Nature and Wildlife
Brazil is home to 60% of the Amazon Rainforest, which accounts for approximately one-tenth of all species in the world. Brazil is considered to have the greatest biodiversity of any country on the planet. It has the most known species of plants, freshwater fish and mammals. However, contrary to what most people think, the rainforest is not the best place for animal-spotting. If animals are your thing, don't miss the Pantanal. The incredible Lençóis Maranhenses and the world-famous Iguaçu Falls complete the list of nature spots not to be missed!
The Amazon
No need for introductions here, right? The Amazon basin is a marvel of the world and the imagination, an ecosystem of unrivalled size and diversity, and a place of near mythical status among travellers. The Amazon River has more water than the next eight largest rivers combined, and is twice the area of India, and the basin spans eight countries. It’s a life spring of the planet, the source of so much of the air, water and weather we all depend on.
However, unreasonable travel expectations – like seeing jaguars and semi-clothed Indians around every bend – can be a recipe for disappointment. For all its size, the joys of the Amazon are mostly subtle: the ghostly roar of howler monkeys, the remarkable variety of plant life, the kindliness of riverside communities and the quiet but awesome power of the river itself.
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You can experience the Amazon either from a jungle lodge of from Manaus itself. Manaus is a huge metropolis in the heart of the rainforest, with many options of hotels, tour operators and boat rides. Don't miss the meeting of the waters of Rio Negro and Solimoes and tours to see the amazon pink dolphin and the night crocodiles. Visiting indigenous villages is somewhat of a weird fake disney-like experience, but interesting nonetheless. Altough with direct connections with the south of the country. As single tours can be very expensive, staying in an all inclusive jungle lodge may be cheaper - but still expensive. If you really want to explore, you can head north from Manaus to Presidente Figueiredo for close encouters with Amazon animals (otherwise very hard to spot as the forest is incredibly dense) or Jau National Park for a full jungle experience. Another top stop in the Mamirauá Reserve, one of the best ecotourism options. If you are really adventurous, you can hike the highest mountains of Brazil in the Pico da Neblina national park - yes, the highest mountains (3000m) are in the middle of the rainforest! Manaus has no direct connections to Maceio or Recife. Expect to take from 6 - 8 for the whole journey. However, flights within the Amazon region from and to Manaus.
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The Pantanal
The Amazon gets the press coverage, but the Pantanal is a better place to see wildlife. The dense foliage of the Amazon makes it difficult to observe the animals, but in the open marshes of the Pantanal, wildlife is much easier to spot. If you like to see animals in their natural environment, this is where you should come!
The Pantanal UNESCO Biosphere Reserve is the world’s largest freshwater and is the best place in South America for spotting wild animals, and one of the best places in the world to see birds. Capybaras, anacondas, peccarys, giant otters, hyacinth macaws, and ocelot are common sights and it is even possible to see that the most elusive of South American mammals, the onça pintada.
Depending on the guide you hire, you can expect to see a variety of different animals. Unlike many other biologically intense areas, in the Pantanal you are virtually guaranteed to actually see the wildlife. There are close to 10 million Yacare Caiman present within the Pantanal and during the Dry Season every bridge crossing on the Transpantaneira is surrounded by hundreds or even thousands of Caimans basking or fighting for space in the ever dwindling lagoons. Capybara, like the Caiman, are also present in the millions and are likely to be encountered every few seconds while driving. The Pantanal is also home to a variety of birds (including the endangered Hyacinth Macaw, which is easily spotted.) Other mammals are slightly harder to spot, but still much easier than in the Amazon. On a boat ride through the river you are likely to spot the endangered Giant River Otter and Red-bellied Piranha (the Otter's favorite meal). |
With the right guide and a couple of days on the river the chances of spotting a Jaguar (or perhaps even more than one) are actually very high.
The Pantanal is the best place in all of the Americas to spot a Jaguar in the wild, given the relatively small amount of thick rain forest cover. Pantanal is a huge area and very hard to explore independently. We definitely recommend that you book a wildlife tour and stay at a farm lodge. There are two main gateways to Pantal, Cuiaba in the north and Campo Grande in the south, both with good flight connections with the rest of the country. If you go via Cuiaba, you can add the Chapada dos Guimaraes national park, which offer many great hiking opportunities to your trip. However, we recommend that you go through Campo Grande and organise the second leg of your Pantanal journey in the Bonito area. In Bonito you can add a little touch of adventure to the trip. In the middle of the jungle, crystal-clear water rivers, caves and waterfalls. Instead of boring you with a description, just take a look at the pictures below. |
There are daily flights and buses to Campo Grande and Cuiabá which are considered gateway cities for the Pantanal. Campo Grande for the southern Pantanal and Cuiabá for the north.
For those heading into the Southern Pantanal from Campo Grande you can take a taxi from the airport to the rodoviaria (bus terminal). From the bus terminal you take the Andorinha or Expresso Mato Grosso bus to the gateway city of Miranda. From here almost all ranches, fazendas and lodges will organise a pick-up service to bring you to your accommodation. The journey is approximately 3 hours and prices are in the range of R$ 37 to R$ 43.
Lodges on "fazendas" are the best way to experience the real Pantanal. Several of the traditional cattle stations, called fazendas, nowadays accommodate guests in their lodges and show them what makes the Pantanal a special place. Many of these lodges take only a few guests, making your stay a unforgetable experience.
For those heading into the Southern Pantanal from Campo Grande you can take a taxi from the airport to the rodoviaria (bus terminal). From the bus terminal you take the Andorinha or Expresso Mato Grosso bus to the gateway city of Miranda. From here almost all ranches, fazendas and lodges will organise a pick-up service to bring you to your accommodation. The journey is approximately 3 hours and prices are in the range of R$ 37 to R$ 43.
Lodges on "fazendas" are the best way to experience the real Pantanal. Several of the traditional cattle stations, called fazendas, nowadays accommodate guests in their lodges and show them what makes the Pantanal a special place. Many of these lodges take only a few guests, making your stay a unforgetable experience.
Lençóis MaranhensesThe name of this 1550-sq-km national park refers to its immense expanses of dunes, which look like lençóis (bed sheets) strewn across the landscape and stretch 70km along the coast and up to 25km inland. Halfway between São Luís and the Piauí border, it is a spectacularly unique place, especially from about March to September when rain that has filtered through the sand forms thousands of crystal-clear pools and lakes between the dunes. The lagoons are at their best in July and August. The park also includes beaches, mangroves, lagoons and some interesting fauna, especially turtles and migratory birds.
The main base for visiting the park is the not particularly charming town of Barreirinhas on the Rio Preguiças near the park's southeast corner, 260km from São Luís. |
Iguaçu FallsThere are few more impressive sights on the planet than this majestic array of cascades on the border of Argentina and Brazil. A total of 275 individual falls occupy an area more than 3km wide and 80m high, which makes them wider than Victoria, higher than Niagara and more beautiful than either. Set in luxurious tropical jungle, the falls are accessible, but provide a primal thrill that will never be forgotten.
The Argentine side, with its variety of trails and boat rides, offers opportunities to see individual falls close up, while the Brazilian side yields the more panoramic views. Go to both! You can easily make day trips to both sides of the falls (but check the latest border-crossing requirements first).
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