Gate Parque das Emas

Parque das Emas

The national park "Parque Nacional das Emas" in Goiás, is one of the most sensitive nature reserves of Brazil. It was founded in January 1961 in order to protect parts of the biotop "Cerrado" from the huge march towards the West which started after the inauguration of Brasilia.

A wildfire destroyed huge parts of the park in 1983. The park opened again for public in 2003. Now visitors can explore the park every day from 08:00 a. m. until 17:00 p. m. Only 3000 tourists are allowed to visit the park per year. The IBAMA (Brasilian Nature Conservancy Authority) is responsible for observance of this rule and for reforesting the park, which in huge areas  has already been completed successfully. We, the tour organizer Pantanal-/ Amazonas-Tours in Poconé – Mato Grosso with branch offices in Berlin, have concluded a contract with the IBAMA in Goiás, granting us the right to invite 100 tourists to the park annually. In the park itself and in the environments there are no hotels or convenient accommodations, and also no infrastructure, so that everybody always has to accept the 80 km journey from Mineiros.

A wildlife park always worth visiting and inviting to pass interesting and adventurous days!

Tour program:
11 days / 10 overnights
At least 2 persons, at maximum 5 to 6 persons

1^rst day:
Arrival at the airport of Cuiabá. Our guides will pick you up (if desired also English or German speaking guides available). Drive along the interstate highway BR070 passing small towns like Campo Verde until we reach Primavera do Leste, driving along miles-long fields of soy, corn and cotton (about 240 km).

Primvavera do Leste has got about 48.300 inhabitants. Compared to other cities in Mato Grosso it is a very rich town (due to the lots of soy growers). The city offers a lot of interesting shopping possibilities. Overnight stay at the Hotel Tropical or in the Hotel Master in Primavera do Leste. All rooms with TV, frigobar, air conditioning, bath / shower facilities and partially equipped with internet connection (Hotel Master); in the Hotel Tropical with swimming-pool.  On your way to Primavera do Leste break and lunch in a local restaurant, if desired. Dinner in Primavera do Leste, for example in a so-called Churrascaria (typical restaurant offering meat specialities).

2^nd day:
After breakfast our trip will be continued in air-conditioned small-sized busses up to Barra do Garças, situated on the river Rio Araguaia (about 280 km). On the way possibility for having lunch respectively a break.

This is the most strenuous part of the journey as about 150 km of the road are covered with potholes, so that it is necessary to drive very slowly and prudently which could mix up the time schedule.

Araguaia Park Hotel

Araguaia Park Hotel (back side)

Barra do Garças has got about 53.500 inhabitants You will stay at the Araguaia-Park-Hotel for the night, directly at the banks of the Rio Araguaia. Due to the bad conditions of the roads (many potholes) and the lots of traffic, delays and a strenuous drive may be possible.

	Barra do Garças
		Serra o Roncacdor
		Serra o Roncador
		Gruta Azul

		Left: Hotel Dallas in Mineiros Right: Hall of the Hotel Dallas
		Suite at the Hotel Dallas in Mineiros

The Hotel Dallas is the starting point for your daily tours (about 80 km) to the Parque Nacional das Emas. You must take packed lunch and beverages with you as there is no infrastructure in the environment of the Parque das Emas. The local guide Ednaldo will be pleased to accompany us. Ednaldo is also authorised by the IBAMA to guide tourists through the park.

Our local guide Ednaldo Barros, named „Marelo“

In the national park „Parque das Emas“ live a lot of animal and plant species; by a lucky chance you can watch a lot of different types of birds (also toucans and hyacinth macaws), roe deers, deers, tapirs, armadillos, snakes, capybaras and many other species of animals in the wild. The park is also protecting the biggest bird of Brazil the "Ema" (Rhea americana), a  South American type of ostrich, the nature reserve is named after (not to be confounded with the Australian "Emu"). Moreover, almost all types of cerrado-vegetation can be found in the park, for example the "Campo-Limpo", the "Campo-Sujo", the "Cerradão" and the "Mata-Ciliar" (gallery forest). Besides the Gramineae you can often find: Dalbergia, Campomanesia, Bowdichia, Qualea, Voshysia and Anacardium. Grasses dominate the "Campo-Limpo", between them also small and crippled trees of about 5 – 6 m hight, some of them with fruits as for example the "Fruta-de-Ema", the "Caju" (Anacardium occidentalis, Lin.) or the "Murici" (Byrsonima sericea.D.C.). The periwinkle "Buritís" (Mauritia vinifera, Mart.) and the "Copaíbas" (Copaifera officinalis, Lin.) attract attention of the visitors in the gallery forests.

A peculiarity of these savannas are the huge termites’ nests, up to 2 m high, consisting of clay dried in the sun. In the warm and humid summer nights between October and November, these termites’ nests shine in a blue-green phosphorescent light in the dark grass, a really fantastic phenomenon caused by the millions of termite larvas.

The real attraction of the park are the animals typical for the Cerrado-landscape and the possibility to watch them – like for example groups of "Emas" (Rhea americana), with a size of 1,50 up to 1,70 m and therefore easily can be picked out even in high grass. It is also easy to watch the "Tamanduá-Bandeira" (Myrmecophaga tridactila), the biggest type of anteaters when he opens the termintes’ nests in order to find the larvas using his long sticky tongue.  You can also find the "Suçuarana" (Puma concolor) – the yellow-brown puma, the "Tatu-Galinha" (Dasypus sexcinctus), a type of armadillos, the wild duck "Pato-Selvagem", the very rare King Vulture "Urubu-Rei" (Sarcoramphus papa), the almost died out "Arara-Canindé" (Ara araranna) and the pheasant "Perdiz" (Rhynchotus rufescens). In the gallery forests at the banks of the rivers, live the "Macaco-Prego", the capuchin ape and the "Bugio", the howler monkey.

And if you are very patient, you can watch all the others, for example the shy "Lobo-Guará" (Chrysocyon brachyurus), the South American mane wolf, the "Cachorro-do-Mato" (Cedocyon), a wild dog, different kinds of deers (Blastocerus dichotomus), "Siriemas" (Cariana), grey-blue flightless bird of about 80-100 cm hight, with orange-red legs and many, many other tropical types of birds.

Among the reptiles you find the "Jacarés" (Caiman palpebrosus) a type of cayman, "Sucuris" (Eunectes murinus) anacondas / boas and poisonous snakes like for example the "Jararáca" (Bothrops jararaca). 

9^th to 11 ^th day:
After breakfast we will leave the federal state of Goiás driving along the BR364 in direction to the Rondonopolis towards Chapada dos Guimarães (about 400 km), 70 km northern of Cuiabá. The road will lead us through the unique beauty (serpentine roads) of the „São Jose do Povo“ and the „Pedra Preta“ (mountains). In Rondonopolis you will have a short break for refreshing while filling up the car; the we will directly drive to Chapada dos Guimarães.

		Pousada Penhasco in Chapada dos Guimarães
		Apt. at the Pousada Penhasco Sierra of Chapada

The deeply fissured plateu-like Chapada dos Guimarães forms the watershed between the rivers of the Amazon and the Rio Paraguay (flowing as Rio de la Prata in Argentina into the Atlantic Ocean). Waterfalls and subterranean grottoes, bizarre sculptures of rock, plateaus exposed to heat and cold – the Chapada reaches its highest point at the mountain São Jerônimo with 835 m above sea-level, green tropical, heavily overgrown canyons – Chapada offers this all. It is, put together, a really impressing picture of Cerrado of Mato Grosso. The city of the same name is situated in the centre, about 70 km northern of Cuiabá. The oldest building in this little, but very attractive city is the church Nossa Senhora Santana do Santissimo Sacramento, which was finished in 1779.

After breakfast: visit to the national park. During our trip through the uplands you will have the possibility to have a bath in one of the numerous waterfalls.  Visit to the cave Casa de Pedra (with a subterranean river), view from the Morro de São Jerônimo (860 m), the highest waterfall of the Véu de Noiva with a height of 86 m, falling down a majestic canyon.

11^th day:
According to the flights: in the morning or in the early afternoon drive back to the airport of Cuiabá.

Extra days or connecting tour to the Pantanal possible on request.

Prices valid up to 23.12.2006 with reservations. The right of changes in the price for the journey is reserved in the case of further exchange rate fluctuations. If the exchange rate for the Euro will rise again during the next months up to the former level (of March 2005) of 3,40 to 3,50 Reais, we will grant a price deduction (according to the current rate).

Scope of services (included in the price):
Assistance by qualified biologists (English, German speaking), 24 hours a day.
All transport in air-conditioned small sized busses including petrol costs.
Assistance by additional local guides in Barra do Garças and Mineiros.
All excursions by car, horse, boat or on foot.
1 overnight stay with breakfast in the Tropical- or Master Hotel in Primavera do Leste.
3 overnight stays in the Araguaia-Park-Hotel in Barra do Garças.
4 overnight stays with breakfast in the Hotel Dallas in Mineiros.
2 overnight stays with breakfast in the Pousada Penhasco in Chapada dos Guimarães.
Lunch and dinner in usual regional restaurants according to your choice in the respective locations.
All fees arising in connection with visits to the national park.

Not included:
Beverages.
Personal expenses.
Tips.

Important remark:
All tours will be adapted to the local situation. Programs subject to change. Smoking is strictly forbidden in the Parque Nacional das Emas and will be punished severely.

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