Situated in the upper Paraguay River basin, straddling Brazil’s border with Bolivia and Paraguay, is the Pantanal.
The world’s largest freshwater wetland, of which Brazil claims 80 percent, spans 68,000 square miles. Nearly 10 times larger than the Everglades, the area is regarded as the most preserved wetlands in the world.
The Pantanal boasts the Americas’ largest concentration of wildlife: 1,700 plant species, over 400 fish species, 80 mammal species including capybaras, marsh deer, and jaguars. The Pantanal is the only place on earth where encountering this variety is highly probable. In addition, with over 1,100 butterfly species and 656 bird species, the Pantanal hosts one of the most diverse bird communities, as well as one of the best places to see parrots in the wild, in the world.
The Pantanal is seasonally flooded by the tributaries of the Paraguay River, a lush cycle that is renewed each year. As 80 percent of the wetland is submerged during wet season, you will also find aquatic species here, which makes the Pantanal an even more fascinating destination.
Horseback riding, trail walks and trail hikes, game viewing and photography, exploration by canoe or boat, catch-and-release fishing, and birdwatching are just a few of the organized tours and activities available in the Pantanal.
At a higher elevation than its southern counterpart, the North Pantanal is drier and possibly more accessible via its gateway city, Cuiabá (the capital of Mato Grosso state). At about 77,220 square miles, the area is teeming with nature and life, much of it untouched by the outside world.
A single road, which passes over a hundred wooden bridges, crosses the region and is known as the Transpantaneira Highway (named in the Guinness Book of World Records as the highway with the most bridges in the world). The large artificial trenches flanking both sides of the highway are filled with water throughout the year, the pools a haven for wildlife during the dry season, which in turn makes for excellent wildlife-viewing opportunities throughout the year.
The North Pantanal especially stands out for its several species of native birds, such as the sunbittern.
With Campo Grande (the capital of Mato Grosso do Sul state) as its gateway, the South Pantanal is a massive nature preserve averaging some 86,992 square miles in size and comprised mostly of swampy terrain.
The rainy season finds the south’s large open plains vastly flooded, which spawns a profusion of aquatic vegetation and fish. But ideal April weather promises a great time to photograph the region, while the concentration of different species around July, once the waters have reduced to ponds, makes it a birdwatcher and nature-lover’s paradise.
