Olya
Brazil… you felt like a dream.
Searching for jaguars from a speedboat navigating the winding rivers of the Pantanal, swimming in the crystal-clear turquoise lagoons of Lençóis Maranhenses—the kind of experiences you travel the world for.
The unique and abundant wildlife of the Pantanal can rival that of Africa, while Lençóis Maranhenses transforms into a magical landscape of thousands of freshwater lagoons that form between towering sand dunes after the rainy season.
If jaguars and lagoons of Lençóis Maranhenses have also been on your mind lately, read on for a guide to my dream trip to Brazil.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Jaguar spotting by speedboat in the Pantanal
- Birdwatching, spotting capybaras, giant otters, caimans and many other animals in the Pantanal
- Riding ATVs and swimming in the lagoons of Lencois Maranhenses
- Learning to wingfoil in Atins
17-DAY ITINERARY
Cuiabá – 1 day
Porto Jofre – 6 days
Cuiabá- 1 day
Barreirinhas – 1 day
Atins – 8 days
THE BEST TIME TO GO
To increase your chances of spotting jaguars, plan your visit to the Pantanal during the dry season, which typically runs from May through September. To see the lagoons of Lençóis Maranhenses at their fullest, the best time to visit is from June through September. The good news is that these two windows overlap nicely, making it possible to experience both destinations on the same trip.
CUIABÁ
Located in the northern part of the Pantanal, Porto Jofre is the world-renowned destination for jaguars. To reach Porto Jofre, you need to fly into Cuiabá which is about a two-hour flight from São Paulo. Once you land in Cuiabá you will embark on a roughly five-hour journey that includes a 147 km stretch of the famous Transpanteneira road, which feels like a wildlife safari route. It’s a dirt road that crosses more than 100 bridges, passing through ranches and wilderness teeming with animals. Along the way, we saw pantaneiros with their herds of horses, countless birds, caimans and capybaras.
If you’re not in a rush, I recommend spending a night at a hotel near the Cuiaba airport so you feel refreshed and full of energy when you’re picked up the next morning. Since you’ll be spending your days on a boat looking for wildlife, a private transfer to and from Porto Jofre is a better option than renting a car that you won’t be using for days anyway.
PORTO JOFRE
As you reach the end of the Transpantaneira road, you arrive at Porto Jofre. It’s not a town in a traditional sense, but rather an area dotted with a handful of lodges and pousadas, serving as a jumping-off point for exploring the Pantanal by boat.
Those long days spent on the water, watching the extraordinary abundance of wildlife along the riverbanks of the Pantanal, are forever etched in my memory. At sunrise, we would step from our rickety houseboat onto a waiting speedboat and set off along the river, weaving through the waterways in search of capybaras, giant otters, caimans, and, ultimately, the Pantanal’s elusive apex predator—the jaguar.
When we set off for the Pantanal, we had no expectations, only the hope of spotting a jaguar. Fast-forward to our first day on the river, and we couldn’t believe our eyes when we saw a jaguar swimming for what seemed like miles, occasionally climbing out to wander along the sandbank or up a tree to survey its surroundings, all while boats filled with passionate wildlife photographers cautiously trailed behind. And that was just the beginning. What followed was almost beyond belief: we encountered jaguars several times a day, every day. It was incredible to witness these magnificent animals seemingly unbothered by our presence, going about their lives as they hunted, crossed rivers, and rested in the trees.
While the houseboat we were staying on had clearly seen better days, it was the most affordable option right on the river, and the chef more than made up for its rough edges, cooking up a storm every evening. We also loved the company of our fellow guests—an adventurous, laid-back bunch who could often be found at the back of the houseboat, trying their hand at catching piranhas.
BARREIRINHAS
Atins was our ultimate destination for experiencing Lençóis Maranhenses, but we still had a long way to go to reach it. First came a flight from Cuiabá to São Luís taking roughly four hours with a connection in São Paulo, followed by a five-hour shuttle ride to Barreirinhas. To avoid the pressure of having to make it to the speedboat to Atins, we chose to spend a night in Barreirinhas, explore the famous lagoons on this side of the park, and catch a boat to Atins the following day.
ATINS
A ride to Atins by speedboat took roughly an hour, and what an amazing ride it was, passing fishing boats, lush riverbanks, and sand dunes before finally reaching a beach where 4×4 vehicles were already waiting to pick us up and take us to our pousada.
Atins felt magical with its sandy roads, everything built directly on the sand, while wild donkeys roamed freely around every corner. ATVs were everywhere, ridden by locals and travelers alike.
As Lençóis Maranhenes slowly gained popularity over the years, this once-sleepy fishing village transformed into a vibrant destination filled with beautiful pousadas, restaurants, and bars. Access to wind and water sports was just the cherry on top.
As we watched our first sunset with caipirinhas in hand, and kiteboarders gliding across the ocean, I had a strong feeling that we were in for some serious adventure in Atins.
The first time we entered the park from the Atins side, we were on an ATV tour. Riding through those buttery sand dunes, stopping at lagoons where we often found ourselves completely alone, was both freeing and exhilarating. At that moment, Lençóis Maranhenses felt completely surreal.
On the Atins side of the park, there are several routes you can take on an ATV:
- Ponta Do Mangue circuit – you will visit some of the most dramatic lagoons—incredibly beautiful and a must
- Pequenos Lençóis circuit – the Caburé peninsula where the river flows on one side and the ocean on the other. This route is very adventurous, requiring driving your ATV onto a tiny ferry to cross the river. The ride by the ocean and through the wind farm is an absolute thrill! We also got to swim in lagoons on this route but they were less dramatic than the ones on Ponta Do Mangue circuit.
You can also explore the dunes on horseback or go on a trekking tour that involves camping. I would love to camp in the dunes on our next trip to Atins.
Wind and water sports in Atins
Along with all the natural beauty Atins has to offer, it’s also an amazing place for wind and water sports. The water is relatively shallow, with several sandbanks creating ideal conditions for learning to kiteboard and wingfoil. Watching others move so gracefully and freely across the water, I knew it was something I really wanted to learn, and I couldn’t have asked for a better place to start. I took five wingfoil lessons at the Atins Kiteboarding School, constantly falling and getting back up, and trying again. But when I finally managed to glide across the water for a full minute, that feeling was incredible. Two-hour recovery sessions in a hammock with a coconut felt necessary after every class!
The Pantanal + Lençóis Maranhenses combination definitely made for the perfect Brazil trip. In the Pantanal, I got my fix of wildlife photography, while the raw beauty of Lençóis Maranhenses completely took my breath away. Both destinations are hardly hidden gems, but oh so worth crossing oceans and continents for!
