A top tier trip to Brazil brings together three of the country’s greatest strengths: city, wildlife, and beach. Begin in Rio for its landscapes and infectious energy, or São Paulo for food, art, and design. Finish in Trancoso for laid-back beach life, or at Awasi Santa Catarina for a truly secluded coastal retreat.

In between, the Pantanal steps up to the mark on wildlife. Spanning a vast sweep of western Brazil, this seasonal floodplain is a mosaic of open grasslands, waterways, and forest, home to impressive concentrations of wildlife. It is the world’s largest tropical wetland, and the best place on Earth to see jaguars in the wild.

Brazil supplies the heavy hitters; the art then lies in bringing them together. That’s where Journey’s insider knowledge, connections, and careful planning come in, turning the country’s standout destinations into a trip that ticks every box. Our MD, Mika, has returned to the Pantanal twice this year, bringing back fresh insight into what makes this extraordinary region so special.

Caiman Lodge Remains the Standout Place to Stay 

To reach Caiman Lodge in the southern Pantanal, after a night in Campo Grande (the region’s main gateway), you’ll wake up full of anticipation: this is the day you set out in a private transfer across the landscape toward the reserve.

The ecological sanctuary is the brainchild of Roberto Klabin: forty years ago, he inherited the family’s headquarters and decided to turn it into a conservation ranch. Progress was gradual: for years, he even subsidized guests to visit as he welcomed researchers whose studies helped shape conservation practice across the region. Inspired by what he’d seen on safari in Africa, Roberto knew that through investing in conservation and habituating wildlife, the ecosystem would thrive, and people would want to experience it. Today, the area is home to a thriving population of jaguars (more on that later), which is a testament to what four decades of patient investment can do.

The lodge is the perfect base; immersed in nature yet designed with comfort always front of mind. Suites with air conditioning, scenic views, and private terrace – perfect for enjoying your morning coffee. A full gym, a new pool and a sauna, alongside a renovated restaurant space, serving tasty dishes made with local ingredients, all included in your stay. Days take on a familiar flow: an early safari, a slow stretch through the midday heat by the pool or back at the room, then lunch and a second outing to spot wildlife as the afternoon cools off. Some evenings end with a sundowner, or a night safari that rolls into dinner, sometimes even with live music back at the lodge and a surprise or two.

Cordilheira Lodge: The Pantanal’s Newest Arrival

Thirteen kilometers down a dirt track from Caiman’s headquarters sits Cordilheira, a new lodge run by the same team, that opened just weeks ago, at the end of June this year. Mika was lucky enough to visit just the first guests arrived, as the finishing touches were going in. This project is the culmination of forty years of learning (what works, what guests truly want, how to run a safari lodge well) all channeled into a single, refined experience.

Cordilheira is generally available as a full buyout only: seven rooms, each a generous 70 square meters, arranged around a shared pool and living space, with its own restaurant, kitchen and staff. Dinners come à la carte, wine is included, and because every stay is exclusive to you, game drives run privately too, on the property’s new safari vehicles.

For groups who want the reserve entirely to themselves, this is the option to keep in mind. As one of Caiman’s strategic partners, Journey has early access to select dates, so since availability here is in high demand, it’s always worth asking us directly.

Onçafari: Brazil’s Premier Jaguar Project

What makes the Pantanal so special is the sheer number of jaguars you have the chance to see. We have Onçafari to thank for that: a non-profit working day in and day out to protect biodiversity across the region, with Roberto Klabin himself sitting on the board.

A full day with their guides takes you deep into known jaguar territory, drawing on years of built-up knowledge of how these cats behave. You’ll soak up their passion and knowledge as the experts share their story during the day: why these cats were once killed by ranchers in the Pantanal, and how years of patient habituation turned this into a safe haven instead.

When Mika first visited Caiman almost fifteen years ago, tracking a jaguar meant hours of waiting for a radio call, then a dash out toward thick grass for a quick glimpse, if you were lucky. But that’s now changed; year upon year of daily monitoring means that jaguars are now known to be active right through the day, not just at dusk or in the dry season, and with many fitted with tracking collars, sightings here happen year-round.

The Journey Difference: Seamless Service 

Because of the relationships we’ve nurtured, Journey opens doors to the next tier of experience in the Pantanal. Having spent years getting to know Onçafari, we can arrange private visits and introductions that go beyond the standard shared vehicle. And while their wildlife encounters are often the star of the show, there’s much more we can build into a stay here to make it truly exceptional.

One of our favorite such experiences is horseback riding, Pantaneiro style. Pantaneiros are the Pantanal’s cowboys, their clothing, horsemanship and whole way of working cattle shaped these lands over generations. Spending time in the saddle with them is a genuine way to feel connected to it all. The horses are beautifully trained, the pace can be as slow as you like, and you can even take a breather halfway through in your own hammock with snacks. It’s a different experience from a day in the safari vehicle, and makes it an easy favorite for families riding out together.

We can also build in time with the Instituto Arara Azul, a project that has worked tirelessly to protect the hyacinth macaw population. Their biologists take small groups out to check active nests of these stunning parrots, measuring chicks and monitoring health in nesting season, or looking for signs of the year’s fledglings once they’ve gone. Don’t be surprised if a jaguar interrupts the birdwatching! On one visit, Mika’s group paused their search for nests when they found a jaguar dozing in the grass, before it wandered off, and they carried on.

Moments like that we can’t plan for, but everything else, we can: every logistical detail handled, every day building on the last, and everything tied together so that once you’re here, there’s nothing left to do but enjoy it.

Love the idea of becoming a conservationist in Brazil, even if only for a few days? Check out this itinerary for a sense of the kind of trip we could build for you. Let’s start the conversation about what you’re looking for.