The Estrada Parque
120 km through the Pantanal.
Munique Bassoli — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Munique Bassoli — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ricardo.galassi — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Carlos Scorzato — CC BY-SA 3.0
The Pantanal is the world's largest tropical wetland and its largest flooded grassland, spreading over 140,000 to 195,000 square kilometres, mostly in Mato Grosso do Sul, with parts in Mato Grosso, Bolivia and Paraguay. In the rainy season, roughly November to March, about 80 per cent of the floodplain goes under water; as it drains, animals gather around the remaining pools, which is why the dry season is best for wildlife. Some 463 bird species and more than 236 mammal species have been recorded here. From Campo Grande the BR-262 highway runs west towards Corumbá, and at Buraco das Piranhas the Estrada Parque dirt road begins, about 120 kilometres through the heart of the Pantanal to Corumbá, with dozens of wooden bridges and a ferry over the Paraguay River. Along it you can see caimans, capybaras, armadillos, deer, jabiru storks, toucans and hyacinth macaws. Most visitors spend several nights at farm lodges on or near the road, around places such as Passo do Lontra, where programmes include photo safaris, horse riding, birdwatching and night spotlighting. July is one of the best months to go.
120 km through the Pantanal.
Caimans, capybaras and birds.
Horses and night drives.
Near Corumbá, Mato Grosso do Sul
The dry season, especially July, when animals gather around the remaining pools.