Great Things To Do In Brazil – Jaguar Hunting

The largest and most beautiful big cat in The Americas is of course the jaguar. They used to roam all over the tropical areas of the two continents but are now mostly confined to the few remaining lowland wilderness areas, especially the Amazon and the Pantanal, both of which are mostly inside Brazil territory, and also the Brazilian Cerrado. There are rumours of jaguars surviving in remote areas of the Atlantic Rainforest of the Costa Verde, on the tropical paradise of Ilha Grande or the Laranjeiras Peninsula. The isolation of these areas makes it unlikely that a population could survive for very long in such a small habitat, but certainly not impossible. The Atlantic Rainforest watered by Iguazu Falls is certainly still home to at least one of them, who passes regularly at night through the grounds of the Hotel Das Cataratas in the Brazilian national park, according to the data from his radio collar. He has been seen in daylight too, crossing the park road between the patches of jungle. The Superagui National Park in Paraná is a little-visited, surprisingly remote coastal area of mountains and mangroves, where our favourite cat still survives in reasonable numbers.

Areas such as these would require chance encounters, too close encounters perhaps – certainly too close in the case of someone known very well to Brazil Adventure Tours, who came across a jaguar while hunting alone in the forests around Jardim, heading towards the Bolivian border with Mato Grosso do Sul. Thankfully he was too scared to shoot it but sadly it had too good taste to eat him.

There are precious few jaguars remaining in Brazil and South America, so we need to help preserve the ones that survive in the wild, only 25,000 or so at recent estimates. The best way to do this is to encourage people living in the remaining jaguar hotspots, such as the Pantanal and Amazon, that they can benefit more from a live jaguar than a dead one, and that ecotourism can last a jaguar lifetime while hunting tourism can last a quick shot. So in this case, jaguar hunting means jaguar spotting, or at least it had better do... Besides, jaguar spotting sounds more like you want to paint the poor creature.

As humans and their farming and logging have encroached into and destroyed much of the habitat of the big cats in Brazil, the best chance to see a jaguar comes in the two great remaining wilderness areas – The Amazon Jungle and The Pantanal Wetlands. The Amazon being a largely impenetrable jungle makes it difficult to spot wildlife further than two trees away. Jaguars are also intelligent elusive, solitary predators, so remaining hidden is in their nature. It is very difficult to spot a wild jaguar in the Amazon, although it can happen.

The wetlands and savannah of the Pantanal give far more open vistas. In the wet season of December to April, the higher waters mean that all fauna (and a billion mosquitoes) concentrate on the islands of land high enough to remain above the water level, meaning that locating the wildlife is far easier, and if you know where prey such as the capybara hang out then you have far more chance of seeing a jaguar, and also the other big cats such as the puma and ocelot. Both these creatures and many more are helped by any jaguar conservation projects, as they don’t infringe on the jaguars habitat and alimentation. The jaguar is known as an ‘umbrella species’ in that its survival ensures the survival of many more below the apex of the jaguar in the food chain.

Around 30 years ago Pantanal ranchers began to realise, with a little encouragement from wildlife groups of course, that visitors wanted to see such creatures in the wild and not shoot them, and their farming methods adapted to protect the habitat in conjunction with the farming (leaving termite mounds standing in the fields for giant anteaters is one example). Not shooting them was obviously the biggest help. Naturalists and wildlife specialists also began to open lodges to run alongside their research programmes and preservation projects. The behaviour of the pantaneiro jaguar in his natural habitat is now more understood, and this can help raise the chances of seeing them, even in such huge territory.

The odds of the jaguar thriving in the Pantanal are now far higher with so many people now depending on them for a living, and also having been educated into protecting them and all the other beautiful creatures that make their home in the wetlands, which certainly wasn’t the case even 15-20 years ago. Your Jaguar Hunt in Brazil can also help to encourage the protection of the species, and all the others that may not even realise that they are sheltering under a jaguar umbrella.

You may still have to journey for your sighting though. Jaguars can be seen on the peripheries of the wetlands, in the channels, on the muddy banks, or even swimming if you are very lucky. To improve your chances though you need to stay at one of the specialised lodges further inside the Pantanal. The Southern Pantanal close to Campo Grande does have plenty of options, but the Northern Pantanal around Cuiaba has better access to more remote areas. Porto Jofre in particular has been a region for jaguar to hang out in reasonable numbers, upstream from the town on the Rio Piquiri. All journeys are done by boat, so trips are seasonal, and specialist jaguar-watching expeditions mean staying in boats or simple accommodation right in the heart of Jaguar Country, with possibilities for close encounters day and night.

The chances of seeing a jaguar in Brazil may be slim these days but if you are willing to invest time and effort to make it possible, then you can take it from us that any sighting of this rare and beautiful creature will be one of your most special moments in Brazil.

Activity Information: A trip to the Pantanal can be as short or as long as you like. The best chance to see a jaguar comes with expert guides on a properly organised trip, visiting the areas where jaguars are known to frequent.

Great Things To Do In Brazil – Snorkelling the Rivers of Bonito

One of the most surprising and enjoyable activities in Brazil, and one open to people of all ages and abilities, is to spend a morning or three floating and snorkelling down the rivers of Bonito, whose crystal clear waters are amongst the three clearest river systems on the planet. The limestone substrate of the Serra da Bodoquena National Park area means that the freshwater springs that bubble up in Bonito, forming the Rio Sucuri, the Rio Formosa and the Rio da Prata, are full of calcium deposits. Any impurities in the water are thus calcified and drop to the sandy riverbeds, leaving stunning visibility. 

Bonito is also a town that cares for its environment so no fishing is allowed in these tributaries of the Rio Miranda that passes along the southern part of the Patnanal in the interior state of Mato Grosso do Sul, heading towards the huge Rio Parana that separates Brazil from Bolivia. This has allowed the aquatic life to flourish under the surface, although much of it can also be seen from above. The rivers teem with huge pacu, piraputanga and the shining golden dourado. Snorkelling so close to such huge fish in a river is special enough, but Bonito also offers the chance to snorkel with many other creatures that you wouldn’t encounter elsewhere. Giant otters and caiman alligators can occasionally be spotted, and the abundance of fish means that neither they nor the seasonally resident anaconda (‘sucuri’ means anaconda in the local indigenous tupi-guarani language) ever need to worry about attacking humans, nor do humans need to worry about being attacked by them.

There are also monkeys in the overhanging trees (with groups of piraputanga waiting below for them to drop fruit), while toucans and kingfishers flit from branch to branch. While snorkelling in Bonito it is just as valuable to look out of the water as often as inside. Anteaters, giant and lesser, and tapirs might also be found bathing in the shallow pools that form at the sides of the river, hidden by vegetation, while on very rare occasions a jaguar has been spotted relaxing on the riverbanks. 

Bonito then can boast some of the most varied snorkelling on earth! It does need a little luck to see the larger creatures, although not everyone would appreciate such serendipitous meetings, but even without such close encounters with the local wildlife, the experience of snorkelling in the rivers of Bonito is a special one. There are three main options, all of them being easy to manage even for beginners. In order not to disturb the riverbed and ruin the clarity of the waters, everybody must wear life jackets and also must enter the water without sunscreen or other pollutants. The snorkelling is a gentle float with the current around the waters and vegetation accompanied by hundreds of fish. A little practice breathing with your snorkel outside the water is all that it takes for beginners to get the hang of the relaxed rhythms necessary to enjoy the experience to its fullest. 

The Natural Aquarium is the most charming of the three principal excursions, a freshwater spring that fills a shallow lagoon separated from the river. The morning sun illuminates the white sand on the riverbed and leaves everything – fish, vegetation and humans – with a spectacular lining of blue and yellow light. 

The Rio Sucuri is the most relaxing river, a 2km float downstream which can be accomplished with absolutely no effort at all for long periods, just allowing the current to take you gently downstream, like a natural flotation tank with added wildlife. This could well be the most peaceful experience that you can have in Brazil.

The Rio da Prata is the most adventurous river in Bonito, with a faster flow and some rapids to negotiate on foot as well as in the water. One quick bend in the river is particularly good fun to float around at a decent speed, with a wonderful bubbling spring halfway down too. As you enter the main river, the waters slow and so does the aquatic life, giving you plenty of time to enjoy the company of your favourite fish in the turquoise waters, with tropical rainforest lining the banks for the final half of the 2km extension. 

You can float down as many of Bonito’s rivers as you please, and experience isn’t necessary. Our recommendation is that you try all three on different days, as the slight differences make them a fascinating combination. Snorkelling the rivers of Bonito is an ecotourism activity known to few people outside of Brazil at the moment, but being such a special experience, Brazil Adventure Tours are sure it will grow in popularity.

Activity Information: The excursions in Bonito need to be booked in advance, and transport may also have to be arranged on certain days when the regular shuttles do not run, as each starting point is outside the town centre. People of any age and any ability can manage the floating and snorkelling, and a boat is always on hand for those who decide that they can’t manage any more. Physically, the activities are not tiring in themselves although a certain level of fitness is necessary. 

Great Things To Do In Brazil – Kayaking the Costa Verde

Well, one of Brazil’s best kept secrets seems to be out. After years of trying to encourage as many people as possible to try some kayaking in Brazil, and especially along the Costa Verde, it seems like National Geographic has done the job in one quick article. Brazil: Paddling the Green Coast in the latest issue of National Geographic Traveler magazine is their choice of one of the 10 Best Tours in Central and South America., part of the 50 Tours of a Lifetime 2012 series. The Green Coast is the literal translation for Costa Verde of course, but it sounds more prosaic. Much better to use the Portuguese, which sounds as exotic as the scenery.

The Costa Verde is the stunningly scenic coastal route between Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Atlantic Rainforest covers the mountains, which drop directly into the sea on this rugged paradise. Coves and hidden beaches once provided shelter for pirates, and now make convenient breaks on kayak trips. The Bay of Angra dos Reis, including Paraty and Ilha Grande, is perhaps the finest kayaking spot in the whole of Brazil, especially because here we can organise all manner of kayaking trips, from morning paddles to week-long specialist ocean-kayak safaris around the whole coast of tropical island paradise Ilha Grande, or around the remote Laranjeiras Peninsula close to Paraty. 

The day paddles around Paraty can take you to beaches that other tourists won’t see, and through the mangrove forests that separate different bays along the coastline. There are also offshore islands to explore as well. On Ilha Grande, the best hour or so is to take a kayak from Praia do Canto just along the beach from the main town, Vila do Abraao, and paddle around the headland to Praias Julia and Crena. The turquoise waters with overhanging Atlantic Rainforest with rocks clearly outlined beneath are enough of a pleasure on their own. The sighting of a sea-turtle feeding around the rocks makes it even more special. They usually prefer the afternoon to visit the area, and always come up for air, every few minutes or so. Keeping an eye out for their heads breaking the surface briefly or listening for the ‘plock!’ sound of their intake of breath makes an essential part of the paddle.

Around both Paraty and Ilha Grande, there are longer paddles too, with overnight stays in simple fishing villages only reachable by sea, such as the trip to Saco da Mamangua from Paraty. This is Brazil’s only tropical fjord, with mountains towering down on either side. The hike up to the top of Sugar Loaf Mountain (not that one!) gives the most breathtaking views of the Costa Verde, including Ilha Grande.

Specialist Kayak Expeditions include the Round The Island Paddle of Ilha Grande, which is very weather dependent as the Atlantic side can be rough. The remote beaches come with miles of tropical sand, crystal clear wáter in sheltered coves with sea-turtles and tropical fish for a snorkelling break, with the backdrop of the rugged island interior completely covered in Atlantic Rainforest. This is as good as kayaking gets.

The Laranjeiras Pensinsula close to Paraty on the mainland is very similar to Ilha Grande, a rugged, remote area of pristine natural beauty. It is just as exotic and beautiful too. There are two main options for a longer kayak expedition here starting from Paraty through the Saco da Mamangua, with the Sugar Loaf climb too. The kayaking here is in a natural marine park with over 100 species of fish. The 5 day kayak only expedition finishes in Paraty-Mirim, a small fishing village hidden at the end of the inlet. The advantage that his paddle has over the Ilha Grande idea is that the calm waters of the bay are almost always suitable for paddling, sheltered by mountains from the Atlantic winds of the open ocean. The longer kayak and hike expedition takes you first on a trek all around the Laranjeiras Peninsula before the final kayak part from Saco da Mamangua to Paraty. If you make us recommend any of these Costa Verde Kayak Adventures, it would be this one!

These trips are so good, so scenic, not only taking you to sheltered coves and beaches and rocks galore, including sleeping in simple fishing villages only reachable by sea, but they can also be combined with hikes up mountain peaks to provide you with panoramic Costa Verde views that we think cannot be bettered in Brazil or anywhere else. This dizzying combination of kayaking and hiking amongst some of Brazil's finest coastal scenery makes kayaking in the Costa Verde one of the most recommended activities in Brazil. 

    

Activity Information: Different trips can be planned in Brazil for those with a little or a lot of kayak/canoe experience. Safety equipment and good quality craft are used on all guided tours, with experienced local guides who are familiar with weather conditions, currents and tides, as well as with the regional flora and fauna. Every single kayak and canoe trip in Brazil requires sunscreen, sun-hat, good quality insect repellent, some kind of footwear for rocky landings (dark rocks especially can become burning hot in the tropical Brazilian sun!) and perhaps long-sleeve outerwear. Longer kayak safaris mean this equipment is essential and best to bring from home if possible.