"Venturing into the Pantanal through birdwatching is to immerse oneself in a vibrant world full of life, where each wing awakens the thrill of discovering the unique beauty of this extraordinary ecosystem". - ARGENTINA WILD EXPEDITIONS
Below, we present a suggested itinerary. However, we can customize birdwatching options across the various regions of the Pantanal according to our clients' requirements.
DAY 1: Meet our staff in Cuiabá and transfer to a "churrascaria" to delight in a traditional grilled meat dish for lunch. Next, we head towards Poconé (1:30hrs) where we'll take the Transpantaneira highway. We'll make a quick stop for a photo op at the famous Pantanal gateway and then at several highlighted spots where it's possible to encounter congregations of caimans and birds, especially herons, Jabiru storks, wood storks, limpkin, terns, kingfishers, among others."
We leave the Transpantaneira and enter the property of Pouso Alegre driving a private dirt road of about 7km which can offer great wildlife sightings.
Arrival at Pouso Alegre, lunch. Check-in.
Car safari by open vehicle including night drive looking for Brazilian Tapir, Capybara, Crabeating Fox, Crab-eating Raccoon, Ocelot, Red Brocket, Common and Great Potoo, Boatbilled Heron and many more.
19:30 – Dinner and overnight.
DAY 2: 5:00 - This morning we go on a walking safari to photograph concentration of animals in the water ponds with the wonderful light of the sun rising. We will photograph concentration of caimans while hunting and making vibrations to attract partners. Also, we can photograph Capped Heron, Rufescent Tiger Heron, Amazon Kingfisher, Ringed Kingfisher, Black-collared Hawk, Wattled Jacana, Black Skimmer and many other water birds. Back to the lodge for breakfast at 7:30. After breakfast we can walk in trails and observation tower.
The forest around the lodge may offer Hyacinth Macaw, Great Rufous Woodcreeper, Red-billed Scythebill, White Woodpecker, Green-barred Woodpecker, Lineated Woodpecker, Black fronted Nunbird, Blue-crowned Trogon, Squirrel Cuckoo and more. At the lodge it’s possible to enjoy bird feeders attracting Toco toucan, Chestnut-eared Aracari, Crested Oropendola, Purplish Jay and others.
At 15:30 we go on a safari by open vehicle looking for the Brazilian tapir. The safari can continue night-time before or after dinner, according to the guide indication, in order to guarantee sightings of the tapir. During the night drive it’s possible to spot also Capybara, Crab-eating Fox, Crabeating Raccoon, Ocelot, Red Brocket, Common and Great Potoo, Boat-billed Heron and many more.
19:30 – Dinner and overnight.
DAY 3: Morning photography around the lodge, breakfast and drive toward Porto Jofre. 12:00 – Stop for lunch at Mato Grosso hotel and continue the transfer to Porto Jofre. 16:00/17:00 – Arrival at the lodge in Porto Jofre. Arrival at the lodge, dinner and overnight.
DAYS 4, 5 AND 6: Thrilling full-day safari in search of jaguars by boat. This expeditions include observing a wide variety of bird species, as well as the possibility of sighting the Giant Otter and the Yellow Anaconda.
Nota: Puedes elegir regresar al alojamiento para almorzar o quedarte en safari con un box-lunch.
DAY 7: Breakfast and birding around the lodge.
09:00 – Departure to Porto Jofre.
12:00 –Stop for lunch at Mato Grosso Hotel.
13:30 – Drive to Piuval Lodge.
15:00 – Check in at Piuval Lodge.
15:30 – Walking and birding in the waterponds and fields around the lodge.
19:00 – Dinner.
20:00 – Night drive.
22:00 – Overnight at Piuval Lodge.
DAY 8: Breakfast and car safari (2 hours) – bird photography around the lodge.
Lunch at Piuval.
15:30 – Walking safari. The forest trails hold some great wildlife encounters. Capuchin monkeys, black-and-gold howler monkeys, southern tamandua, hyacinth macaws, red brocket deers, rufous-tailed jacamar, blue-crowned motmot and many more might be spotted in the field. Toward the end of the safari walk, you will head out to an observation tower where you can enjoy the sunset while photograph flock of birds returning to their nest at nights.
19:00 – Dinner and overnight.
Note: After dinner, it's possible to photograph the stars and the Milky Way, weather permitting. Nighttime landscape photography can yield wonderful images in the Pantanal.
DAY 9: Piuval property is one of the best places of this part of the Pantanal, where we can encounter giant anteaters. Even if the sighting is not easy like in the South Pantanal, we will try to spot this wonderful animal very early in the morning, before sunrise by a car safari.
Back to the lodge for breakfast at 7:00 and go to safari again by open truck. During the safari you can spot hyacinth macaws, red-legged seriema, chestnut bellied guan (endemic), chaco cachalaca, buff-necked ibis, whistling heron and Jabiru storks, the wonderful and photogenic Sunbittern, toco toucan, among the mammals: brown and red brockets, capybara, coati, black-and-gold howler monkey and many more.
Safaris in general ends around 10:00 due to high temperatures and less wildlife activity during the central hours of the day.
Before lunch you can enjoy the surround of the lodge and find some interesting situations for bird photography, in particular, you can find yellow-billed cardinal, red-crested cardinal, several tanagers, great kiskadee and several tyrants, campo flicker, turquoise-fronted parrot, and even macaws.
Lunch and rest. 15:30 car safari by open truck. The night drive can be organized before or after dinner. 19:00 Dinner and overnight at Piuval.
DAY 10: 07:00 – Breakfast at Piuval and check-out.
08:00 - Transfer to Cuiabá airport.
09:30 – Arrival at Cuiabá airport.
11:25 - Fly to Iguazu with connection at Sao Paulo.
Arrival at Foz do Iguaçu (Brasil) e transfer to Puerto Iguazu (Argentina), accommodation at Selva de Laurel Lodge. Note: it’s possible to overnight in Sao Paulo in case of no-good flight connections.
DAY 12: Birding around the falls of the Argentinean National Park, Upper and Lower Circuit and Devil´s Throat. We can see Plumbeous Kite, Bat Falcon, Toco Toucan, Surucua Trogon, Rufouscapped Motmot, White-eared Puffbird, Yellow-fronted Woodpecker, Blond-crested Woodpecker, Plush-crested Jay, Large- tailed Antshrike, Chestnut-crowned Becard, Swallow Tanager and flocks of Great Dusky Swift before sunset, and many others.
This day we’ll have time to visit the hummingbird’s garden where you can photograph Blackthroated Mango, Festive Coquette, Blue-tufted Starthroat, Violet-capped Woodnymph, Rufous-throated Sapphire, Chestnut-bellied Euphonia, Golden-rumped Euphonia, and others. Dinner and overnight at Selva del Laurel Lodge.
DAY 12: Full day birding includes the Uruguaí National Park (Argentina) and other hotspots. We’ll look for the endangered Black-fronted Piping-Guan, Rusty-margined Guan, Grey-bellied Hawk, Zone-tailed Hawk, Grey-fronted Dove, Scaly-headed Parrot, Pavonine Cuckoo, Surucua Trogon, Robust and Helmeted Woodpeckers, Spot billed Toucanet, Buff-fronted Foliage-gleaner, Black-billed Scythebill, Giant Antshrike, and Red-ruffed Fruitcrow.
Owling can produce Mottled Owl, Black-banded owl, Spectacled Owl and other nocturnal species.
DAY 13: We can dedicate this morning to birding or visiting the Brazilian side of the falls before flying to Sao Paulo. 14:35 – Fly to Sao Paulo.
