Tailormade Holidays in Brazil

The Pantanal is a vast, seasonally inundated freshwater ecosystem that covers much of the western side of Brazil. It is a site of international importance and plays a significant role in regional climate stabilisation and groundwater purification; it extends southwards from the plateau of the Mato Grosso to Brazil’s borders with Paraguay and Bolivia. Roughly the size of France, the Pantanal is accessed from the north via the Transpantaneira road which passes through a sparsely populated land of cattle ranches and wetlands. The northern Pantanal is marked by low dry woodland, damp grasslands and gallery forest along the banks of a large system of meandering rivers, creating a mosaic of different habitats rich in all manner of wildlife. The central region, near Porto Jofre, is one of the best areas in South America to see Jaguar; indeed, to date, no Naturetrek tailormade client has returned from this area in the dry season without a Jaguar sighting – a record we are keen to uphold. Common species seen throughout the Pantanal include Capybara, Marsh Deer, Azara’s Agouti, Yacare Caiman and Green Iguana as well as a host of colourful lizards and, of course, plentiful birdlife.

The Iguazú Falls are one of the world’s most impressive and beautiful sights – a series of cascading waterfalls which tumble over 90 metres, thundering through the lush forested slopes of an ‘Eden-like’ setting. They are located on Brazil’s border with Argentina and it is worth experiencing them from both countries. From Brazil the most spectacular panoramic views may be obtained, but from the Argentine side it is possible to get far closer to the falls themselves via various trails and catwalks, and it has the added advantage of easy access to the two wonderful national parks in the area. Here it’s possible to encounter a new set of species including many varieties of woodcreepers, flycatchers, tanagers and manakins. The falls area itself is not bereft of birdlife, with specialities such as Black-fronted Piping-guan and both Toco and Red-breasted Toucans among the possibilities. A highlight of the late afternoon are the thousands of Great Dusky Swifts which gather overhead before diving down to dash through the cascading water to their night-time roost.

In stark contrast to the wilderness of the Pantanal, a visit to the city of Rio de Janeiro offers a cultural experience that is hard to rival. Often dubbed the ‘Marvellous City’, Rio acted as the capital of Brazil until 1960 and is home to some of Brazil’s most famous tourist attractions, including Sugarloaf Mountain (Pão de Açúcar) and the statue of Christ the Redeemer (Corcovado). However, the cosmopolitan hustle and bustle belies a city that is enveloped by nature; nestled between the lush, green rolling mountains and the crystal depths of the Atlantic Ocean, a stay in Rio will allow you to capture the essence of Brazil as found nowhere else in the country.

The upmarket village of Praia do Forte provides the perfect opportunity for relaxation. Set along a palm-lined, white sand beach, restaurant options are plentiful, and there is much to explore in the local area. A sea turtle reserve can be found a short walk away, as well as picturesque churches and castle ruins. Opportunities to explore secondary Atlantic forest can be found at the nearby Sapiranga Forest Reserve, which offers a network of trails, as well as opportunities to canoe across a beautiful lake.   

Salvador, the capital of the state of Bahia, is known for its Portuguese colonial architecture, Afro-Brazilian culture and tropical coastline, and is a popular choice for relaxation at the end of a wildlife-filled Brazilian tour. The city is well known for its energetic and lively Carnival celebrations, amongst countless other open-air festivals; while it is often referred to as one of Brazil’s hotspots for dance and music, there is much more to experience besides. The colourful architecture of the city is reflective of its former status as the capital of Portugal’s New World Colony, and many a happy hour can be spent sightseeing around the vibrant neighbourhood plazas, sampling the delicious local cuisines along the way. The city has a hot, tropical climate, and the picturesque white sand beaches are the perfect place to relax and cool off in the turquoise waters. The beaches are also breeding sites for Green, Olive Ridley, Hawksbill and Loggerhead Turtles between May and December. Those who venture inland are rewarded with countless trails that wind their way through the 1500 square kilometre Chapada Diamantina National Park, a paradise for naturalists.

Although a mere 3% of the wider area is protected, Parnaíba River Headwaters National Park occupies a significant 6878 km² of preserved ‘cerrado’ habitat in central-southern Brazil. The Cerrado is a unique ecozone that covers an area equivalent to the size of France, Germany, Spain and England combined. The park’s stunning landscape is made up of woodland, scrubland, dry-forest and 1,000 feet tall, red sandstone cliffs, in which both Hyacinth and Red-and-Green Macaws nest. This region is regarded as a global biodiversity hotspot which, according to the WWF, contains some 5% of the planet’s wildlife, including around 200 species of mammal, 860 species of bird, 180 species of reptiles, 150 species of amphibians, 1,200 species of fish, and 90 million species of insect! Parnaíba River Headwaters National Park is particularly famous for two mammals in particular – the Maned Wolf and the Brown-tufted Capuchin. The former is the largest canid in South America; a peculiar, but beautiful animal that is technically neither a fox nor a wolf. The latter is considered to be one of the most intelligent species on earth, and the only known primate (outside of the great apes) to habitually use tools. These capuchins have been observed using stones to crack open nuts in a hammer and anvil like fashion; an exceedingly complex behaviour.

The Amazon needs no introduction. The largest and best-known tropical rainforest of all, which covers an astonishing five and a half million square kilometres of northern South America, harbours by far the greatest concentrations of biodiversity on Earth. Representing more than half of the planet’s remaining tropical rainforests, the Amazon supports a riotous abundance and variety of life that defies almost all description. Its dark, tangled jungles contain an estimated 390 billion individual trees of over 16,000 species, more than 1,100 of which have been recorded in a single quarter square kilometre; the UK has fewer than 100 native trees in total. Living amongst them are approximately 400 species each of mammal, reptile and amphibian, along with more than 2,000 fish and 1,300 birds. The diversity of some groups is so overwhelming that we may never fully understand it – the number of insect species, for example, could reach well into the millions. All in all, some 10% of Earth’s known species can be found in the Amazon. Remarkably, this extraordinary profusion of life is largely fertilised by phosphorous-rich dust from the Sahara Desert in Africa, 30 million tons of which are carried to the forest each year by transatlantic winds.

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The Amazon River and its countless tributaries drain a vast region of rainforest that is home to countless plants and animals. This is without question one of the greatest wilderness areas in the world and one that is key to the sustainable future of the planet. Viewing wildlife, and especially mammals, in the Amazon is, however, notoriously difficult, and there are certainly no guarantees. Thankfully, there are a few places which, due to protection and dedicated conservation, allow for a wonderful and rich wildlife experience within the Amazon Rainforest.