Best of Wild Brazil: Pantanal to the Amazon
Brazil contains more biodiversity than any other country on Earth, harboring ecosystems that range from tropical wetlands to vast savannas and dense rainforests. This itinerary takes you through three of the world’s most important biomes: the Cerrado’s ancient grasslands, the Pantanal’s seasonal floodplains, and the Amazon’s towering forests. You’ll track jaguars in multiple environments, search for the otherworldly maned wolf, and experience the Amazon far from the crowds of Manaus.
This is Brazil for the serious wildlife enthusiast–an extended journey through some of the wildest places in the Americas.
This is Brazil for the serious wildlife enthusiast–an extended journey through some of the wildest places in the Americas. We’ve selected some of our favorite luxury lodges, with more adventurous hotels mixed in for the best experience.
International flights from the United States to Rio de Janeiro or São Paulo often arrive in the morning, providing a natural pause before diving into Brazil’s remote wilderness. We strongly recommend spending two or three nights in one of Brazil’s great cities to combat jet lag and experience Brazilian culture before your wildlife adventure begins. Rio, in particular, offers an intoxicating introduction to the country if your flight routing allows.
Check out of your hotel in the morning for your flight to Brasilia, Brazil’s modernist capital. Upon arrival, you’ll either take a five-hour ground transfer or a one-hour private air charter to reach Pousada Trijunção, depending on your preference for cost versus time. The journey itself offers your first glimpse of the Cerrado. This vast tropical savanna once covered nearly a quarter of Brazil, but now exists primarily in protected fragments. The Cerrado may lack the fame of the Amazon rainforest, but it’s one of the world’s most biodiverse savannas and home to species found nowhere else on Earth.
Pousada Trijunção sits in the heart of one of these precious remnants, surrounded by rolling hills, ancient plateaus, pristine rivers, and a network of walking trails. The location is extraordinary: positioned at the exact intersection where three Brazilian states meet—Bahia, Goiás, and Minas Gerais—this unique geographic position creates an unusually diverse ecosystem and, as you’ll discover, exceptional regional cuisine that blends culinary traditions from multiple states.
The Cerrado’s most iconic resident is the maned wolf, a Dalí-esque creature that looks more like a fox on stilts than a traditional wolf.
The intimate property features just seven suites designed to blend seamlessly with the surrounding landscape, creating an exclusive yet relaxed atmosphere. The lodge’s Long Run certification reflects a deep commitment to conservation in this threatened ecosystem.
The Cerrado reveals its wildlife treasures to patient observers. Giant anteaters roam the grasslands in broad daylight, while troops of monkeys navigate the gallery forests along the rivers. Capybaras, the world’s largest rodents, congregate near water sources, and the region’s incredible bird diversity includes species found nowhere else in Brazil. But the Cerrado’s most iconic resident is the maned wolf, a Dalí-esque creature that looks more like a fox on stilts than a traditional wolf. These remarkable animals are most active at dusk and dawn, and lucky visitors might encounter one during the lodge’s carefully planned wildlife excursions.
Pousada Trijunção’s remote location occasionally rewards guests with jaguar sightings during night safaris—a rare treat this far from the cats’ traditional wetland habitats. Days here balance active exploration with contemplative wildlife watching. You might spend a morning riding fat bikes through the savanna, paddle kayaks in the mirror-like waters of Lagoa das Araras, or take extended nature walks along the three-mile Sussuarana trail, where the interplay between grassland and forest creates ideal conditions for wildlife observation.
Your morning departure marks the transition from the Cerrado’s ancient savannas to the Pantanal’s seasonal wetlands. The flight to Cuiabá is relatively short, but given the subsequent five-hour ground transfer to reach the heart of the Pantanal, most spend a night in Cuiabá to rest before the next phase of the journey. For those seeking to maximize their time in the wilderness, a one-hour private air charter from Trijunção directly to Brasilia Airport allows for earlier arrival in Cuiabá and the possibility of reaching the Pantanal the same day.
Your destination is the Rio Jofre, a quintessential Pantanal waterway and arguably one of the world’s best places to observe wild jaguars during daylight hours
The morning’s 3.5-hour drive from Cuiabá to Porto Jofre takes you deep into the northern Pantanal, where the landscape transforms from dry highlands to the seasonal floodplains that define this remarkable ecosystem. Your destination is the Rio Jofre, a quintessential Pantanal waterway and arguably one of the world’s best places to observe wild jaguars during daylight hours.
A short boat transfer takes you to the unique Jaguar Floatel, a floating lodge owned by conservationist Charles Munn and staffed by trained guides. The accommodations are comfortable but not overly luxurious. The lodge’s location in proximity to wild jaguars is the ultimate luxury.
The evening brings your first taste of the Pantanal’s extraordinary soundscape, as caimans call from hidden channels and night herons stalk the shallows.
Wake before dawn for a full day navigating the Rio Jofre and its tributaries in search of jaguars. The Pantanal’s seasonal flooding creates an ideal environment for jaguar watching, as the cats are forced to hunt along the water’s edge where they’re visible to patient observers in boats. Unlike their Amazonian cousins, who remain hidden mainly in dense forests, Pantanal jaguars have adapted to a semi-aquatic lifestyle, making them easily observable.
Your local guides are experts at spotting these magnificent cats. A successful day might include multiple jaguar sightings. Beyond jaguars, the river system teems with caimans, giant otters, capybaras, and hundreds of bird species.
Begin with another early morning boat expedition, as dawn and dusk offer the best opportunities for jaguar sightings. After lunch, transfer for two hours to Araras Lodge, which offers more spacious accommodations while providing a different look at the Pantanal’s wildlife.
Araras Lodge’s strategic location provides access to diverse Pantanal habitats through multiple exploration methods. Morning activities include climbing observation towers that offer panoramic views over the wetlands, revealing the true scale of this ecosystem. Walking trails wind through gallery forests where troops of howler monkeys announce the dawn, while horseback riding expeditions follow traditional cattle paths deep into areas inaccessible on foot.
Your morning transfer back to Cuiabá Airport marks another ecosystem transition, this time from the Pantanal’s open wetlands to the Amazon’s dense forests. The flight to Alta Floresta in the southern Amazon provides aerial perspectives of Brazil’s remarkable landscape diversity, as grasslands give way to the endless green canopy that characterizes the world’s largest rainforest.
This region, far from the traditional Manaus tourist circuit, harbors the highest biodiversity levels recorded anywhere in the Amazon.
Upon arrival in Alta Floresta, the Cristalino Lodge team welcomes you for a one-hour road journey followed by a spectacular boat trip along the Teles Pires and Cristalino rivers. This arrival sequence, winding through primary forest while the canopy gradually closes overhead, provides an unforgettable introduction to the Amazon experience that awaits.
Cristalino Lodge occupies a privileged position within a private reserve in the southern Amazon, surrounded by some of the largest protected forest areas remaining in the basin. This region, far from the traditional Manaus tourist circuit, harbors the highest biodiversity levels recorded anywhere in the Amazon. While you won’t encounter indigenous communities here, the reward lies in experiencing a quieter, more pristine version of the rainforest, where wildlife-viewing opportunities are extraordinary.
The lodge’s architecture exemplifies sustainable luxury, creating comfort from essential elements while maintaining absolute harmony with the surrounding forest.
Your days here revolve around exploring different facets of the Amazon through forest trails that wind between towering trees, sierra trails that lead to elevated viewpoints, and observation towers that provide unique perspectives on canopy life.
The Amazon’s seasonal variations create dramatically different experiences throughout the year. February through March brings the green season’s humid intensity, when rising waters concentrate primates in the canopy and create ideal conditions for observing the forest’s complex monkey societies. April and May offer the most magical atmosphere, as steam rises from warming waters to create ethereal morning mists, while colorful sunsets provide perfect lighting for elevated forest views.
June through October marks the drier forest period, when lower river levels expose beaches and rapids, creating optimal conditions for bird and mammal observation. From November through January, the skies are sunny and visibility is exceptional, making this period ideal for serious birdwatchers seeking to document the Amazon’s incredible avian diversity.
Your final morning at Cristalino provides one last opportunity to experience the Amazon’s dawn chorus before transferring back to Alta Floresta. The flight to Cuiabá connects with international departures.
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