Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
or jeep, horse riding, guided walks or fishing expeditions,
as well as meals.
All-inclusive packages
Also including nights in
fazenda
-
lodges are all-inclusive package tours, though their prices
vary wildly, sometimes undercutting the o
cial lodge
price, at other times almost doubling it - it's worth
shopping around and bargaining. As a general rule,
however, you'll pay less if you deal direct with a
fazenda
-
lodge owner in Porto Jofre, Cáceres, Aquidauana and even
Corumbá, rather than through their agents.
The Southern Pantanal
Corumbá
is well placed for getting right into the
SOUTHERN PANTANAL
by bus or
jeep, and has a welter of guides and agencies to choose from, as well as boats for hire.
Though farther from the action,
Campo Grande
has better hotels and communications
with the rest of Brazil, so it's as likely an entry point as Corumbá. Some of the most
popular
fazenda
-lodges in the region are those in
Nhecolândia
, roughly speaking the
area between the
rios
Negro and Taquari east of Corumbá. Many of these benefit from
a well-established dirt access road, the MS-184/MS-228 (the old Campo Grande road),
which loops off from the main BR-262 highway 300km from Campo Grande near
Passo do Lontra (it's well signposted), and crosses through a large section of the swamp
before rejoining the same road some 10km before Corumbá.
ACCOMMODATION THE SOUTHERN PANTANAL
The following
fazenda
-lodges are accessible from
Corumbá
,
Miranda
or
Aquidauana
; they offer full-board
accommodation and swamp trips, and can be booked through the addresses given below or through tour operators. If you
book directly through the lodges, transfer costs are usually charged separately.
7
Hotel Recanto Barra Mansa
Rio Negro
T
67 3325
6807,
W
hotelbarramansa.com.br.
On the north shore of
the Rio Negro, 130km from Aquidauana, this small luxury
lodge
owned by Guilherme Rondon accommodates up to
seventeen guests and specializes in game tours and fly-
fishing. Daily buses run here from Corumbá, or a helicopter
can be
arrang
ed if there's been flooding during rainy
season.
R$868
Passo do Lontra Park Hotel
Some 7km into the
Pantanal from the BR-262 between Campo Grande and
Corumbá
T
67 3245 2407,
W
passodolontra.com.br.
One of the region's rare, relatively inexpensive options
(with substantial reductions in low season), although a
minimum number of guests may be required
. The l
odge
specializes in fishing and nature treks. Doubles
R$400
Refúgio Ecolôgico Caiman
Rio Aquidauana
T
67
3242 1450,
W
caiman.com.br. The reservation centre is
in São Paulo where most bookings are taken
T
11 3706
1800.
Offering a luxurious Pantanal jungle lodge
experience, the
Refúgio
is located some 240km west of
Campo Grande and 36km north of Miranda, and covers over
530 square kilometres. There are a handful of lodges and
private villas, all with good facilities and a distinctive style
to match the surroundings. The main activities include
horse riding, nocturnal safaris, hikes, boat trips and cattle
drives (around seventy percent of the reserve's income is
still derived from cattle). The
Refúgio
has its own airstrip
and offers transfer services leaving from Campo Grande
four times a week. Full board, all activities
and bili
ngual
guide services are included in the daily rate.
R$2122
★
The Northern Pantanal
Trips to the
NORTHERN PANANTAL
are mainly concentrated around the aborted
Transpantaneira route. Several lodges, ranging from simple to rustic to luxury, line the
road. Tour operators in
Cuiabá
can arrange everything from the four-hour transfer,
accommodation at one of the lodges and bilingual guides - and it often works out
cheaper than booking directly. You'll need to stay at the very least to have a full day in
the Pantanal - make it three or four nights if you can.
Barão do Melgaço
One of the simplest ways into the northern part of the swamp is to take a three-hour
bus
from Cuiabá (see p.473) south to
BARÃO DO MELGAÇO
, a small, quiet village on the
banks of the Rio Cuiabá. Although not quite in the true swamp, and therefore with less
FROM TOP
PARQUE NACIONAL DA CHAPADA DOS GUIMARÃES
P.476
; CAIMAN IN THE PANTANAL >
