Explore the Pantanal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve, one of South America’s premier wildlife sanctuaries. With an area of 54,000 mi² and located in the center of the continent, the Pantanal is a biogeography mixing bowl containing elements of the Amazon Forest, Caatinga, Brazilian Savannah, Atlantic Rainforest and Paraguayan Chaco. This area is an unparalleled wildlife reserve of spectacular beauty, an ecological paradise containing hundreds of species of birds, thousands of varieties of butterflies, myriads of brightly colored flowers, and shoals of fish. Capuchin and howler monkeys, capybaras, toucans, anacondas, caimans, tapirs, giant anteaters and elusive jaguars help create an aquatic and sylvan theater of sights and sounds. Couple it with two amazing optional extensions to Rio de Janeiro, and one of the most spectacular Falls in the world, Iguassu, and you have the makings of a truly unique adventure.
Degree of Difficulty –
Board your flight in Miami and arrive next morning in Sao Paulo. Enjoy a tour of Brazil’s largest city, an important economic and financial hub. Visit the historical area where the city was founded, the Ipiranga Museum with its fine paintings and beautiful gardens, and the Mercado Municipal of Sao Paolo, a haven of gastronomy, with everything from fresh tropical fruit to seafood, sweets and exotic spices from all around the world. Enjoy a welcome dinner at Figuira Rubaiyat, known for its large fig tree that fills the outdoor area of the restaurant. Your luxurious home is one of Sao Paulo’s most elegant boutique hotels, offering top notch service. L’HOTEL PORTO BAY.
(Meals Aloft, Dinner)
Your adventure begins with your flight to Cuiaba, the gateway to the Pantanal, the largest contiguous wetland on the planet. Drive along the Transpantaneira road, surrounded by a plethora of wildlife – you’re sure to see caiman, jabiru, capybaras…just in the first half hour you’re on the road, and arrive Araras Eco Lodge. Activities here include jeep safaris by day and night, horseback riding through the pastures, woods and wetlands, walks and canoe rides along the river. You are almost guaranteed a sighting of the Hyacinth Macaw, as the Lodge is involved in an Environmental Preservation program. Built in harmony with
the environment, without renouncing comfort, the lodge offers excellent regional food made from the tasty meat and fish of the Pantanal, as well as organic salads, vegetables and seasonal fruit. ARARAS ECO LODGE.
the environment, without renouncing comfort, the lodge offers excellent regional food made from the tasty meat and fish of the Pantanal, as well as organic salads, vegetables and seasonal fruit. ARARAS ECO LODGE.
(Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Daily)
Continue your exploration of this wondrous wilderness as you transfer to Porto Jofre. The endangered jaguars, and increasingly rare Hyacinth Macaws and giant river otters, all make their home in this part of the Pantanal. Typical activities include boat rides (both at sunrise and sunset), walks at first light, night safaris, piranha fishing, and jaguar spotting. The jaguar is the third largest and one of the most elusive of the world’s big cats. Few people, even veteran researchers, have had the privilege to encounter this top predator in the wild. Porto Jofre happens to be one of the best places in the world to see wild jaguars and although no guarantees, it is highly likely you will see one, or more. Your rustic hotel is located at the end of the Transpantaneira, at the starting point of the boat tours in search of a myriad of wildlife and the elusive jaguar. HOTEL PANTANAL NORTE PORTO JOFRE.
(Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Daily)
Discover the sweeping landscapes of the Pantanal from a bird’s eye-view as you soar over it on a light aircraft, headed to the 148,300-acre Caiman Ecological Refuge in southern Pantanal. As an expansive working ranch and wildlife refuge, Caiman provides for self-sustained development, where nature is respected and its species, habitats and cycles are conserved. On the grounds of the Refuge, cattle breeding and ecotourism coexist and work to mutual benefit. Caiman is home to several scientific projects aimed at the protection and conservation of the environment, including the Hyacinth Macaw, the Jaguar and the Blue Fronted Parrot Projects. You will visit the research center and closely follow its activities. Each day you have two activities in addition to a nocturnal outing to experience this raw nature: photographic safari drives and walks are on offer. Your accommodation will be at the intimate Baiazinha Lodge which has 6 rooms and overlooks a west-facing inlet. For larger groups, accommodation will be at Main Lodge Sede I (8 rooms) and Sede II (7 rooms). Each lodge offers a swimming pool, living room, air-conditioned rooms, and all modern comforts. CAIMAN ECOLOGICAL REFUGE.
(Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Daily)
Transfer to Campo Grande where you board your flights home, via Sao Paulo, saying a fond Tchau! Até a próxima!
(Breakfast, Meals Aloft)
Begin your adventure at Iguassu Falls, a World Heritage site comprised of over 257 different falls dazzling the eye with spectacular views. Straddling Argentina and Brazil, the Falls are taller than Niagara and twice as wide, prompting Eleanor Roosevelt to exclaim at first sight, “Poor Niagara!” An elaborate walkway system allows visitors to marvel at the immensity of the falls from both the Argentine and Brazilian side. Luxury accommodations are provided at LOI SUITES HOTEL, designed and constructed with extreme respect for nature, preserving native trees and most of the jungle.
Explore Rio de Janeiro, the world’s largest tropical city, and Brazil’s most famous. Rio offers a sophisticated way of life and unmatched shopping and miles of golden beaches, including Ipanema and Copacabana, two of the most famous stretches of sand in the world, as well as near-perfect weather year round. Your tour includes Rio’s highlights, from Corcovado Mountain with Christ the Redeemer statue, to Sugarloaf Mountain, reachable by cable car. Also learn about the best-known rainforest conservation effort in Brazil during a visit to the Golden Lion Tamarin Conservation Project, one of the most endangered primates on earth. Located at the northern end of Copacabana Beach, surrounded by shopping malls, cinemas, trendy bars and fashionable restaurants, the HOTEL MIRAMAR BY WINDSOR has a mix of the classical and contemporary.
Prices vary by season and package. Please inquire by phone at (800) 627-1244 or email info@classicescapes.com for more information and a pricing estimate.
YOUR JOURNEY INCLUDES:
- Chartered flight between Porto Jofre and Posada Caiman in light aircraft.
- Flights between Sao Paulo and Iguassu Falls on the pre-extension.
- Flight between Campo Grande and Rio de Janeiro on the post-extension.
- Superior accommodations throughout as indicated or similar.
- Breakfast daily; other meals as indicated in itinerary, including welcome dinner at the Figuira Rubaiyat.
- All transfers in air-conditioned motor coach or minibus.
- Visits to Conservation projects at Caiman Ecological Refuge.
- Visit to Golden Lion Tamarin Conservation Project on Rio extension.
- Specialist guide throughout with 10 travelers on main trip and extensions.
- Complimentary bottled water in vehicles and at meals.
- All applicable hotel/lodge taxes and gratuities for baggage handling.
- All entry fees.
- Complimentary baggage tags and passport wallet.
- Complimentary emergency evacuation insurance.
The Pantanal is an alluvial plain governed by periodic flooding. The dry season is between April/May and September/ October. The best time for birdwatchers is from July to September, when birds are at their rookeries in great numbers, the waters have receded and the bright-green grasses pop up. In September and October, the driest two months, the chances for spotting jaguar rise dramatically – the Pantanal is the last great stronghold for the biggest and most elusive of the American cats. Temperatures are hot by day and cool by night, with occasional short bursts of rain. Porto Jofre is open between July and October, as it can be very rainy any other time in that area. Therefore, our program is offered July through October, only. The program could be amended to travel at other times of the year as Pousada Araras is open year-round, but in this casePorto Jofre area cannot be included.
