Pantanal River Cruise

You will meet your guide and group at the hotel or airport at 8:00 am. We will travel 200 kilometers on a paved route to the city of Cáceres in a very comfortable and air-conditioned van. From there, we will go an additional 70 km on the Facão road. Facão is a stunning unpaved road that runs beside the Paraguay River through valleys. As we travel along it, we will start to see wildlife. It is not unusual to observe large birds like Seriemas and Rheas, as well as the elusive Hyacinth and Red-and-Green Macaws. Sometimes we see brown Brocket Deer staying nearby, and if we’re lucky, we might also see a maned wolf.
We will board the Aguapé Houseboat, a very big and stable boat, at Morrinhos’ wharf. We will begin our first Jaguar Safari after lunch on board and a chance to get settled in. At approximately 3:00 p.m., we will board speedboats to make our first close encounter with the Pantanal, exploring the Paraguai River and its bays in search of capybaras, monkeys, caimans, giant river otters, and countless birds from an amazing variety of species. as well as the Jaguar!
We’ll head back to the Aguapé Houseboat for a delectable meal and relaxation after dusk. The ship will begin cruising at around 6:00 p.m. and stop for the night at around 10:00 p.m. close to the Taiamã Ecological Reserve entrance.

Wake up in the isolated and unspoiled Pantanal region of the northern Taiamã Ecological Reserve! With a stunning terrain that is perfect for spotting Jaguars, Howler and Capuchin Monkeys, Giant Otters, Capybaras, Caimans, Anacondas, and a variety of birds, Taiamã provides us with some true natural sanctuaries.
Following breakfast, we will board our speedboats and head downstream down the Paraguai River to investigate the Jaguar Reserve. Before lunch on the Aguapé in the southern portion of the Reserve, we will spend the morning on the western side. We will continue our safari around the Reserve’s eastern side in the afternoon, continuing to enjoy ourselves and search for a variety of fascinating wildlife.
We will sail the Aguapé once again this evening until around 10:00 p.m. after returning from our boat excursion at around 6:00 p.m. This cruise time is ideal for taking in the night sky, enjoying the rooftop, and having a pleasant talk about the day’s discoveries.

The Paraguai River is where we begin our adventure downstream. We visit the region between the entrance to the bays that precede the Amolar Hills and the ancient Conceição Harbor in the morning while traveling in our safari boats. We will now get closer to the most flooded region in the whole Pantanal, which will present even more chances to see a variety of wildlife! After lunch, we will spend the full day traversing the Gaíva and Uberaba Bays. As we travel, it is preferable to stay on the Aguapé Houseboat because of the size of the bays.
Although numerous water birds can still be seen and photographed from the boat, the bays are too small to provide many possibilities for wildlife observation. The rooftop of the Aguapé offers a broad perspective that is ideal for taking in the expansive bays as you go closer to the Amolar Hills.
We will anchor and eat dinner by the sunset when we reach this pinnacle of the Pantanal’s crown jewels, giving us another chance to go over the day’s photos and tales.

Following breakfast in the morning, we will take a speedboat tour of the Amolar Hills’ surroundings, including its bay (Acorizal) and tributaries.
There will be a lot of wildlife, breathtaking scenery, the famous Giant-LilyPad, and even petroglyphs. Marsh Deer and Black and Gold Howler Monkeys are also expected to show up.
We will take our speedboats to the Pantanal National Park after lunch, and the Aguapé will continue downstream. We’ll investigate the Paraguai River Park, together with its bays and tributaries. As we move forward into an area where Jaguars are highly concentrated, we might spot them at any time. We will also pass the Paraguai and Cuiabá river confluence on our sail, which is an intriguing area with clearly distinct waterways.
We’ll head back to the houseboat for dinner and relaxation after a long day. The Aguapé will anchor close to Porto Jofre and the Negrão and Negrinho rivers at around 10:00 p.m.

In the morning we will tour the area along the Cuiabá and the Negrinho River, which is a very picturesque canal that resembles a tree tunnel. Wildlife like as Herons, Kingfishers, Caciques, Giant Otters, and Jaguars can be observed everywhere when traveling on it. By lunchtime, we will reconvene at Porto Jofre, where the houseboat will continue its journey.
On our speedboats, we will visit the Encontro das Águas State Park in the afternoon, which is home to the highest concentration of Jaguars worldwide!
With numerous river confluences, including the Cuiabá and Piquiri, the Três Irmãos (Three Brothers), the Corixo Negro, and numerous more, the park is appropriately called. In order to ensure that we don’t miss any of our exploration time, the houseboat will sail to the Park’s entrance and dock there while we cruise around in the speedboats, which takes about 30 minutes from Porto Jofre.

We begin the boat safari after breakfast and will visit Encontro das Águas State Park, where we may frequently get up close to Jaguars from a respectful and safe distance of about 20 meters.
We have excellent chances to see giant otters, kingfishers, howler monkeys, and jaguars every day. It is almost impossible to leave this park without seeing a few cats.
Other fascinating animals that we might come across include tapirs, capybaras, caimans, capuchin monkeys, and even anacondas. Jabiru storks, toucans, trogons, and ibises are just a few of the numerous unusual species that may be found in this area’s amazing biodiversity. The houseboat will remain docked at the State Park entrance for the duration of these three nights.

At 7:00 am, following breakfast, we will disembark and begin our journey back to Cuiabá. We will go 250km overland throughout the morning, the first 150km of which will be on dirt, along the stunning and well-known Transpantaneira Park Road. This trip will still be considered a true safari! This road has several historic wooden bridges and is quite picturesque and attractive. We will frequently pause the car to stretch our legs and take in the incredible scenery.
Keep your eyes alert and your camera prepared because wildlife is frequently observed along this route. Save your nap for the ride home! After traveling 100 kilometers on paved roads, we will reach Cuiabá for lunch close to the airport and wrap up our tour.