Taking up half of South America’s landmass, Brazil is THE most biodiverse country in the world. It is home to the world’s largest rainforest – the Amazon, and the world’s largest wetland – the Pantanal. Together with the Atlantic rainforest and Cerrado grasslands, these ecosystems contain an astonishing abundance and diversity of wildlife. This Brazil itinerary was planned around the finest wildlife watching locations in Brazil.
READ MORE: 35 Amazing Brazilian Animals you Can Spot on your Travels
A lot of my wildlife travel is driven by my wild cat quest. I am on a mission to see all wild cat species (there are 40 of them) in the wild. And Brazil’s strongest drawcard was the high chance of spotting jaguars and ocelots in the Pantanal.
Brazil itinerary at a glance
Here is a brief overview of the destinations we chose, which all proved to be excellent choices in terms of the quality of the experience, and the variety of wildlife we spotted.
Watch jaguars in Porto Jofre
Lying on the bank of the Cuiaba River in the Northern Pantanal, the small fishing community of Porto Jofre has become the jaguar watching capital of the world in the last decade. The water-loving big cats are easily observed from the boat at a surprisingly close range.
The river is also the best place in the world to see Giant otters and many other species of wildlife.
READ MORE: 50 Outstanding Safari Holidays Destinations Outside of Africa
Spot ocelots and Giant anteaters at Fazenda San Francisco
Fazenda San Francisco in the Southern Pantanal is probably the best place in the world to see wild ocelots. The cats are attracted by the high population of rodents in the rice paddies at the Fazenda and have grown accustomed to the safari vehicles, which allows for some very close encounters.
The Fazenda is also home to jaguars, Giant anteaters, armadillos, and some spectacular birds.
See the Maned wolf at Santuario do Caraca
One of the most elusive animals in Brazil is the magnificent Maned wolf. Because of its shy personality, the wolf is very difficult to see in the wild. Unless it comes to you of its own accord, as it does at the former Catholic seminary at Santuario do Caraca.
Thirty years ago, the monks at Caraca started leaving food scraps for the resident maned wolf (to stop it from raiding the seminary’s rubbish bins), and since then, many generations of maned wolves kept the relationship with the monks alive.
Today, you can stay at Caraça overnight and see maned wolves drop in for an evening snack.
Experience Iguazu Falls
While not a wildlife watching destination per se, Iguazu Falls are one of the most dramatic natural attractions on earth. They are taller than Niagra, wider than Victoria Falls and more beautiful than both.
And to truly appreciate them, you need to experience them from multiple angles: from the trails in both Brazil and Argentina, from the boat and even from the air if you feel like a splurge. To make it eve more interesting, you can visit The Three Frontiers where the borders of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay meet.
Go birdwatching in Paraty
Perched between the forest-covered mountains and the island-studded bay, the small colonial town of Paraty has the best of all worlds. You can cruise Mamangua fjord, hike in the Atlantic rainforest and wander the cobbled streets of the historic town center.
With so many different habitats, birdwatching in Paraty is superb. A five-hour birding tour with an expert guide will easily produce a hundred different species!
Detailed Brazil itinerary for wildlife enthusiasts
At 8.516 million square kilometres, Brazil is one of the biggest countries in the world. But despite its size, Brazil’s cities are not well connected by direct flights.
Travelling between different destinations usually involves flying via São Paulo or Rio. So even if your next destination is only a few hundred kilometres away, it will take at least one day to get there. And often, you will have to spend a night in transit.
This is why it is important to figure out your ‘must-see places‘ in Brazil and maximize your time at each destination.
For this reason, we decided against going to the Amazon and spend more time in the Pantanal instead. While the Amazon has a high concentration of wildlife, the animals are very hard to see in the dense jungle. The Pantanal, on the other hand, is flat and mostly open and contains THE highest concentration of wildlife in the Americas.
Here is the map of our four-week Brazil itinerary.
Jaguars in the Northern Pantanal
The Pantanal is a must for any Brazil itinerary that focuses on nature and wildlife. The amount of wildlife in this epic wetland is nothing short of awe-inspiring.
My friends and I arrived in São Paulo from Canada and Australia, respectively, and the following morning, we met in Guarulhos airport for our flight to Cuiaba.
Julinho from Pantanal Trackers picked us up at Cuiaba airport, and after a quick lunch in town, we headed to the Pantanal.
We spent the first two days exploring the savannah along the Transpantaneira highway – the only road that traverses the Northern Pantanal. Overnight, we stayed at Pouso Alegre – a lovely rustic property that is partly a cattle ranch and partly eco-lodge. The main reason we stayed at Pouso Alegre was to see the Brazilian tapir.
On the third day, we drove to Porto Jofre and checked in at the Pantanal Norte Hotel – our base for the next four nights. After lunch, Julinho prepared his boat, and within an hour of being on the Cuiaba River, we were looking at our first jaguars.
From Caraca, we took a long way back and visited two historic colonial towns: Mariana and Ouro Preto. Both are adorable, and if you are in the area, they are worth the detour. Plan to spend the night in Ouro Preto.
Santuario do Caraca Itinerary at a glance
- 2 nights at Santuário do Caraça
- 1 night at Ouro Preto
How to book Santuario do Caraca
Santuario do Caraca can only be booked directly via their website or Facebook page. We successfully used Google Translate to communicate with Caraca to make the booking.
Iguazu Falls – Brazil & Argentina
No visit to Brazil would be complete without experiencing Iguazu Falls. To do the Falls justice, we visited both the Brazilian and the Argentinian sides of the Falls.
Iguazu Falls on the Brazilian side
After a day of travelling from Ouro Preto to Foz do Iguacu via Belo Horizonte and Sao Paulo, we arrived at Foz in the late afternoon and spent the remainder of the day relaxing at the hotel.
The following day, we arranged an Uber to Parque Nacional do Iguaçu and spent the day exploring the Brazilian falls. It is worth it getting to the park early and catching the first bus to the falls – for about 20 minutes, we had the Devil’s Throat to ourselves.
Check out this post for details about visiting the falls, and more tips for getting the most out of the experience.
The other relatively quiet period is the late afternoon. Again, we found ourselves completely alone at the lookout across from Belmond Hotel das Cataratas before we caught the last bus back.
The park entrance has free wi-fi service, so booking an Uber for the ride back is easy.
Iguazu Falls on the Argentinian side
The following morning, we arranged a taxi for the return trip to Parque Nacional de Iguazu in Argentina via the immigration office and spent the day exploring the falls from a different viewpoint.
In Argentina, there are a lot more trails and lookouts to see the falls, but the Devil’s Throat is more impressive on the Brazilian side.
Another perk on the Argentinian side is the Macuco nature trail that meanders through the Atlantic rainforest and provides much-needed relief from the crowds of the Upper and Lower Circuits. To get an idea of what animals you can see at Iguazu, check out this post about Fiding Wildlife at Iguazu Falls.
Iguazu Falls Itinerary at a glance
- 3 nights at Hotel Nacional Inn Iguacu
How to book Iguazu Falls
No prior bookings are necessary, simply purchase the entry ticket at the park offices. But you should pre-book the speed boat ride at the Macuco Safari website to avoid the queue in the park.
Paraty
We took an early flight from Foz to Sao Paulo, where the private transfer driver from Green Toad Bus was waiting for us. While we expected a minivan for the transfer, we got a brand-new BMW sedan.
The drive took just over 4 hours, but we had an unpleasant surprise waiting for us in Paraty. Pousada Kaete, which we booked in advance and pre-paid for 2 nights, was a huge disappointment. Instead of a triple room, we were given a room with one double bed and one pull-out mattress on wheels. The owners were quite unpleasant to deal with and refused to refund us the second night of accommodation.
In any case, we left and checked in at Pousada Corsario in town, which we booked on booking.com to avoid the high walk-in rate. From this point on, we had a fantastic time in Paraty.
On our second full day in Paraty, we took a birding tour that turned up over 100 species in just five hours. There is also a population of White-eared marmosets in town that you’ll probably see on the tour.
The following day, we decided to take a cruise to Mamangua fjord. There are plenty of large commercial schooners offering cruises to the fjord and to the islands in the bay, but we gave those a miss.
Instead, we walked to the pier, where we met Junior – a local fisherman and booked his small and quintessentially Brazilian boat, LuLa LeLe, for the day. It turned out to be the best decision of our trip!
Check out this post for the details about visiting Paraty.
Paraty Itinerary at a glance
- 1 night at Pousada Kaete (pre-paid for 2 nights)
- 3 nights at Pousada Corsario
I hope you enjoyed this Brazil itinerary and that it was useful in planning your journey. Have you visited any wildlife destinations in Brazil? Share your sightings and suggestions in the comments below.
More on wildlife watching in Brazil
- 35 Amazing Brazilian Animals and Best Places to See Wildlife in Brazil
- Wildlife of Iguazu Falls, Brazil and Argentina
- A Practical Guide to Visiting Iguazu Falls in Brazil & Argentina
- Brazil Wildlife Watching Itinerary: Birds, Wolves and Wild Cats
- All 17 Types of Macaws and Where to See Them in the Wild
- Thirsty Tapirs and Flamboyant Birds at Pouso Alegre Lodge, Brazil
- Pousada Piuval – A Pantanal Lodge Reveiw
- On the Trail of Wild Jaguars in the Pantanal, Brazil
- 7 Fun Things to Do in Paraty, Brazil
- Maned Wolves and Catholic Monks of Santuario do Caraca
Your photos are absolutely stunning! I love seeing wildlife, these would all be such amazing experiences.
Thank you, Shannon :)
The wildlife here is just incredible! I’d love to take a trip like this, so thank you for all your insight!
I’m glad to have inspired you, Elena!
There are so many beautiful animals to see here! Thank you so much for sharing your tips on how to see them if you’re travelling on a budget.
You”re photos are amazing! I will never forget the spectacular Iguazu Falls & saw my first Toucan in the guesthouse garden in Paraty!
Toucans are such incredible birds, aren’t they
The images are beautiful more over the blog is much informative. I visited Brazil in 2017 but I didn’t read this before that. It should be useful for my next trip to brazil. Guys, please post a blog like this about Dubai tour or travelings.