Pantanal jaguars and the rivers of Bonito

The Transpantaneira from Poconé to Porto Jofre, with birds and capybaras along more than a hundred bridges, and boat trips to look for jaguars at the Encontro das Águas; then Bonito, with the Gruta do Lago Azul, snorkel-floating in the Rio da Prata and the macaws of the Buraco das Araras, a sinkhole about 100 m deep.

Day by day Open the itinerary in the app

Northern Pantanal → Bonito · 7–8 days

The route on the map, in the itinerary’s order.

BrazilNorthern Pantanal
Days
4
When
Jul–Sep
Per person/day
Explore costsGuide estimate
Cost scope
Per person per day: accommodation, meals, urban transport, visits and a small allowance for extras. Flights excluded; larger purchases vary. Editorial estimate, not a quote.
BrazilBonito
Days
3–4
When
Sep–Nov
Per person/day
Explore costsGuide estimate
Cost scope
Per person per day: accommodation, meals, urban transport, visits and a small allowance for extras. Flights excluded; larger purchases vary. Editorial estimate, not a quote.

Who it is for

For anyone travelling for wildlife and clear water, happy to get up early and keep to a guide’s timetable.

Not for anyone who will only go if a jaguar is guaranteed, since sightings are never certain, even with three or four boat trips.

The strategy

The Pantanal on this route is the North, arriving through Cuiabá, about 100 km from Poconé. Fill up and carry cash in Poconé, as there are no fuel stations on the Transpantaneira, and do not drive at night. After the last boat trip, return to Cuiabá: there is no short road from there to Bonito, and the practical way is to fly to Campo Grande, about 300 km and 4 hours from Bonito, or to Bonito’s own airport, depending on connections for your date. In Bonito, the trips have daily quotas and vouchers, so buy ahead, and transport to them is not included. The flight home leaves from Bonito, with flights to São Paulo and Campinas, or from Campo Grande. September suits both stops. To avoid the flight between them, you can swap the North for the Pantanal around Miranda, about 130 km from Bonito.

What you will see

Encontro das Águas State Park, Northern Pantanal. Created in 2004, the park covers 108,960 hectares between Poconé and Barão de Melgaço, at the point where the Cuiabá River joins the São Lourenço.
Gruta do Lago Azul, Bonito. Twenty-one km from town, the cave is Bonito's postcard: a limestone cavern with a lake more than 50 m long, lit by the circular entrance.