WILDLIFE OF THE PANTANAL

Any trip to South America’s largest nation should include a stay in Rio. However, Brazil’s real treasures lie further inland, in the wetland wilderness of the Pantanal

AS THE PLANET’S biggest wetland, the Pantanal supports an exceptional array of wildlife. If you want to see it for yourself, the optimum time to visit is during the dry season, which typically lasts from June until early November.

Begin your adventure at the Transpantaneira – a raised dusty track that penetrates deep into the heart of the Pantanal. Along its 147-kilometre length, the Transpantaneira crosses no fewer than 122 wooden bridges, and each one brings a new wealth of flora and fauna into view. You’ll spot caiman in their dozens, alongside a wonderful variety of birds that includes jabiru storks, scarlet ibises and all five species of South American kingfisher.

The Transpantaneira ends at Porto Jofre, which lies on the banks of the Cuiabá River, one of the Pantanal’s main waterways. From here, the best way to explore is by boat. Float along as flocks of hyacinth macaws squawk noisily overhead, capybaras relax on the riverbank, tapirs wade through streams at dusk and families of giant river otters can be seen marauding through the water. There is, however, one animal above all others that really steals the show: the jaguar.

Over several days travelling on the rivers, you might be lucky enough to see some lounging – or even hunting – on the river bank. The jaguars, as well as the abundance of the Pantanal’s other animal inhabitants, make it a truly unique wildlife-spotting destination.