
Pantanal, located inside a vast cattle ranch and headquarters of Blue Macaw Project,
dedicated to preserving this beautiful creature, with almost 6,000 hectares of preservation
area. Accompanied by naturalist guides, day and night animal spotting outings and activities
include canoeing, light trekking, horse back riding and photo safaris with specially adapted
trucks. Horse back riding is one of the best ways to explore the Pantanal, allowing for visits
to flooded areas, which are inaccessible by other means, where the water is too deep for
motorized vehicles or too shallow for boats. These horses are trained for inexperienced
riders, making it easy for everyone to observe different environments in the Pantanal. On
the Canadian canoe tours on the lakes, mammals such as capybaras and monkeys can
be seen on shore. The birds that commonly inhabit the area are: cormorants, anhingas,
skimmers, herons and egrets. The highlight is the night safari, when most of the mammals,
which are mostly nocturnal, are spotted.

Further south, the small town of Bonito is famous for its underwater attractions. The crystal
clear rivers of the region are like natural aquariums. While floating downriver you can come
into close contact with many species of fish, including the great Dourado and the beautiful
Pacu.

Minimum stay: 3 / 5 days.
Closest international airport: Sao Paulo / Rio de Janeiro	
Closest national airport: Campo Grande

NORTH PANTANAL
To the North, there are the Paracis, Azul and Roncador mountains. This is a privileged
region, concentrating all types of landscapes that constitute the Pantanal ecosystem.
The natural beauty and the rich biodiversity of this part of the Pantanal are exceptional
due to the variety of its landscape formed by hills savannas, lakes and huge flooded areas,
some of which temporary and other permanent. 

With minimal environmental impact, the selected lodge in North Pantanal is one of the
most traditional in the area and it is located between the great lakes of Siá Mariana and 
Chacorore.  With over 15 kilometers of extension, the Chacororé bay is almost double
the size of the Guanabara Bay in Rio de Janeiro. Even though the rhythm of drought and
flooding periods have a great influence over life at the Pantanal, at this lodge one can find,
at any time of the year a great variety of landscapes with different ecosystems and a huge 
biodiversity. 

Horseback riding through dense forests, crossing small rivers and flooded areas, canoe
trips through the wetlands, departures at dawn in order to enjoy the sunrise and see
night active animals in the Pantanal, boat or jeep safaris and excursions covering over
50 km of total nature immersion in order to observe the local fauna and flora, v isits to
a riverside community of fishermen at the Cuiabá river, motor boat trips through the bays
and small rivers with stops to enjoy the sunset and the famous piranha fishing, photo-
graphic safaris through the river...

Minimum stay: 6 days.
Closest international airport: Sao Paulo / Rio de Janeiro	
Closest national airport: Cuiabá
Please contact us for more details or to customize a trip for you at: azulbahia@azulbahia.com
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