Fourteen days across the Southern and Northern Pantanal — jaguars on the Cuiabá and Piquirí rivers, giant otters, hyacinth macaws and night safaris on the Transpantaneira.
A private expedition coordinated by VIVO with trusted Brazilian field partners: open-jeep fazenda drives in the south, the Buraco das Araras macaw sinkhole, and three full days of jaguar work by motorboat in Porto Jofre.
The route mixes boat photography, vehicle safaris and lodge-based sessions so mammals, wetland birds and habitat all get proper time.
Field leadership is shared between VIVO and our photography partner; local guides operate each property and river section.
This departure is fully booked. Join the list for the next Pantanal group or request a private departure on your own dates.
Three full days of jaguar photography by motorboat
Southern Pantanal fazenda drives and night safaris
Buraco das Araras — macaws in flight at a 124 m sinkhole
Giant river otters and jabiru storks on the Pixaim River
Domestic flights and river logistics fully coordinated
Private group format — no mixed departures
Every day is built around light, altitude and the sites that actually deliver photographs.
Arrive early morning to São Paulo (GRU). Internal flight to Campo Grande. Meet the local guide and transfer to Pousada Aguapé in the Southern Pantanal. Possible giant anteater sightings en route.
Full-day excursions by open jeep through the fazenda. Hyacinth macaws, giant anteaters, hawks and toucans. Night drive for the elusive ocelot.
Full day in the Pousada Aguapé private reserve. Excellent opportunities for pampa deer, yellow armadillo, giant anteater and crab-eating fox along the Aquidauana River.
Morning drive in an open vehicle. After lunch, transfer to the Bonito area. Arrival at Hotel Rural Araras for dinner and rest.
Visit the Buraco das Araras — a 124 m deep, 500 m diameter sinkhole with its own ecosystem. Red-and-green macaws in flight and bats emerging at dusk.
Domestic flight to Cuiabá, then the legendary Transpantaneira road for about 3 hours with wildlife stops. Arrive at the lodge for a boat excursion on the Pixaim River — hawks and kingfishers in flight.
Morning boat tour searching for giant river otters and jabiru storks. After lunch, a 90 km transfer to Porto Jofre — the heart of jaguar territory.
Full day on the Cuiabá River by motorboat. The intensive jaguar search begins on exposed riverbanks, with giant otters, caimans, capybaras and rare waterbirds along the way.
Another full day exploring the Cuiabá and Piquirí rivers — the two main jaguar routes. Monkeys, caimans and an incredible variety of wildlife along the waterways.
Third full day on the rivers to build a complete jaguar portfolio. Morning and afternoon outings exploring side channels and riverbanks.
Last morning on the rivers. After lunch, a 3-hour transfer to Pouso Alegre Lodge. Afternoon photowalk on the Urutu trail — jabiru nests, agoutis and night herons.
Morning game drive. Afternoon excursion for Brazilian tapir at a known watering hole. Evening night safari along the Transpantaneira — ocelot, giant anteater and nocturnal birds.
Morning game drive on the property for final wildlife photography. Mid-morning departure for Cuiabá airport.
Flight from Cuiabá to Guarulhos airport for the international connection. End of expedition.
Designed around a realistic set of subjects. Wild species are never guaranteed — we tell you the odds honestly.
Properties are chosen for their position next to the day’s sites, not for their star rating.
Used on this route according to departure timing.
Used on this route according to departure timing.
Used on this route according to departure timing.
Used on this route according to departure timing.
A VIVO photography lead plus local specialists who know each site season by season.
Collaborating photography leader on selected international departures, focused on in-field coaching for bird and wildlife photography — multi-flash hummingbird setups, birds in flight and low-light forest work.
Founder of VIVO Expeditions. Designs every workshop route, coordinates hotels, ground transport, permits and local specialists, and leads field sessions in Costa Rica. He is also the person travellers talk to before, during and after each workshop.
The route links the Southern and Northern Pantanal, with the domestic Cuiabá → Campo Grande flight included so the transition never eats a field day.
Ground sections run in A/C vehicles along the Transpantaneira, with open jeeps for game drives and night safaris — unobstructed shooting angles instead of shooting through glass.
At Porto Jofre the work happens from motorboats on the Cuiabá and Piquirí rivers, at eye level with jaguars, otters and riverbank birds. Every lodge sits on the field route itself.
Rivers at first light, fazendas in the afternoon, night safaris after dinner — the Pantanal gives more shooting hours than almost anywhere.
The three Porto Jofre days are built around long river sessions: leaving at dawn, following the banks with local boatmen who read jaguar behaviour, and returning in the last warm light.
Southern Pantanal fazendas add open-country work — Jabiru Storks, capybara families, caiman and deer in clean grassland light, reachable in minutes from the pousada.
Buraco das Araras is a set piece of its own: macaws in flight against the depth of the sinkhole, a composition problem more than a reach problem.
Night drives target ocelot, tapir, crab-eating fox and nightjars, with photography leadership from Yeudy Hernández and VIVO plus Brazilian guides who operate each property and river section.
Heat, dust, boats and long lenses — the Pantanal is comfortable but hard on gear.
Reach and stabilisation matter most; almost everything is photographed from a boat or an open jeep.
Physically undemanding, but long days in heat and sun on the water.
For a private departure we send a written briefing with the exact route, lodges, gear list and the arrival and departure windows that fit the internal Cuiabá flight — before any payment is requested.
Real frames from the sites in this itinerary — no stock, no AI imagery.
All photographs © VIVO Expeditions and its guides. Shown for reference only; conditions vary by season.
International flights, the Brazilian visa, travel insurance, alcoholic beverages, tips and personal items are not included. Single-room supplement and a Costa Rica extension are available on request.
The scheduled group departure is sold out. Cost for a private Pantanal expedition is quoted per departure and depends on dates, group size and room configuration. The quote covers all fourteen days — lodging, every meal, the domestic Cuiabá → Campo Grande flight, A/C vehicles, open-jeep drives, river boats, local guides at every property, night safaris and park fees — in a written proposal, with no charge and no card details when you send the form.
International expeditions follow VIVO’s workshop terms — written proposal first, deposit to hold the place, and clear deadlines for the balance.
Sending the form charges nothing. You can join the list for the next Pantanal group or ask for a private departure on your own dates; we confirm lodges, boats and the internal flight before sending a written proposal.
Because Brazilian lodges, boats and the domestic flight are committed months ahead, cancellation terms are set out in full in your written proposal before any payment is made.
This is a request, not a booking. Nothing is charged now: we review dates, lodges, guides and group size, then send you a written proposal with the exact route and cost.
Send the request form to join the list for the next Pantanal group, or ask for a private departure on your own dates. Nothing is charged when you send it.
Photography leadership is shared between our partner Yeudy Hernández and VIVO, with Brazilian local guides operating each property and river section.
No. Porto Jofre offers among the best jaguar odds in the world and we allocate three full river days, but wild animals are never guaranteed.
