THE PANTANAL
The Pantanal is the worlds largest wetland that spreads from South-Eastern Brazil into North-East Bolivia and the upper North-West of Paraguay. The Pantanal is a remainder of an ancient inland sea which dried out millions of years ago. During the rainy seasons its rivers flood and the area turns into an enormous wetland. In the dry season the water retrieves and a beautiful forest area comes out.
As a results of its unique ecosystem the Pantanal boast an incredible concentration of flora and fauna resulting in an area of huge biodiversity. Here you can see Caimans, Jaguars, Anacondas, Capybaras, Tapirs, Maned Wolf, Bush Dog, Giant Otter, Giant Armadillo and many many different kinds of birds. In fact, the Pantanal holds the highest concentration of animals in America so there is plenty to see.
The Pantanal water levels rise alongside with the rain season. As such, between December and May, the water level may rise as much as three metres, flooding and nourishing the entire area.
There are no towns and very few people live in the Pantanal so transportation is difficult. The best way to visit this area would be to book an organized tour into the area. The ways to get around are by foot, canoe or horseback. A great experience is fishing (and eating) piranhas, although it must be said that they are really fast and quite difficult to catch. They make a delicious snack though.
The area can be accessed by 4x4 transport, but this is restricted depending on the season as roads can get very bad in the rainy season. The best time to go is during the dry season (April-October). You can visit in the wet season when wildlife is grouped to small pieces of dry land, but travel conditions get very bad. As such keep in mind that it may take more time to organize your trip during the rainy season.
Tours to the Pantanal are offered from the cities of Cuiaba, Campo Grande or Coromba in the South-West of Brazil. It depends where you are coming from to determine your entrance city. Make sure to select your tour operator carefully as the supply of tours is great but some tours offer poor quality.
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