Tour 3: Two ecosystems in one Tour - Barão de Melgaço - Chapada dos Guimarães6 days/5 nights - 2 person minimum - offered throughout the year
As an absolute highlight we offer you an extraordinary tour to the Pousada Rio do Mutum and Pousada do Parque (Chapada dos Guimarães). The Pousada Rio do Mutum was built specifically with the interests of ecotourism in mind. It is located between the lakes Sia Mariana and Chacorore, in one of the most beautiful areas of the Pantanal, in Mato Grosso, but far from the famous Transpantaneira.
The distance from the airport in Cuiabá to the lodge is 130 km, only 87 km of which are paved; the last 43 km are covered on a very bad gravel road. Along this road you get an impression of the diversity in vegetation in the Pantanal. You will surely get to see a few bird and animal species on both sides of the gravel road. You cross the small town of Mimoso, where Cândido Mariano de Silva Rondon was born. In the months from December to April (rainy season) you should be prepared for delays due to bad road conditions. The drive from the airport to the lodge takes about 2,5 to 3 hours.
The two Pousadas are ideal starting points for all kinds of tours (by boat, on horseback or on foot) through the Pantanal, far from civilization and in harmony with nature. Many bird species (among others the Mutum bird) as well as mammals can be discovered in the vicinity of the lodge. It is an El Dorado for bird and nature lovers, but also for people who are looking for peace and quiet and do not mind a little adventure along the way. On the various boat and horseback tours you will also encounter many mammal species.
1st day: Cuiabá - Pousada Rio do MutumYour tour guide picks you up at the airport in Cuiabá. Drive to the Pousada Rio do Mutum. In the town of Antonio do Leverger you have lunch at a local restaurant or diner. After the short break you proceed towards the Pousada Rio do Mutum. You pass the village of Mimoso, where the marshal Cândido Mariano da Silva Rondon was born. The arrival is scheduled for the late afternoon. Welcoming drinks (i.e. freshly squeezed fruit juice) on arrival. You then move to your bungalow and get an opportunity to freshen up a bit. Before dinner you go on an explorative walk and are informed about what activities await you in the next few days. Dinner and night stop at the lodge.
2nd day: Pousada Rio do MutumAfter breakfast you go on a horseback ride through the Pantanal. Here you will encounter numerous animal and bird species. In the vicinity of the lodge there are many bird species to watch, which is why this lodge is so popular among many bird lovers. Return to the lodge and lunch. In the afternoon you take a boat trip on the river to the bay of Siá Mariana and Chacoré. You take another boat back to the lodge; there will be a stop on the way so you can admire the sunset. Now you can try your luck catching piranhas. Before dinner you go feed the caimans in the dark with the piranhas caught on the way and then go on a nighttime safari. Dinner and night stop at the lodge.
3rd day: Pousada Rio do MutumSunrise tour at 4:30 am. You paddle a canoe along Rio Mutum and experience the sunrise and the awakening of the flora and fauna of the Pantanal. Return to the lodge and breakfast. After breakfast you take the boat to Mirim, a small fishermen’s village on the shore of Rio Mutum. Here you will have lunch. In the afternoon you take the jeep on a safari of the special kind, where you will discover a great number of bird and mammal species. Return to the lodge in the late afternoon. Dinner and night stop at the lodge. Between July and October this trip can be shifted to a visit to the biggest bird reserve in the Pantanal.
4th day: Pousada Rio do Mutum - Pousada do Parque in Chapada dos GuimarãesSunrise tour at 4:30 am. You paddle a canoe along Rio Mutum and experience the sunrise and the awakening of the flora and fauna of the Pantanal. Return to the lodge and breakfast. After breakfast at the Pousada do Parque you proceed to Chapada dos Guimarães, a completely different kind of nature. Here you spend two nights at the Pousada do Parque (or at another hotel; the Pousada do Parque only has 8 rooms and is therefore fully booked very quickly). Enjoy the unique beauty of these mesas.
In the afternoon (depending on arrival time) visit to the mesas. During a hike through the highlands you get an opportunity for a bath under one of the many waterfalls. You visit many of these, and also caves and little rivers. Many rare bird species have been sighted in this protected reservation. 5th day: Chapada dos GuimarãesAfter breakfast next day you go to the Centro Geodesico (the geological centre of South America). When the view is clear you can see for more than 100 km. You go to the village of Chapada dos Guimarães, where lunch awaits you at a local restaurant. Many people from Cuiabá have their weekend cottages here. That makes it a very busy place on weekends.
After lunch you start out on a hike in the national park from the
Pousada do Parque, which lies in the midst of a protected reservation.
Here you visit one of the many waterfalls. Time to take a bath, maybe
you are even brave enough to jump down the waterfall. This is considered
a test of courage in these parts. After this refreshment you hike back
to the Pousada do Parque (or a similar accommodation). After a shower
and some rest dinner in Chapada at a local restaurant. Night stop at the
Pousada do Parque. 6th day: Chapada dos Guimarães - CuiabáAfter breakfast transport to the airport. End of programme.
Prices apiece:
The following is included in our prices:3 night stops at the Pousada Rio do Mutum with full board.2 night stops at the Pousada do Parque in Chapada dos Guimarães including full board (depending on flight schedules also possible in reversed order). All rooms with air conditioning, bathroom/shower, minibar (in some). All transfers in an air-conditioned minivan or car, depending on the number of travellers. 24-hour support by English, French or German-speaking tour guide respectively (depending on availability). All trips by car, on horseback, by boat and on foot, as described above. Not included:Beverages, tips, personal expenses.Further non-described boat tours and horseback rides. Please note:The tours are adjusted to the situation on location, changes to the programme (order of the lodges) remain reserved (also due to flight schedules). Since the Pousada do Parque only has 8 rooms, a comparable lodge/hotel will be booked in case of non-availability at the time of booking.
The photos and texts on this page are copyright-protected: © Texts and Fotos by Günter Stysch |
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