Southern Pantanal, the portion of Brazil's wetlands located in Mato Grosso do Sul State, has ecotourism resorts where visitors can spot hundreds of bird species and several mammals, such as capybaras, up close. You'll often see the caiman, Pantanal's signature alligator, during guided nighttime spotlighting.
Here are some of the Southern Pantanal's best hotels, located in three major gateways. In Porto Murtinho, the gateway farthest from Campo Grande, the state capital (460 km), the focus is on fishing in the Paraguai River. The Saladero Cue, the area's best known hotel, resembles hotels in Northern Pantanal.
Aquidauana Hotels
Located just 146 kilometers from Campo Grande, Aquidauana (pop. 44,920) and the sub-region of Nhecolândia boast some well-equipped lodges on Southern Pantanal farms. Activities range from photo safaris to fishing to plenty of canoe and horseback riding tours.
Miranda Hotels
Some of the Pantanal's best known ecotourism resorts are located in Miranda (pop. 23,965), a little over 218 kilometers northwest of Campo Grande. Comfortable accommodations, rich pantaneira food and a wide option of tours can be found in these hotels:
Corumbá Hotels
Near the Brazil-Bolivia border, Corumbá (pop. 96,373) is rich both in fishing and boat hotels as well as in ecotourism resorts. Rooms built on stilts, such as at the Passo do Lontra Parque Hotel, and piranha fishing, are some of the attractions in this very wet region of Mato Grosso do Sul. Corumbá is located about 417 kilometers northwest of Campo Grande.
- Pousada Xaraés
- Passo do Lontra Parque Hotel
- Pantanal Park Hotel
- Pousada Arara Azul (site under construction; write for information)
When to Visit
Most tourists want to visit Southern Pantanal during the vazante (receding waters) and dry seasons (roughly April-October), even though the rainy and wet seasons (November-March) also afford plenty of opportunities to see the area's rich fauna, especially birds.
What changes radically in Pantanal depending on the seasons is the access to some hotels. When the area is flooded, some resorts can only be reached by 4-wheel drive vehicles or by plane, which is why several hotels in Southern Pantanal have airplane landing strips.
For more information about seasons in Southern Pantanal, see the Caiman Ecological Resort season guide.
