The Pantanal region of Brazil is without doubt the best destination in the world for seeing jaguars in their natural habitat.  In addition, it is also one of the most biodiverse environments in South America, playing host of a wonderland of wildlife large and small.  And while the nearby Amazon rainforest receives most of the hype, and hence the tourists, savvy wildlife enthusiasts know The Pantanal is the place to go in South America for serious wildlife experiences.

A vast wetland, The Pantanal extends over 200,000 square kilometres.  It can be accessed from the north or the south, but we would highly recommend the Northern Pantanal, as the chances of successful jaguar sightings are at their highest here.  And to maximise your chances still further, you want to be in the heart of the action, spending as much time as possible where the jaguars roam (see our article here on where to see jaguars in the wild for more information).

It is therefore serendipitous that one of the nicest accommodation options in the entire Pantanal is located right in the heart of this prime jaguar viewing territory, floating on the waters deep within Jaguarland – SouthWild’s Jaguar Flotel.  And in addition to their luxury lodgings, SouthWild is also one of the most professional and most successful safari providers in the region.

The Location

In the Northern Pantanal, the Transpantaneira Highway is a dusty dirt road that transects the wetlands for 140 kilometres, before abruptly coming to an end at the small village of Porto Jofre, on the banks of the São Lourenço River.  From here, the only way onwards is by boat.  By journeying upstream, we come to the Meeting-of-the-Waters state park, where the Cuiaba, Three Brothers and Piquiri Rivers meet in a labyrinth of streams and channels. 

This is “Jaguarland”.  Here there is an abundance of jaguar prey, such as caiman and capybara, and the resulting jaguar populations are very good.  But even more importantly, the waterways here have long been a prime destination for local fishermen, who have plied the waters in their motorboats for generations.  This means the jaguars in the area are accustomed to the sound and sight of boats, and having never been threatened by the fishermen, are unperturbed by their presence.  As a result, it is common for jaguars here to nonchalantly meander along the riverbanks, or to perch themselves on a fallen log at the water’s edge, or to swim across the river, right in front of the boats, and hence provide fantastic up-close sightings for minutes (or even hours) for ecstatic visitors to this region.

SouthWild’s Jaguar Flotel is in the heart of the Meeting-of-the-Waters State Park, 700 metres upstream from the mouth of the Piquiri River.  It is just 10 minutes by boat from the Three Brothers River and the Black Channel, where the world’s best jaguar sightings frequently occur.

Background

After many years of jaguar watching expeditions and jaguar research, and testing forest camps, land-based lodges and houseboats, SouthWild concluded that the best possible option for accommodation in the area was a floating hotel, moored deep within Jaguarland.  And thus, the first Jaguar Flotel was born, with small private ensuite cabins, a presentation and library room, and a spacious dining room and bar. 

It quickly became apparent that this was the place to stay within The Pantanal, and in 2014, SouthWild added an adjacent barge with 6 luxury suites.  This has then subsequently been upgraded from single-storey to double-storey, providing a total of 12 luxurious rooms.  These are known as the Jaguar Suites, and we can highly recommend them as the most sophisticated and stylish accommodation option in The Pantanal.

Getting to SouthWild Jaguar Flotel

For a seamless experience, we used SouthWild as our operator throughout our time in The Pantanal, staying at SouthWild Pantanal Lodge on the Transpantaneira Highway and SouthWild Jaguar Suites on the river.  This was booked as a “private expedition” with a customised itinerary, which we can highly recommend, as the flexibility and opportunity afforded by private transfers, a private boat and a private guide cannot be overstated, and we feel this is the epitome of discerning adventure travel in the area.

To get to SouthWild Jaguar Flotel, you will travel along the Transpantaneira Highway until the road ends at the small village of Porto Jofre. 

Our journey from SouthWild Pantanal Lodge to Porto Jofre was only 85 kilometres, but took approximately 3 hours on the dusty dirt road, allowing for stops for wildlife and scenery photos and ensuring that our open safari vehicle was not travelling so fast that we were covered in dust.

Porto Jofre is little more than a confluence of a few hotels and hostels.  There are no shops, services or ATMs, so ensure you have what you need before you leave Cuiaba or Pocone.  At the water’s edge, your SouthWild motorboat will be waiting for you, for the thirty minute journey upstream to the flotel.  The first twenty minutes will be on the broad and fast-flowing São Lourenço River, with another ten minutes on the more winding Piquiri River.  The journey is brisk but not rough, and although the boat is fully open, there is little chance of getting wet or seasick (but do apply sunscreen before you depart).

Arriving at SouthWild Jaguar Flotel

Upon arrival, the SouthWild Flotel staff will unload your luggage and take it to your room, while you and your guide are invited to the presentation room on the upper storey of the main barge.  Here the SouthWild Flotel General Manager (in our case the exemplary Eduardo) will welcome you with a cold drink and provide you with an informative slideshow presentation of how it all works at the flotel and what to expect during your stay. 

The Rooms at SouthWild Jaguar Suites

The 12 Jaguar Suites are all located on a separate private barge, adjacent to and attached to the original barge (where the 10 simple accommodation rooms, presentation room and dining hall are located).  There are two storeys on the Jaguar Suites barge, each with six rooms, accessed by a walkway on the shore-side of the boat.

Each of the 12 suites is similar in design and is extremely spacious and well equipped, having obviously been designed with the needs of serious photographers in mind.  The rooms are 30 square metres in size and extend the breadth of the barge.  On the river side, a floor-to-ceiling picture window runs almost the width of the room, with sliding doors opening on to a balcony and uninterrupted, unimpeded views of the Piquiri River and its resident wildlife, including caimans, giant otters and a plethora of birdlife.

Within the room, there are two comfortable double beds, with a vast mosquito net hanging overhead.  And although fortunately mosquitos did not seem to be a significant problem when we were there in September, we did have a very impressive display from two fireflies in our room one night, whose twinkling dance kept us (happily) from our slumber.

There are two expansive and immensely useful desks.  One is near the front entrance, and best utilised for storing and preparing everything you need for your daily excursions (such as backpacks, camera gear, water bottles, hats, sunscreen, insect repellent and torches).  The other, even larger, desk, is the ideal photographer’s workspace – a sturdy desk, two ergonomic office chairs, and a multitude of powerpoints for charging laptops and camera batteries (although a powerboard still comes in handy to minimise the number of adaptors needed for those unique Brazilian sockets).

There is a small bar fridge filled with small bottles of water (which we tried to avoid using because of the environmental impact), helpful for chilling your water bottle before heading out into the heat of the day.  There is also a coffee table and chairs for more relaxed reclining than is possible at the desks.  Bedside tables flank the beds, with bright reading lights and more powerpoints.  Bright artwork adorns the walls and colourful cushions decorate the beds.

The bathroom is small but functional, with reliable piping hot water (often un-necessary!) in a comfortable screened shower, and SouthWild branded shampoo, conditioner, soap and body wash.  The toilet is modern and flushing, although toilet paper must be placed in a bin rather than flushed.  There is a small hand-basin within the bathroom, and an additional larger washbasin and mirror in the main room, along with a small number of hooks for hanging clothes.  There is also a pull-out clothesline on the far side of the room.  The flotel does offer a laundry service, but this is done back on land, so the turnaround time can be 24 hours, meaning the clothesline can come in handy for quick rinses of sweaty clothes each day.

There is wi-fi in the room, which is surprisingly fast and reasonably reliable.  And there is powerful airconditioning, which can be used to keep the room cool even in the heat of the day.  Importantly, SouthWild has taken the unique step of offloading airconditioner motors and the electrical generators to a separate tugboat located some distance away from the accommodation barges, eliminating the noise and vibration caused by these motors, a well considered and much appreciated approach.

Dining at SouthWild Jaguar Flotel

The upper storey of the original barge houses the spacious, fully-enclosed and airconditioned dining room.  In the centre of the room is the buffet centre, surrounded by tables for each individual travel group and their guide, whilst expansive windows on all sides provide views over the river and forest while dining.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are taken in the dining room, and all are served buffet style.  Food is plentiful, substantial, flavoursome and satisfying, and changes each day.  Each meal, there are a number of main courses, including fresh fish from the river, meats, and the ubiquitous rice and beans, in addition to cold salads and hot vegetable dishes, using as much local produce as possible.  There is an abundance of condiments, including fiery hot sauces.  There are usually one or two desserts as well as a plentiful supply of fruit.  In addition, a snack bowl on the bar contains a delicious range of lollies, chocolates and nibbles, for any-time snacking and for taking on excursions (a wise move when you end up staying out on the river for far longer than anticipated).

The bar, with its friendly bar staff, has a range of ice-cold beers, soft drinks and alcoholic beverages available for purchase.  There are also three complimentary alcoholic options – Cointreau, chocolate liqueur, and cachaça, the popular Brazilian spirit made from sugarcane.  Cachaça is the basis of Brazil’s iconic caipirinhas, and the bar staff are all too happy to demonstrate their expertise in preparing these delicious and addictive cocktails (after the first welcome drink, they are likely to become an evening staple for the rest of your stay!).

Cold filtered water is available from a dispenser, for drinking at meals and also for refilling water bottles for each day’s excursions.  There are also single-use bottled water in biodegradable containers, and although the containers are biodegradable, we would encourage visitors to bring their own refillable containers.

There is a second dining area and bar on the rooftop of the Jaguar Suites barge, but at the time we were there, it was extremely hot and open to the elements and the area appeared to not be used at all during this time of year.

Activities at SouthWild Jaguar Flotel

Wildlife outings take place each morning and each afternoon at the SouthWild Jaguar Flotel. 

After breakfast at 0530, boats depart at approximately 0600 (although obviously with the luxury of a private boat, you can depart whenever you are ready!).  As the sun slowly rises and bathes the river in a golden glow, as you make your way along the Piquiri river and into the channels and tributaries of the Cuiaba, Three Brothers and São Lourenço Rivers, and the world famous Black Channel, where many nature documentaries have done their filming.  Morning safaris return to the lodge in the late morning, although we often stayed out as long as possible, returning just in time for the noon-time lunch.

Afternoon safaris tend to depart at approximately 1400, returning as dusk descends at about 1800.

The rivers are peppered with caiman and capybara, and every so often a squawking family of giant otters will pass by, splashing and shrieking as they hunt and play.  There are lizards and iguanas on the shoreline, monkeys in the trees and abundant birdlife overhead and in the shallows.  The river is immensely picturesque, and it is magical to slowly meander along the waterways, through the reeds and overhanging branches, as the sights and sounds and smell of the forest embrace you.

But then, when a jaguar is sighted in the region, your guide’s walkie-talkie will suddenly crackle into life, as their colleague radios in the sighting and its location.  The SouthWild guides and their boat drivers know every twist and turn of these tortuous rivers and now you will be travelling at “jaguar-speed” to reach the sighting in time. 

The first time this happened for us, on our very first outing from the Jaguar Flotel, the boat driver hit the accelerator and we were off, racing down the river, zipping back and forth through the channels.  But after five minutes of travelling, we began to get concerned – what are the chances of the jaguar still being there when we arrive?  At ten minutes, we were seriously worried.  At fifteen minutes, we were despondent – there was no chance the jaguar was still going to be there, but we figured our guide wouldn’t just want to stop the chase, he’d rather show us the place where the jaguar had been.  Finally, after twenty minutes, we shot out of a channel into a main river, to find several other boats along the shoreline.  Sure enough, the jaguar was still there, and it was not one but two jaguars!  Two brothers known as Kim and Tore were in the shrubs on the water’s edge, and gave us an incredible first sighting in the golden afternoon light.

As always with wildlife safaris, persistence pays off, and the more time you can spend on the water, the greater your chances of rewarding sightings.  We would therefore encourage you to be prepared to spend as long as possible on each outing, despite the heat and humidity, to maximise your chances of seeing jaguars and all the other amazing wildlife in the region.

We can also highly recommend the expertise of the guides at SouthWild Jaguar Flotel.  All the guides are extremely well trained and immensely knowledgeable.  SouthWild is the premier research centre in the region, with resident biologists and trained naturalists, who have studied the flora and fauna of the area for many years.  Each jaguar sighting is painstakingly documented, resulting in a comprehensive database of jaguars in the region, and SouthWild guides utilise the database and face recognition technology to identify the sighted jaguars.  This is in direct contract with many of the other operators in the area, who demonstrate no knowledge of the jaguars they are observing (or even if they are male or female).  It was not infrequent that at sightings, customers on other boats would ask our guide about the jaguar we were watching, as their guide could provide no information.

Similarly, the resident biologists at the Flotel are a wealth of knowledge and expertise.  Each evening they provide a different lecture on the wildlife of the region, and we can recommend these informative and entertaining presentations.

What to Bring for Your Stay at SouthWild Jaguar Flotel

Your stay at SouthWild Jaguar Flotel is almost all inclusive – accommodation, meals and water are all included.  You will need cash (credit cards are not accepted) for your bar bill (soft drinks and alcoholic beverages), laundry and tips for the Flotel staff, your boat driver and your guide.

We are not going to provide an exhaustive packing list here, as we recognise our readers are experienced travellers.  But some particular tips include to bring the following:

• Decent sun protection – The Pantanal is hot, and you are going to be in an open boat in the direct sunlight for many hours at a time (there is very little shade).  A wide-brimmed hat (that won’t fly off when the boat is speeding along), good sunglasses, long-sleeved shirts and long-sleeved pants are essential.  We would also highly recommend investing in a pair of finger-less gloves (we used sailing gloves), to protect your hands from the sun but still allowing you to operate your camera gear.

• More SD cards than you can possibly anticipate.  The sightings of the jaguars are just so good, and you may be sitting with a jaguar for an incredible length of time, resulting in a multitude of photos as they walk and swim and preen and yawn.

• A backup drive.  There will be so many good photos that you will want to download to your computer immediately, and then backup to a backup drive (which is kept separate to your computer and your camera, just in case!).

• A dry bag – to protect your camera gear and accessories from occasional water spray as you race to a sighting.

• A waterproof jacket or poncho – as much to protect your camera gear as you, as we found the occasional shower to be a welcome relief from the pervasive heat, and were happy to get wet.

• Insect repellent (the strong stuff) – this is a wetland and you are going out everyday at dawn and dusk.

• A torch – for returning to your room at night, and for shining onto the caiman and night-time creatures that lurk on the shoreline each evening.

• Washing detergent – for those quick rinses of sweaty clothing in between excursions, when you don’t have enough time for it to be sent out for laundry.

In Summary

For your journey into The Pantanal, the Jaguar Suites at SouthWild’s Jaguar Flotel represent the most luxurious accommodation option in the region, in the heart of prime jaguar-sighting territory.  In addition, this slick and experienced operator, with their many years of valuable research and conservation efforts, provide one of the most comprehensive safari experiences possible, with excellent boats, experienced boat drivers and knowledgeable and enthusiastic guides.  We can highly recommend this lodge for the ultimate Pantanal stay.