Pantanal

The Pantanal is the world’s largest wetland and it is simply a wildlife lover’s paradise! It is less known than the Amazon but if you want to get up close to a plethora of species and want to see them in their natural habitat, here is where you should be heading! Hundreds of bird species including the hyacinth macaw and toucans, capuchin and howler monkeys, giant river otters, capybaras, anteaters and jaguars to mention a few. The WWF reports that the Pantanal is home to about 4,700 species, including 3,500 plants, 650 birds, 124 mammals, 80 reptiles, 60 amphibians, and 260 freshwater fish species. It’s a vast array of wildlife, some of which are at risk of extinction.

According to the SOS Pantanal Institute, the Pantanal is considered an Ecotone (a complex of ecosystems) as it is a convergence zone between five biomes: the Cerrado, Chaco, Amazon, Atlantic Forest, and Chiquitano Dry Forest. UNESCO has recognized the Pantanal as a World Natural Heritage site and a Biosphere Reserve, due to its ecological significance.

Accommodation consists of lodges that offer full board with excursions. Some can be quite remote so transfer times between the two main airports, Cuiabá for the North Pantanal and Campo Grande for the South Pantanal, can be quite long but definitely worth it!

Cuiabá is also the gateway to the stunning Chapada dos Guimarães. You can travel here by land and spend a night or more to enjoy dramatic landscape of waterfalls and cliffs.  In the state of Mato Grosso you can also opt for a stay in Alta Floresta. This destination is only reachable via Cuiabá , thus making it ideal to combine with the Pantanal. Cristalino Lodge is the most famous lodge here. Set in a private reserve, it is a luxury accommodation at the forefront of environmental preservation and it enjoys a privileged location in an area where the Pantanal meets the Amazon, thus creating a unique ecosystem with a plethora of flora and fauna species. 

Besides offering some of the best lodges in the Pantanal region, like Caiman Ecological Refuge, Campo Grande is also the gateway to Bonito. a town and ecotourism destination surrounded by outstanding natural beauty, Here you will find caves with lakes and amazing stalactite formations, stunning waterfalls and clear rivers surrounded by lush forest where you can swim with with hundreds of fish!

With so many options, the state of Mato Grosso should definitely not be overlooked and is a must if you are a nature lover!