Pantanal Expedition
 
Pantanal is unique in the world. What makes it a special region is its different landscapes, which can change radically upon crossing the bank of a river. Fields, swamps and woods with the influence of the Amazonian Forest, Fenced Land and Savanna form a mixture of ecosystems. Its balance depends on the waters and the cycle of floods and droughts of the region.

The Pantanal Expedition is a horseback ride which provides visiting, getting to know and appreciating the unique and dazzling scenery of Pantanal, which because of its geographic and climatic diversity, as well as its unequalled natural beauties, becomes transformed into a haven of nature, offering the visitor a great variety of landscapes filled with birds and animals.

The Pantanal Exedition has a special charm during the season of the waters when bays, lagoons and creeks are formed. In native legends, Pantanal is remembered as a great lake full of islands, the "sea of the Xaraiés". When full, with the arrival of the waters which cover the fields, fish and crustaceans leave the bays and river beds and go to the plains in search of food and places for breeding, representing a rich source of food, attracting a large number of aquatic birds. These are the birds which fill Pantanal with sounds and movements at this time of year. In this season aquatic mammals also have the opportunity to increase their territory in search of food and a partner for mating while the land mammals migrate to the high ground.

When the rains finish, in the dry period, the waters lower and deposit nutrients in the soil, enriching it and offering food to the animals of the region. This allows tourists during the Pantanal Expedition to encounter animals of a rare beauty. It is also the time to see the purple ipê, the symbolic tree of Pantanal. At this epoch the vegetation of the fields quickly becomes increasing exuberant; species which are buried in the earth awaiting the arrival of the waters launch their stems, leaves and flowers to the surface. The flooded field ends up becoming an enormous garden. The woods are dense and rich in foliage, becoming a shelter for mammals and birds.
 
If the inundation makes Pantanal a land of birds, the drought is the season of the mammals, when these animals can be seen more easily owing to the fact that vegetation loses its foliage.

Between the season changes it is common to indicate that Pantanal is filling up or becoming dry. In the literature, it is possible to verify that the seasons are well defined, with the dry season described as being June through November. Consequently the months of December through May are known as the season of the waters. However, the global climatic variances also logically affect the cycles of Pantanal and currently there is a modification of the duration or intensity of the seasons.

Since the middle of the 70's, the agricultural and cattle raising economy has increased in Pantanal. Today, with approximately 4 million head of cattle, the region has become an important productive region of meat, and the oxen there ("nelore"), thanks to the large territorial extensions, do not compete with the original fauna. They have become an integral part of the scenery and are Constant company of the Pantanal Expedition.

Technical sheet    Route - 05 days and 04 nights
 
Region: Pantanal of Miranda and of Aquidauana
Horsemanship: Walk, trot and gallop
Race of horse: Crosses of local horses ("pantaneiros and "quarto de milha").
 Saddle type: Australian saddle
 Limitation of weight: 100 kg
 Groups: Minimum of 6 and maximum of 12 people
 Climate: Hot
 The route includes: Fields, swamps and woods
 
First day
Reception at the Fazenda São José ( municipality of Aquidauana )
This first day is dedicated to becoming familiar with the property and the horses.
Typical dinner (* see details attached) and overnight stay

Second day
Departure after breakfast by the fields of the Fazenda São José ("poção" and "pirizal"). On the route we ride in a cavalcade where we meet the local cattle of the farm (in a system of breeding or fattening) stop for lunch at Nhanduá. In the afternoon we leave for the Fazenda Pequi where we will have a typical dinner (* see details attached) and stay overnight.

Third day
Departure after breakfast in the direction of the farm Olhos D' Água. On the route we go by the "Tanque da Figueira" (Tank of the Fig Tree), by the wood gelding of the "Trilha do Morre Andando" (Trail of the Walking Hill) - there you will see why it is called that- where for about 1 hour we will ride between hundred-year-old trees and many palm trees -12:00pm - Typical lunch (* see details attached) at the Fazenda Olhos D'Água (Haven of the Wood) located on the banks of the Rio Aquidauana. In the afternoon departure for the Fazenda Funil where the group will be transported by car to the Fazenda Santa Inês. Typical dinner (* see details attached) and overnight stay at the Fazenda Santa Inês.

Fourth day
Departure after breakfast , taking a herd of oxen (hundreds of head of cattle) "in a retinue" (typical activity of Pantanal) from the Fazenda Santa Inês to the Fazenda Baía Grande with "typical lunch of the retinue", at the end of the route. In the afternoon departure for the large bay where we will be able to fish for piranha and appreciate the "sunset" on the bay. Typical dinner (* see details attached (piranha soup and fried piranha...that you "caught"....) and overnight stay.

Fifty day
In the morning it is the day to have the experience of accompanying the farmhands at work with the cattle in the corral of the Fazenda Baia Grande. After lunch we will have the closing ceremony of the Expedition with the handing over of the Certificates.

During all the route we will have the chance to see countless species of birds and animals which live in this region, and throughout the expedition we will be continually experiencing the most authentic traditions of Pantanal.