Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Alta Floresta
4
Mato Grosso.
*
43,000.
~
to
Cuiabá, then bus.
n
Anaconda
Pantanal Operators, (065) 3028
5990.
8
Cristalino Jungle Lodge,
(066) 3512 7100.
www
.cristalinolodge.com.br
cerrado
forests of the Mato
Grosso plains. There are
several waterfalls in the area,
the most famous and tallest
of which is the
Véu de Noiva
,
or the Bridal Veil Falls.
Although the Chapada has
seen far more aggressive
agricultural development
than its counterparts in Goiás
and Toacantins, many upland
bird species which are not
found either in the Pantanal
or the Amazonian forests
can be seen here. The high
cerrado
forests, savannas, and
pasturelands of the Chapada
hold a special attraction for
bird-watchers, who
come here in
droves to catalogue
the variety of birds,
and perhaps to catch a
lucky glimpse of
mammals, such as
maned wolves,
ocelots, and black-
tailed marmosets.
Situated in the extreme north
of Mato Grosso, Alta Floresta
sits on the edge of the pristine
southern Amazon rainforest,
and is a rapidly growing
frontier town. This remote
town is also a thriving agricul-
tural settlement. Its surrounding
areas are considered some of
the best in the Brazilian
Amazon for spotting
rare birds and
mammals. One of the
highlights of Alta
Floresta is the four-star
hotel, Floresta
Amazônica, which
serves as a base for
the
Cristalino Jungle
Lodge
(see p385)
.
The Cristalino Jungle Lodge
sits in the Cristalino Forest
Reserve deep in the forest,
north of Alta Floresta. The
lodge is situated on the banks
of the Rio Cristalino, which is
the black water tributary of the
Rio Tapajós, whose blue
waters flow into the Amazon
at Santarém
(see p274)
. The
lodge is most famous for the
profuse birdlife surrounding
it, as well as an enormous
variety of butterflies and other
insects, reptiles, and mammals.
A view out over the forests of
the Rio Cristalino preserve
All the large Neotropical
rainforest mammals, including
the endangered white-nosed
bearded saki monkey, brown
titi monkey, giant river otter,
and three-toed sloth, as well
as jaguar, puma, and tapir
are present and can often be
spotted here. Facilities for
jungle walks and viewing
wildlife are excellent and
include English-speaking,
specialist guides, a 164-ft
(50-m) high canopy tower,
and a very good library
of decent field guides.
Other more challenging
outdoor adventure activities,
such as camping in the forest,
trekking, survival techniques,
rappeling, canyoning, and
canoeing, can also be
arranged through the
Cristalino Jungle Lodge.
Red-capped
cardinal, Alta
Floresta
Xingú
3
Mato Grosso.
@
n
Fundação
Nacional do Índio (Funai), Av C.P.A,
(065) 3644 1850, Cuiabá.
www
.funai.gov.br
By the end of the 19th
century, all of the great
Amazon tributaries had been
explored and colonized, and
their indigenous peoples
enslaved or completely wiped
out. The remote region of
Xingú, in the extreme north-
east of Mato Grosso, was the
only indigenous settlement to
survive the onslaught and be
established as a preserve.
Home to one of the largest
areas of tribal lands in the
country, it sits as a huge
island of forest in a vast ocean
of soya plantations. These
tracts of land are concentrated
around the beautiful clear-
water Rio Xingú. Known to be
sophisticated, the indigenous
peoples flourishing in the
Xingú specialize in furniture-
making and basket-weaving,
among other things.
Tourism is extremely limited
here and visits to indigenous
villages can only be under-
taken with prior permission
from Fundação Nacional
do Índio (Funai).
Cristalino Jungle Lodge, in the Rio Cristalino Forest Reserve, Alta Floresta
