Brazil Tours & Travel - Brazilian Exuberance - Rio de Janeiro & Pantanal

At half the size of Texas, the Pantanal is a vast wetland stretching across the borders of Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay. The rainy season, from October to March, creates an enormous flooded area relieved by patches of dry land, where most of the Pantanal's wealth of animals migrate together.

The waters begin to recede in March, and remain low until the following rainy season. This flooding has made systematic farming of the region impractical, leaving an enormously rich feeding ground for wildlife. Birds are easiest to spot, numbering over 600 species, but the Pantanal is also a sanctuary for the giant river otter, anacondas, iguanas, jaguars, ocelots, cougars, "jacarés" [cayman], deer, giant anteaters, black howler monkeys, zebu bulls and "capyvaras", the world's largest rodents. The richness and diversity of the Pantanal's flora and fauna is, quite simply, unforgettable. Finish your tour with the unforgettable Rio de Janeiro!