Pantanal Ride

Transfer to Fazenda Baia

Arrive at Fazenda Baia after a 5.5 drive from Campo Grande (light aircraft transfers also available). The ranch is located in the most preserved region of the Pantanal, with abundance of wildlife and nature. You’ll soon start spotting the local wildlife, cattle and also the cowhands at work with their mules & horses. After a welcome lunch offered by the host family there will be a short presentation of the area and general information. You’ll have a circuit ride in the surroundings to get the first impressions of the Pantanal’s amazing biodiversity. Dinner and overnight. Double & twin rooms (some single rooms) all with own bathrooms and air conditioning.

Fazenda Baia

There are many great rides and activities available at the Fazenda. You will head off on horseback in various directions from the ranch house, including usually one or two rides with the cowhands working the cattle. Expect the unexpected because at each time of the year there are different tasks to be carried out in the daily routine of a Pantaneiro cowboy, pulling calves aparts, curing cattle, lassoing, rounding up the cattle, changing the wintering or farm cattle as in a cattle move. And there are unforeseen events as Nellore cattle are known for their strong temperament.

Those not wanting to ride, or wanting to take a break from riding, can take part in hiking/bird watching, 4WD vehicle, canoe tours (dependent on season), and also cattle ranching – where you can be part of an authentic cultural activity from Pantanal. You will find plenty of wildlife and nature on exclusive trails, and all tours and activities are supported by experienced native guides. Meals & overnight at the Fazenda.

To Refuge Primavera

Leave early for a full day in the saddle, riding along the banks of Vazante Castelo. Ride about 6 hours until you reach the Fly Camp Refuge Primavera, which as the name implies, is wooden bush camp in the middle of Pantanal, hidden in a shady woodland.  Tonight, you will have a unique experience sleeping in a hammock in a well-constructed, thatched building. The outpost provides a basic infrastructure: hammock lounge  and mattress area, dining area and bathrooms (separate female and male, hot showers) all screened. If you prefer a mattress to sleep on rather than the hammock, please inform us at the time of booking. Dinner and overnight here.

Primavera to Barranco Lodge

You will wake up with the sounds of the birds in the trees around the Refuge. After an early breakfast, depart to Barranco Farm. You will continue the ride along the beautiful landscape of Vazante Castelo, where you will enjoy the lush Pantanal flora and fauna with incredible and untouched scenery. Great opportunity for bird and wildlife watching. Arrive at Barranco Farm for late lunch. Enjoy the afternoon boating or canoeing, exploring the Rio Negro. You will get to know its white beaches, where caimans warm themselves up in the sun. Meet the neotropical otters and the giant otters which inhabit its intricate twists and turns. Five different species of kingfishers patrol its margins. Chaco chachalacas scream in duets to draw attention to themselves. The lack of other boats on this river makes for a unique and private experience. Bathing in the river’s dark waters provides a unique experience. During your silent trip downriver, you may encounter parrots flying, toucans drinking water, riverbanks covered in holes where rufous-tailed jacamars, swallows and tegus live, capybara families calmly grazing, howler monkeys carrying their infants from branch to branch, and huge groups of white-lipped peccaries hurriedly swimming across the river, and with a little luck and patience, to look into the eyes of the biggest cat of the Americas: the jaguar! As the saying goes, “behind every white-lipped peccary there is a jaguar approaching.”. Roughly 60% of the sightings in Patanal are made from boat or canoes in silence. Dinner and night at Barranco Lodge.

Barranco Lodge

The farm is located in one of the most preserved and wildest areas of the Pantanal on the banks of the Rio Negro. Spend two days riding through this varied area, taking time to look for wildlife by boat or canoe as well as by horseback. With your camera or cell phone, you will be able to make a video worthy of National
Geographic documentaries! Only a few places on earth rival with the Pantanal in photography opportunities. Everywhere there’s something: from a tiny little velvet ant, to a hyacinth macaw or a roaring jaguar, breath-taking pictures are a certitude. Several professional photographers have chosen this place for some of their work.

You will also be able to bath and swim in the river and fish for piranhas (don’t worry, you’ll be guided where you where you can swim without any risk).

Additionally, the farm is home to thousands of cattle, allowing opportunities for the authentic cattle work so vital to the local culture.

Overnight at Barranco lodge

Return to Campo Grande

Depending your flight time, you may be able to enjoy one last ride before returning to Campo Grande.