Animal Dreams in the Wet, Wet West

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Outside Magazine June 2003

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The Pantanal
Animal Dreams in the Wet, Wet West
Access & Resources

By Christopher Cox

FORGET THE AMAZON, the Darién, even Patagonia—the Pantanal, centered mostly in Brazil but edging into Bolivia and Paraguay, is the best spot in South America to view wildlife. The dry season (May through October) finds the Pantanal at its most pleasant: no flooding, cool temperatures, and big beasts such as tapirs, capybaras, and caimans clustered around water holes. The rainy season (November through April) attracts birders who come to feather their life lists with sightings of the hyacinth macaw, the crested caracara, and the turkeylike southern screamer. Bear in mind, however, that much of the swamp will be flooded, the roads will be a quagmire, and the mosquitoes, known affectionately as "the Bolivian Air Force," will be relentless.

LODGING The FAZENDA RIO NEGRO (011-55-67-326-0002, www.fazendarionegro.com.br) is open year-round. Lodging, all meals, and guided activities cost $130 per day per adult. The fare for children under 12 is $84 per day. The comfortable, if basic, accommodations range from suites in the main house to a five-room guest house. All rooms have private baths and air-conditioning.

Travel Resources

For more outfitted trips in Brazil and a complete list of adventure resources, click here.

EARTHWATCH INSTITUTE (800-776-0188, www.earthwatch.org) needs Fazenda Rio Negro-based volunteers to help scientists study jaguars and giant otters.

Several other fazendas in the southern Pantanal offer a similar mix of adventures. An oasis about 100 miles north of the Rio Negro, POUSADA CAMPO NETA (011-55-67-382-2068, www.ecopan.com.br) is best accessed by plane, and is affiliated with the Wildlife Conservation Society.

An easy 22-mile drive north from the Campo Grande-Corumbá highway, the REFÚGIO ECOLÓGICO CAIMAN (011-55-11-3079-6622, www.caiman.com.br) has four lodges on its 130,000-acre property.

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