t A giant anteater snuffling its way across the cerrado
Thanks to its vast rainforest and natural wetlands, Brazil offers an incredibly varied array of plant and animal life. Here are some of our favorite ways to experience one of the world’s finest wildlife destinations.
t A giant anteater snuffling its way across the cerrado
The Brazilian cerrado, or savanna, is home to amazing animals. Take a guided safari with ecotourism group Onçafari (www.oncafari.org), track maned wolves at Pousada Trijunção (www.pousadatrijuncao.com.br), or plunge into the rainforests and swamps of Mosaico Juréia-Itatins in search of tapirs, which have mostly disappeared from coastal Brazil but live here in healthy numbers.
Brazil’s huge coastline allows splendid opportunities for spotting marine life. Watch dolphins in Baía dos Golfinhos in Praia da Pipa, or right whales off the coast of Ilha de Santa Catarina. In the waters surrounding the remote islands of Abrolhos dives with rays and turtles can also be arranged.
Elusive, majestic, and believed by some Brazilian indigenous peoples to hold divine power, the jaguar is the king of the Amazon rainforest, the swamps of Pantanal, and the lush Mata Atlântica. For your best chance to spot these fierce felines in a rural environment head to Caiman Ecological Lodge, where Onçafari runs a successful jaguar conservation project, or check out Porto Jofre in Pantanal where the animals venture along the river banks from June to October. Pantanal Jaguar Safaris (www.pantanaljaguarsafaris.com) offer knowledgeable guides.
A twitcher’s paradise, Brazil has the world’s richest diversity of avifauna. Head to Reentrâncias Maranhenses, where you’ll find an array of shorebirds, or Cristalino Lodge in the south corner of the Amazon. The lodge has knowledgeable guides and two observation towers looking out over the treetops, where you may spot some of the region’s colorful macaws.
Brazil’s impressive rainforest canopy makes the perfect home for slow-moving sloths, endemic monkeys, and troublesome toucans. Spend a night at Uakari Lodge in Mamirauá and linger on the rivers of the reserve, scouting for the endearing white uakari monkey and black-headed squirrel monkey.