# Northern Pantanal: map, what to do and when to go

The Transpantaneira, from Poconé to Porto Jofre: birds and capybaras on the road, jaguars on the river

Canonical: https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/pantanal/
Language: en. Extended author commentary and itinerary notes may remain in Portuguese. Dates below belong to individual sources; this is not live availability.

## Direct answer
- **Pantanal: How do you get to the Transpantaneira?** The airport is Marechal Rondon (CGB), in Várzea Grande, next to Cuiabá.
- **Pantanal: How many days should you stay?** Four days, not counting the trip to Cuiabá: one night at a lodge at the start of the road and two in Porto Jofre, with three or four boat outings to look for the jaguar.
- **Pantanal: Are you guaranteed to see a jaguar?** No: a sighting is never guaranteed, not even in the most sought-after season, from July to October.

## From Cuiabá to the start of the Transpantaneira
Arrive early at Cuiabá airport (CGB) and pick up the rental car or the lodge's transfer.
- Transpantaneira
- Poconé

## Dawn in the fields and the drive down to Porto Jofre
Wake before the sun for the lodge's birdwatching, horseback ride or canoeing, during the coolest hours of the day.
- Porto Jofre

## A full day on the river, after the jaguar
Board the morning outing toward Encontro das Águas State Park, along the Cuiabá and Três Irmãos rivers and their branches.
- Encontro das Águas State Park

## Transpantaneira
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/pantanal/#g-lugar-transpantaneira
Half a day or more
Highway MT-060 between Poconé and Porto Jofre is 147 km long, according to the state infrastructure secretariat, and has been an Estrada Parque since 1996: the protected area begins at the inspection post at km 17 and protects the strip around the roadway. The Pantanal stretch is unpaved and crosses more than a hundred bridges, some of them wooden and some already replaced with concrete. The road is not only the way in: in the dry season wildlife viewing improves, and guides use the roadsides and bridges as stops to point out birds, caimans and capybaras. In the heat of September and October, outings are concentrated in the early morning and late afternoon; driving slowly is part of the visit.
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## Encontro das Águas State Park
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/pantanal/#g-lugar-parque-estadual-encontro-das
Barão de Melgaço · Half a day or more
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. It shelters many jaguars, which hunt capybaras and caimans along the banks, and for that reason it has become one of the most sought-after places to see them. The visit is by boat from Porto Jofre, with a boat pilot and guide arranged through your lodging or an operator; the most common format has two outings a day, one early in the morning and another after lunch. Demand is highest from July to October, in the dry season. Even then a sighting is not guaranteed: it depends on where the animals are that day, and each additional outing raises the chance. Conduct on the boat is covered in «Etiquette».
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## Porto Jofre
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/pantanal/#g-lugar-porto-jofre
Mato Grosso do Sul · One to two hours
A settlement at the end of the Transpantaneira, on the bank of the Cuiabá River, within the municipality of Poconé. It is the departure point for jaguar trips, for fishing and for the hotel boats, known in the Pantanal as chalanas. The Hotel Porto Jofre Pantanal Norte has operated there since 1984, and there is a private airstrip. Sleeping here removes the round trip by car to the river and lets you be on the boat at dawn.
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## Poconé
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/pantanal/#g-lugar-pocone
Mato Grosso · Up to half an hour
The gateway town to the Transpantaneira was born of gold in 1781 and still lives alongside mining, visible in the craters around the center. For the visitor, it is the stop to fill the car, buy whatever is missing and eat fried fish with banana farofa or the local baguncinha. In the first weeks of June, during the Feast of São Benedito, the Cavalhada turns the town into a tournament between Moorish knights, in red, and Christians, in blue.
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## Pantanal Matogrossense National Park
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/pantanal/#g-lugar-parque-nacional-do-pantanal
Poconé · Half a day or more
Created in 1981 with about 135,000 hectares, it is Poconé's largest fully protected area and is part of the World Heritage site. It lies downriver from Porto Jofre, and ICMBio cites the bird roosting and resting sites of Baía do Burro and wildlife viewing by boat among its attractions. Anyone who wants to include it must arrange boat transport and confirm visiting conditions with ICMBio, which manages the park.
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**Pantanal: How do you get to the Transpantaneira?**
The airport is Marechal Rondon (CGB), in Várzea Grande, next to Cuiabá. From there to Poconé it is about 100 km of asphalt, by rental car or on the transfer that lodges and agencies offer; after that, the Pantanal stretch continues unpaved to Porto Jofre.

**Pantanal: How many days should you stay?**
Four days, not counting the trip to Cuiabá: one night at a lodge at the start of the road and two in Porto Jofre, with three or four boat outings to look for the jaguar. Three days allow the round trip, but that leaves a single afternoon on the boat.

**Pantanal: Are you guaranteed to see a jaguar?**
No: a sighting is never guaranteed, not even in the most sought-after season, from July to October. It depends on where the animals are that day, and each additional boat outing from Porto Jofre raises the chance.

**Pantanal: Can you go in an ordinary car?**
In the dry season, from May to September, an ordinary car usually suffices if driven carefully; October is a transition, and the first rains may arrive. In the rainy season, prefer a 4x4 or the lodge's transfer and confirm it is open: from December, the road can become impassable near Porto Jofre.

**Pantanal: When is the best time to go?**
July to September, in the dry season, with the road passable and the most sought-after time for jaguars; in September, average highs in Cuiabá exceed 35 °C and there may be smoke from fires. May and June suit those who prioritize birds and scenery; October brings the first rains.

**Pantanal: Can you go from Cuiabá to Porto Jofre and back in one day?**
It is not worth it: it is about 100 km of asphalt to Poconé and another 147 km of Transpantaneira each way, at low speed. Leaving Cuiabá and returning the same day leaves almost no time on the river, where you look for jaguars.

**Pantanal: What does the daily rate usually include?**
Most lodges and hotel boats sell the daily rate with full board and a guided outing. Drinks, transfers and the boat in Porto Jofre may be charged separately; when booking, also ask which municipal fees the daily rate already includes.

**Pantanal: Do you need a vaccine?**
The US CDC recommends the yellow fever vaccine for those going to Mato Grosso and lists the state among those with malaria transmission. Consult a travel medicine service before going and use repellent, especially from December.


## In the Nilo app
- Plan these 4 days on the map: https://nilopelomundo.com/en/app/guide/pantanal/?utm_source=llm&utm_medium=markdown&utm_content=door-itinerary
- Mark your hotel on the map: https://nilopelomundo.com/en/app/map/pantanal/?utm_source=llm&utm_medium=markdown&utm_content=door-stay

## Full editorial guide (Portuguese)
https://nilopelomundo.com/llm/pantanal.md