Welcome to Mato Grosso do Sul! Known as the “Cidade Morena” (the Swarthy City), for the rich color of the soil, we have just one night here before we jump off on our journey. 

Often flights from Sao Paulo arrive into Campo Grande in the late afternoon or early evening. Please be sure you’ve shared your flight information with the Hillstar Nature team. After you exit the airport, look for a representative with a Hillstar Nature and/or Academy of Natural Sciences sign. You will then be transported to the hotel, about a 35 minute drive from the airport, where you will meet the rest of the group. Our first meeting as a group will be the welcome dinner tonight. Please meet in the hotel lobby at 715pm to gather for our welcome dinner. Night in Campo Grande.

After breakfast today we head west before turning a bit north, undertaking a drive of about 3 hours, to the Aquidauana River. From here we begin soaking up the characteristic wildlife of the southern part of the Pantanal. With 3 nights here, we enjoy one of the best Pousadas (guesthouses) in all of the Pantanal. Hyacinth Macaws, Red-capped Cardinals, and Yellow Armadillos are among our welcoming party here. The feeder array here is incredible making for incredible viewing and photography right from the dining area. Along the river we have chances for both Giant River Otter and Neotropical Otter. Attracted by the density of fish here, they share hunting areas with many Cocoi Herons, Ringed Kingfishers, and Jabiru. Night along the Aquidauana River.

With two full days to explore one of the best hotspots in the region, we will explore the rich wildlife in and around Pousada Aguapé. This is a Fazenda (i.e. ranch in Portuguese) that has been owned by the same family for over 150 years. Over 370 species of birds have been recorded here, with large conspicuous species such as Chaco Chachalaca, Bare-faced Curassow, and Plumbeous Ibis with its loud brass-stringed banjo call, and the Red-legged Seriema, as well as the continent’s largest bird, the Greater Rhea. Perhaps only slightly less conspicuous but just as much fun to see include birds like, Gilded Hummingbird, White Woodpecker, and White-rumped Monjita plus many others. Always lurking in our mind here is the possibility of seeing a Giant Anteater. Keep your eyes peeled and fingers crossed! Often the heat of the day is such that we will take a bit of siesta before heading back out in the field in late afternoon. This allows good time to enjoy the feeders on the grounds, take a nap, edit photos, and just relax. The sun sets abruptly at about 630pm, and so we often remain out after dark for an hour or so to seek out mammals and nightbirds, before having dinner about 730pm. Nights along the Aquidauana River.

Today, after a last bit of birding around Aguapé we begin our return drive to Campo Grande. With about a 3-hour drive ahead of us, we’ll bird opportunistically as we go, and if something piques our interest we can stop to check it out. Night in Campo Grande.

Rising early, we head for the airport to board our flight to Cuiabá. After a 90-minute flight north to the state of Mato Grosso, we’ll reach what is virtually the geographic center of South America, and the gateway to the Pantanal. Heading to the southwest, we’ll drive our way down to Poconé, and this is where the Transpantaneira Highway begins.

Among nature enthusiasts this is one of the most famous roads in all the world, as it is fabulous for spotting birds and seeing wildlife. Along this road there are dozens of wooden bridges crossing wonderful watering holes, each brimming with capybara, caiman, many birds and with potential for other rarer mammals. We’ll work our way down to our accommodations for the night, where the birding and wildlife-watching will continue. Keep your eyes open for Marsh Deer (vulnerable) and Black-tailed Marmoset, which eat mostly tree sap. Along the way we may come across highly distinct birds like Sunbittern and Black-capped Donacobius (both monotypic bird families). During our time here on the Transpantaneira, we have chances for the sneaky and stunning Agami Heron, and also the Chestnut-bellied Guan, a vulnerable species endemic to Brazil. Night at Pousada Rio Claro.

We’ll spend some time this morning enjoying things around our lodge, but then we’ll get back out onto the highway, and continue working our way south, birding and searching for wildlife as we go. We’ll pick our spots along the way, taking time where the wildlife warrants it, and then moving on towards Porto Jofre, our home for the next two nights.

The village of Porto Jofre is located at the end of the Transpantaneira Highway, along the Cuiabá River. It is from here that we’ll access the river and search for Jaguars. In route to and around Porto Jofre, we’ll keep our eyes peeled for animals like Brazilian Tapir, Brown Capuchin, and Black Howler Monkey, and birds that could include Southern Screamer, White-throated Piping-Guan, Black-fronted Nunbird, and others. Eventually we will take a 30-minute boat ride to our “Fl-otel”, a floating hotel on the Cuiabá River, where we’ll spend the next two nights. The water is extremely calm, and we’ll have this very comfortable boat mostly or entirely to ourselves, and from there we will take small crafts into the wilderness to seek birds and wildlife. Night aboard the floating hotel.

The Cuiabá River off of Porto Jofre is legendary for being the best place in the world to see and photograph Jaguars. Generally big cats avoid water and tend to me more nocturnal, but the Jaguars here break both these rules. The Jaguars of the Pantanal prey primarily on caiman, believe it or not. Alternating between resting and stalking Yacare Caiman from the edge of the river, is how they spend a lot of their time. It is rare to see a kill but it is not uncommon to see Jaguars on the move or loafing near the water.

We’ll need some luck, but we’ll try our best. And although the star of this site is typically the Jaguar, it is also rich with other mammals, and is a good site for Giant River Otter, and can hold Brazilian Tapir too. There are some fantastic birds here as well, with possibilities such as Sungrebe, Blue-gray Saltator, Band-tailed Nighthawk, Black-collared Hawk, Rusty-backed Spinetail, among many more. Night aboard the floating hotel.

Leaving behind the Cuiabá River, we head back north along the Transpantaneira Highway for the Pixaim area. Working north to Pixaim, we’ll take our time seeing what we see along the way, as it is only about a 90-minute drive. Once we arrive, we’ll check into our lodge. Recently it has become famous as one of the best places in the world to see Ocelot, often offering visitors a chance to see these small secretive cats, sometimes even up close. In route, and once at Pixaim, we’ll continue to search for any mammals we’ve not seen yet, and the lodge is also excellent for birding. With a nice network of trails and two observation towers, we’ll have plenty to keep us busy. One of the towers is situated 16 meters from a site where a pair of Jabiru usually nest each year. While here we’ll also take a boat ride along the Pixaim River. With luck we could spot the elusive and enigmatic Zig Zag Heron or the stealthy and beautiful Agami Heron. It’s often possible to see American Pygmy Kingfisher, Green-and-rufous Kingfisher, and Chestnut-eared Aracari here as well. Night in Pixaim.

We’ll see what time our flights are, but today is largely about our transfer on from Cuiabá to wherever you may be headed next. It’s about a 3-hour drive from Pixaim to Cuiabá. Once back in Cuiabá, we’ll say our good byes (Ate Logo in Portuguese) to those headed home, while some of us move on to explore the Atlantic Forest. The tour concludes upon arrival at the airport in Cuiabá.