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Highlights Include:
- Participating in wildlife excursions in the Pantanal wetlands in search of monkeys, giant otters, capybara, cayman and an astonishing array of birdlife
- Exploring one of the richest wildlife areas on the planet, the Pantanal
- Searching for the elusive Jaguar
- Hiking around the white sand dunes and crystal blue lakes in the stunning Lençóis Maranhenses National Park
- Admiring the beautiful colonial architecture of São Luis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Relaxing in the picturesque Barra Grande
- Enjoying the stunning scenery and tranquility of Jericoacoara
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Day 1: Welcome to Brazil – Cuiaba – Pantanal
Airport arrival to Cuiabá and transfer to the Pantanal region along the Transpantaneira Highway. This zone consists the greatest wildlife concentration in Latin America and is the best site in Brazil for visitors to observe it. We will stay in fazendas, typical farms, where we will be surrounded by nature.
The Pantanal UNESCO Biosphere Reserve is the world’s largest freshwater wetland and is the best place in South America for spotting wild animals and one of the best places in the world to see birds. Capybaras, anacondas, peccarys, giant otters, hyacinth macaws and ocelots are common sights and it’s even possible to see the most elusive South American mammal: the Jaguar. The marshes are home to an immense variety of life, from jaguars to jabiru storks, so if you like to see animals in their natural environment, the Pantanal is an unmissable destination. Located in the heart of South America, the world’s largest wetland is 20 times the size of the famed Everglades in Florida – it covers some 210,000 sq km. Less than 100,000 sq km of this is in Bolivia and Paraguay; the rest is in Brazil, split between the states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul.
During this expedition we will travel across the northern part of the Pantanal to explore its ecosystems and to understand why the Pantanal is a Natural World Heritage Site.
Meals: -/-/D
Overnight: Pantanal Fazenda
Day 2: Pantanal Wildlife Viewing
Overnight: Pantanal Fazenda
Day 3: Transpantaneira – Porto Jofre
After a good breakfast, we will be able to take part in optional activities at the fazenda, according to your interest. In the afternoon, we depart for the Transpantaneira to Porto Jofre which is the best place to spot the elusive Jaguar.
Meals: B/L/D
Overnight: Pantanal Fazenda
Day 4: Porto Jofre – Jaguar Spotting
At dawn, after breakfast, we go by boat along Rio Jofre where we will have the best chance of encountering the elusive jaguar. It is a very difficult animal to see, but the guides will do their best to ensure that we will be in the perfect spot for this unique opportunity.
Meals: B/L/D
Overnight: Pantanal Fazenda
Day 5: Transpantaneira – Cuiabá – São Luis
In the morning, we transfer to the airport of Cuiabá for departure to our next destination, São Luis. Upon arrival to São Luis de Maranhão, the capital of the state of Maranhão, we’ll transfer to our charming pousada located in the historic downtown, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Located on the promontory formed by the Rivers Anil and Bacanga, northwest of São Luís Island, the Historic Centre of São Luís do Maranhão is characterized by its urban grid of streets lined with residential buildings of various heights, many with tiled roofs, painted ornamented cornices, tall narrow windows set in decorated surrounds and balconies with forged or cast iron railings. They date from the 1615 plan laid out by Portugal’s chief engineer in Brazil, following conquest of the fort that had been established on the site by the French in 1612. A guide will show us around the highlights of São Luis de Maranhão.
Meals: B/-/-
Overnight: São Luis Pousada
Day 6: São Luis – Barreirinhas to Lençóis Maranhenses
In the morning we head to Barreirinhas, located at the entrance to one of Brazil’s most spectacular national parks. We stop along the way in either Rosário or Morros before changing our vehicles for 4-wheel drive Toyotas in order to explore the dunes of Lençóis Maranhenses National Park. Composed of large, white, sweeping dunes, at first glance Lençóis Maranhenses looks like an archetypal desert, but in fact it is not an actual one. Lying just outside the Amazon Basin, the region is subject to a regular rain season during the beginning of the year. The rains cause a peculiar phenomenon: fresh water collects in the valleys between sand dunes and is prevented from percolating down by a layer of impermeable rock which lies underneath the sand. The resulting blue, green and black “lagoons” are surrounded by the desert-like sand.
The name of this 1550-sq-km national park refers to its immense expanses of dunes, which look like lençóis (bed sheets) strewn across the landscape and stretch 70km along the coast and up to 50km inland. The park also includes beaches, mangroves, lagoons and some interesting fauna, especially turtles and migratory birds.
OPTIONAL: Book at Barreirinhas an optional flight over the National Park.
Meals: B/L/D
Overnight: Barreirinhas Pousada
Day 7: Lençóis Maranhenses – Barra Grande
After breakfast we take a speedboat along Preguiças River stopping at Vassouras, where it is possible to walk over the small dunes of the Lençóis, Mandacarú, with its Preguiças Lighthouse, and Caburé, with its unique location between the river and the ocean. Then we will travel over the magnificent dunes known as the small Lençóis Maranhenses and then by road to the city of Barra Grande.
Barra Grande is deliciously off the beaten path on the northern tip of the Peninsula de Maraú, laid-back Barra Grande is a remote fishing village with sandy streets, tree-shaded magic and a tiny, picturesque center. Though it remained a relatively desolate paradise for decades, it’s slowly becoming more of a vacation getaway for Brazilian families. The village remains a great place from which to explore the rest of the peninsula.
Meals: B/-/-
Overnight: Barra Grande Pousada
Day 8: Barra Grande – Jericoacoara
This morning we travel from Barra Grande to Jericoacoara in a four-wheel drive, travelling most of the time travelling on paved road. The journey will continue through a other-worldly landscape of dunes until we finally arrive to Jericoacoara. Jericoacoara, known to its many friends simply as ‘Jeri,’ is one of Brazil’s most cinematic destinations. It magnetizes travellers with its perfect combination of hard-to-reach location (access is only by unpaved tracks through the dunes), stunning coastal scenery, exciting activities, excellent pousadas and restaurants, and fun nightlife. During the day, its beaches, dunes and lagoons are as postcard-worthy as any destination in South America; at night, illuminated by moonlight and by the lights of inviting boutiques and restaurants, its enchantment cannot be overstated. In a word: magical.
Meals: B/-/-
Overnight: Jericoacoara Pousada
Day 9: Jericoacoara
Free day to explore this forgotten Northeastern town, where the rhythm of life changes and the unique landscape will dazzle the visitor. In the midst of sand dunes and lush vegetation, we will be able to take part in many activities according to the travellers’ interest such as: horseback riding, yoga classes, surfing or trips on four-wheel drive vehicles over the surrounding beaches such as Tatajuba. Above all, we will enjoy the peace, sunsets and authenticity of this location.
Tonight we celebrate our journey with a farewell dinner.
Meals: B/-/D
Overnight: Jericoacoara Pousada
Day 10: Departure Day
In the morning, we bid farewell to paradise and transfer in our four-wheel drive vehicles over dunes and roads to the airport of Fortaleza for departure.
**Please note that this itinerary is subject to change.
Please note that we offer extensions to Rio de Janeiro, Fernando de Noronha
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Tour Inclusions:
- Guided excursions in the Pantanal
- Services of a Tour Leader
- 9 nights accommodation (based on double occupancy)
- All transportation per itinerary (bus, boat, 4-wheel drive vehicles, etc)
- All meals as per itinerary
- Sightseeing as per itinerary
- Domestic Flight (CGB-SLZ)
- Tips for included meals, local guides, drivers, porters, etc.
Tour Exclusions:
- International flights (can be arranged through nicola@finisterra.ca)
- Mandatory travel medical insurance and optional cancellation insurance (can be arranged through nicola@finisterra.ca)
- Activities and services not mentioned in itinerary
- Meals and beverages not mentioned in itinerary
- Items of a personal nature
- Tips for included meals, guides, drivers, porters, etc.
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Date: Oct 7th, 2016
A 20% non-refundable (unless cancelled by us) deposit is required at time of booking to reserve your place. Please contact info@finisterra.ca for more booking information, Terms & Conditions and an invoice. The sooner we reach our minimum number of 10 participants, the sooner we can guarantee this trip. Space is limited so don’t delay! Please note that the conversion from USD to CAD will be taken at time of payment using www.xe.com for the most recent exchange rate.
Address: Finisterra Travel, 106-550 E 6th Ave, Vancouver, BC, V5T 4H2, Canada
Full payment is due 60 prior to departure
