Pantanal
Arrival & preparations
The next stop on our trip was the Pantanal. To get there from Foz do Iguaçu we took a flight to Cuiaba via Curitiba. We had a long layover in Curitiba, unfortunately the internet was not working, they only had three sandwich bars which all offered the same food and it was freezing cold in the airport. Bring your coats or jackets!To go to the Pantanal we have booked a tour with Ecoverde Tours. We had organized everything in advance via email (joelsouza@ecoverdetours.com.br). Communication with Joel was really easy and we can fully recommend the tour. It included: the pick up from the airport, one night in Cuiaba before the actual tour started, a guided tour (3 days / 2 nights, including food and all trips) and one night in Cuiaba after the tour. The tour cost 1600 BRL per person (paid it in cash).
Day 1
On the first day of the tour we had an early breakfast before we got picked up. In total we were 6 people in the car: the tour guide, the driver, a very nice couple from the UK and the two of us. So it was a very small group. After getting an introduction we drove for about 3 hours (including breaks). Already on the way (mostly dirt road) we saw many animals, especially birds. When we arrived at our simple but nice accommodation we had lunch: the typical rice with beans, salad, beef and we could also try boiled piranha. A piranha has quite many bones, it is not easy to eat. After a siesta we went on an incredible boat tour. Apart from us there was not a single soul anywhere close - experiencing nature in perfect silence was one of the highlights of our whole trip. Towards the end of the boat tour we tried to catch piranhas for dinner and we were more or less successful. We even attracted a caiman who wanted to have some of our piranhas. After climbing on an observation deck we saw a beautiful sunset while parrots were flying around us. In the evening we had a delicious piranha soup followed by buffet with beef with banana, the obligatory rice with beans, salad and pasta. The place where we are staying has some other regular guests: a blue macaw and a fox, we also saw several capybaras.
Day 2
The next day started with an early breakfast and some bird watching. Especially in the morning, there are quite many mosquitoes, so bring a repellent! Besides birds we saw some deer and a couple of emus. We were hiking through the woods to find traces. After the hike we had some time to relax. During the day it gets quite hot, so a siesta is needed. The next thing we did was a first for me: horseback riding. Don’t worry, even if you have never sat on a horse you’ll manage. I was skeptical at the beginning, but I must say I really enjoyed the 1.5 hours on the horse. In the evening we drove to another more luxurious pousada which even had a swimming pool. Again we saw many caiman and capybaras.
Day 3
We started the next day by going on an early motor boat tour to watch some birds. It was very nice to be so close to big birds like a jabiru. Between this boat tour and another horseback riding excursion we had breakfast. After this busy morning we still had enough time for a siesta at the pool and having a relaxed last lunch in the Pantanal. The drive back to Cuiaba was about 2.5 hours where we had dinner at the restaurant Choppao. They have huge portions here - one dish is enough for four.
Video: 50 things to do in Brazil
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