Brazil | Birding in the Brazilian Amazon and Pantanal

Depart the U.S. on your overnight flight to São Paulo.

Arrive in São Paulo and connect to the flight toward Cuiabá, which is included in your international airfare. Once in Cuiabá, travel via shuttle bus to Amazon Aeroporto Hotel. Cuiabá is the capital of the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso and the gateway to the wetlands of North Pantanal. It also sits in an ecologically interesting spot at the transition zone between three important ecosystems in Brazil: the Amazon, the Cerrado, and the Pantanal.

Start the day by boarding a shuttle bus from Amazon Aeroporto to the Cuiabá airport for the flight to Alta Floresta. Upon arrival, meet your guide and embark on an approximately 4-hour drive to the Juruena River, enjoying a boxed lunch en route. Then, board a pontoon boat to cross the river before getting on a safari truck for a 10-minute drive through the last stretch of the journey to SouthWild Amazon Lodge. Check in and settle into your room before meeting for dinner at 7 pm. The group should have cameras and field clothes on stand-by in case a Brazilian tapir - the largest land mammal in the Amazon - makes an appearance in a nearby palm tree grove. After dinner, ride in a safari truck or van to a site where the tapir can be spotted. Please note that flights do not operate on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

Wake up early to go birding on the lodge's forest trails. SouthWild Amazon is a private property on 25,000 acres of protected tropical rainforest and 8 miles of riverfront on the banks of the beautiful Juruena River in the southern portion of the Brazilian Amazon. Wildlife observation at this lodge is excellent year-round, with chances to see many large monkeys, Brazilian Tapirs, macaws, and adult or adult-sized juvenile Harpy Eagles at any point in the year, but the best months to see Harpy Eagle nestlings are December through June. Return to the lodge for breakfast before embarking on a safari drive through the property's trails to seek out species like the Amazonian Motmot, King Vulture, White-tailed Hawk, Red-and-green Macaw, Blue-winged Macaw, Band-tailed Manakin, and Common Pauraque. Have lunch back at the lodge and enjoy some time to rest in the early afternoon. Later, drive 10 minutes back to the riverbank to venture out on a 3-hour boat ride to explore the Juruena River's countless channels formed by the mature forest islands within it. Return to the dock by 6 pm to drive back to SWA. Have some time to refresh and eat dinner at 7 pm before going on another nocturnal adventure in search of the tapir.

Spend another early morning birding before breakfast. Depending on the remaining target species today, birding can be done by safari vehicle or boat. Return to the lodge for lunch before enjoying an afternoon outing that includes a sunset cocktail on the river or on an observation tower with beautiful views of the forest canopy and its fascinating wildlife. Have dinner before going on one last excursion in search of the tapir. Please note that if there are chances to view Harpy Eagles near SWA, the group can have the option of being transported by car to a place where the bird can be seen from the ground or an observation tower, depending on the sightings in the area.

Start today with breakfast before driving to the boarding dock for the boat to cross the Juruena River. Then, travel to Alta Floresta airport for the flight to Cuiabá and have lunch at a restaurant. Upon arrival, take the Transpantaneira, a road that crosses the Pantanal, for almost 3 hours to SouthWild Pantanal Lodge, on the banks of the Pixaim River and the Transpantaneira Road. This highway, mostly dirt with more than 120 wooden bridges, is one of the only access roads into the interior of the Pantanal. The drive can be bumpy, but it passes through many habitats and is often described as the best road in the world to spot and photograph wildlife. Animals regularly seen include the giant anteater, armadillo, caiman, marsh deer, silvery marmoset, black howler monkey, and many species of water birds. If there are no delays in the route, the group can enjoy the chance to observe wild Ocelots on natural vines less than a mile away from SWP.

Enjoy the sunrise on a birding walk around the lodge's forest trails before breakfast. Then, embark on another drive along the Transpantaneira toward Jaguarland. Upon arrival at SouthWild Flotel & Jaguar Suites, have lunch and get aquatinted with what will be your base for exploration over the next several days. The spacious rooms at this floating lodge feature floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors that face the wild forests of the famous Encontro das Águas State Park. Here, it is possible to see jaguars walking through the banks of the Piquiri River year-round, but the best months for observation are June through November, when climate conditions are the most favorable. In the afternoon, board a small motorboat to embark on a 4-hour journey along the narrow canals in search of jaguars, giant otters, and other wildlife. Return to the flotel this evening to have dinner and attend a lecture on the wildlife of the Pantanal.

Today and tomorrow are dedicated to searching for jaguars, birds, and other wildlife during morning and afternoon boat rides, each lasting around 4 hours. In the Pantanal, the exposed river banks and open spaces make it easier to spot and observe the normally shy and mysterious jaguars, especially when the water levels are low. A wide diversity of other animals may also be seen, both in the water and along the shore. Look for caimans, capybaras, giant otters, iguanas, Jabirus, and more. Return to the flotel in the evening for another wildlife lecture. All meals today are at SouthWild Flotel & Jaguar Suites.

Spend another full day searching for jaguars and other wildlife by boat, or have the option to go birding at the Jaguar Research Lodge, also known as Recanto do Jaguar or Jaguar Retreat. This lodge is on the banks of the Three Brothers River and provides visitors with great opportunities for wildlife observation due to its intimate setting and location. Jaguars, the largest feline in South America, thrive here due to the region's tranquility and its abundance of prey. Jaguars are also a major draw for visitors mindful of responsible travel, which provides economic incentives for local communities to further protect these apex predators and the habitats on which they rely.

Have breakfast at the flotel before boarding a slow boat toward Porto Jofre. Go for another drive along the Transpantaneira back to SouthWild Pantanal and arrive in time for lunch. Enjoy birding around the lodge before an afternoon river outing on the Pixaim River to one of the two observation towers at the property. This river-edge tower in the gallery forest is an excellent spot to observe a variety of canopy birds, especially at sunset. Its top level fits five to six people comfortably, so a bigger group can be distributed among the below levels as well, since they are also exposed to the sky. Marvel at the impressive bird species that fly by, including flocks of Turquoise-fronted Parrots and Snail Kites, and the Hyacinth Macaw, Nanday Parakeet, Blue-and-yellow Macaw, Yellow-collared Macaw, Band-tailed Manakin, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Toco Toucan, and more. Other wildlife like howler and capuchin monkeys can also be seen swinging around the canopy. Return to SWP to enjoy another chance to observe the wild Ocelots that live barely meters away from the lodge.

Start the day with breakfast before taking advantage of some more of the activities at the lodge, like going on another boat outing along the Pixaim River to see more wildlife and birds, including the Great Potoo, Common Pauraque, Scissor-tailed Nightjar, Red-legged Seriema, Savanna Hawk, Yellow-faced Parrot, and Peach-fronted Parakeet. Return for lunch, and then walk along the trails to access the other observation tower at SWP. This one is placed at a special eye-level viewing spot around 52 feet away from a Jabiru's nest and comfortably fits 2 to 4 people at a time. Later, enjoy one more opportunity to observe and photograph wild Ocelots.

Wake up early for a stunning sunrise boat ride and outing to an observation tower before returning to the lodge for breakfast. Continue birding around the lodge, and then have lunch. Afterward, depart for Pousada Piuval, a sprawling 17,300-acre cattle ranch amid some of the most beautiful landscapes in the Pantanal. Explore the pousada area for some of its bird specialties like the Straight-billed Woodcreeper, White-fronted Woodpecker, Spot-backed Puffbird, Black-bellied Antwren, Buff-throated Woodcreeper (Lafresnaye's), Cinereous-breasted Spinetail, Sunbittern, Scarlet-headed Blackbird, Planalto Slaty Antshrike, Band-tailed Antbird, as well as the emblematic Hyacinth Macaw, Jabiru, and Greater Rhea - the largest bird in South America. End the day with dinner at the pousada.

Explore more of the surroundings of Pousada Piuval on a land safari. Stay alert to spot many of the fascinating species that inhabit the area like the Brazilian tapir, giant anteaters, capybaras, anacondas, coatis, capuchin and howler monkeys, caimans, and armadillos; with luck, you may even come face-to-face with a jaguar. There is also a possibility to explore the pousada on horseback. All meals today are at Piuval.

Have breakfast this morning before a group transfer to Cuiabá International Airport for your flight(s) home.