Day 4: North Pantanal / Porto Jofre—Jaguar Viewing

On a sunrise nature walk from our ecolodge, listen to the chorus of birdsong and monkey calls announcing a new day. After breakfast, depart on a scenic half-day drive to Porto Jofre via the Trans-Pantanal Highway, which traverses some of the best wildlife-viewing areas in the ecosystem. Along this remote dirt road that crosses 123 bridges, search for caiman, capybara, giant anteater, anaconda, jabiru stork, macaws and more. Our destination is Porto Jofre, where the highway ends at the Cuiaba River—an important port for transporting cattle and agricultural products from the Pantanal along the road artery to the town of Pocone and beyond. After lunch on arrival, set out in open skiffs for our first jaguar watch, scanning the riverbanks for glimpses of the stealthy cats. This region has the highest density of jaguars in the entire Pantanal, and our odds of seeing them are excellent, especially from mid-June to mid-October. The jaguar—the largest wild cat in the Americas—is the top predator in the ecosystem, drawn to the abundance of food sources that thrive here.

Days 5 & 6: Porto Jofre—Jaguar & Wildlife Viewing

The area around Porto Jofre offers exceptional wildlife encounters, and our focus is on sighting jaguars and giant otters. We look for them and a multitude of other Pantanal species, including caiman, capybara, toucans and howler monkeys, on private morning and afternoon small-boat excursions. Outings on the river also reveal scores of waterbirds, reptiles and plants that thrive in the sprawling mosaic of lakes, lagoons, rivers and marshes. Fish flourish in this freshwater sea, too, and as the water level drops seasonally in the lakes and channels, fishermen can sometimes catch dorado, pacu and traira by hand. Birds large and small fly overhead and feed at eye level.

Day 7: Porto Jofre / South Pantanal—Chartered Flight to Caiman Ecological Refuge

This morning, fly via chartered small plane directly to Caiman Ecological Refuge, enjoying dramatic aerial views and avoiding a rugged 10-hour drive. Deep in the green recesses of the South Pantanal, this renowned ecolodge is our private base for exploration. It lies at the remote heart of a 130,000-acre sustainable cattle ranch, and the atmosphere reflects the distinctive local cowboy culture that taps 200 years of combined Portuguese, Paraguayan and indigenous traditions. The lodge was the first ecotourism operation in the region and remains a conservation leader. When the refuge was established, 10% of the ranch acreage was set aside as a private conservation area, off-limits to cattle but open to visitors. The protected area, chosen with the aid of research scientists from the University of Sao Paulo, is remarkably diverse, with habitats encompassing wooded and scrubby savanna, open pasture, stands of caranda palm, hammock forests, streams and seasonal channels—all providing sustenance for numerous Pantanal species, including Brazilian tapir. This afternoon, we head out on a private wildlife drive in the Caiman Ecological Refuge, perhaps providing our first jaguar sighting in the south.