Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
PANTANAL ESSENTIALS: WHAT TO PACK
Light-coloured long-sleeved cotton shirts
T-shirts
Light-coloured cotton field socks
Trainers or walking shoes
Waterproof sandals or flip-flops
Windbreaker
Fleece jacket
Sweaters
Reusable one-litre water bottle
Camera with a good zoom lens
Day-pack for camera
Binoculars
Long rain poncho
Sunscreen
Mosquito repellent
Sunglasses
Sunhat
Small flashlight
Swimsuit
Pantanal
is supposed to offer more chances to spot anteaters and armadillos, and it
tends to have more budget options for backpackers. The
Northern Pantanal
is better
for those interested in seeing giant otters and jaguars, and the higher prices of tours
generally reflects a higher-quality service, yet it is possible to find a range of prices
in both areas.
7
When to visit
Although you can visit the Pantanal any time of year, the
dry season
, from April to
October, with its peak normally around September, is when you'll see the biggest
congregation of wildlife. This is the time when much of the fauna is attracted to the
lakes and riverbanks in search of food and water: the swamp's infamous piranha and
caiman (South American alligator) populations crowd into relatively small pools and
streams, while the astonishing array of aquatic birds follows suit, forming very dense
colonies known here as
viveiros
. Treeless bush savannah alternates with wet swamp,
while along the banks of the major rivers belts of rainforest grow, populated with
troops of monkeys (including capuchin and howler monkeys). Perhaps most
importantly, the dry season is when you're almost guaranteed to spot jaguars in the
Northern Pantanal as they come to the riverbank for water and to hunt - they retreat
deeper into the swamp during rainy season.
During the
rainy season
, from November to March, river levels rise by up to 3m,
producing a vast flooded plain with islands of scrubby forest amid oceans of floating
vegetation. Deeper into the swamp, transport is necessarily dominated by the rivers,
natural water channels and hundreds of well-hidden lagoons, though most of the
fazendas
are still reachable by road. The islands of vegetation created during the rains
crawl with wild animals - jaguars, monkeys, tapirs, capybaras (the world's largest
rodents) and wild boar, living side by side with domesticated cattle. Many birds are
harder to spot, nesting deeper in the forests for the breeding season; nevertheless,
there are still plenty of birds and other creatures to see year-round, including hawks
and kingfishers.
Note, however, that the previously metronomic regularity of the seasons has become
most unpredictable of late, with the onset of
global warming
, and that the “rainy
season” isn't actually that rainy: when it does rain, it's usually a tropical downpour that
tends to last no more than a couple of hours. You can expect glorious sunshine during
most days in the rainy season. At other times of the year, much of the Pantanal is still
very boggy, though interspersed with open grassy savannah that is studded with small
wooded islands of taller vegetation (mainly palm trees).
ARRIVAL AND TOURS THE PANTANAL
There are three main entry points to the Pantanal:
Corumbá
and
Campo Grande
in Mato Grosso do Sul, or
Cuiabá
in
Mato Grosso. You can either rent a car and book a
fazenda
lodge independently, or go through one of the many tour
operators in each of these three cities.
