Brazil — the Pantanal

Land of the jaguar, photographed from a boat.

The Pantanal

The place

Jaguars on the river margins

Cruise the river systems of the northern Pantanal in search of jaguars, giant river otters and hyacinth macaws.

The Pantanal is the largest tropical wetland on earth, and it works nothing like a tiger reserve. You photograph from a boat rather than a vehicle, which means eye-level with the animal, no dust, and the freedom to reposition for the light in seconds rather than minutes. It is also the most reliable place to photograph a wild jaguar: the cats here are used to boats and hunt the river margins in daylight.

The essentials

The Pantanal in short

Country: Brazil
Regions we work: Northern Pantanal (Porto Jofre and the Transpantaneira); Southern Pantanal (Mato Grosso do Sul)
How you photograph: From boats on the river systems
Season: The dry season, roughly July to October
Nearest airport: Cuiabá (CGB), then the Transpantaneira
Best for: Jaguar photography, birders, offbeat explorers

Highlights

What you come for

Jaguar sightings from boats

The reason to come. Eye-level, unobstructed, and in daylight.

Giant anteaters, tapirs, anacondas

The Pantanal's other headline mammals, and a cast that includes capybara, caiman and the giant river otter.

Over 500 species of wetland bird

Hyacinth macaws, jabiru storks, toucans and kingfishers.

Intimate eco-lodges

Small, sustainability-driven properties along the Transpantaneira and floating hotels at Porto Jofre.