São Paulo – Getting to know and admire the nature of Brazil’s Pantanal area while enjoying comfortable lodging and specialized guide services. If that sounds good to you, then Refúgio Ecológico Caiman, a nature retreat set in a 130,000 acre farm in Mato Grosso do Sul state’s city of Miranda, could be the ideal setting for your next trip.
Established in 1985, the place offers two different-styled guest houses for tourists to stay in. Baiazinha, a house shaped like a bird with its wings wide open, lies on the banks of a clear-water bay. It can accommodate up to 12 people. Cordilheira, in turn, is an exposed-brick house on the edge of native woods. It can house as many as 10 guests. Both guest houses are built on stilts, but they offer the comfort of air conditioning and a good pool, which is great for respite from the area’s heat.
Away from the guest houses, you can witness the beauty of Pantanal in different tours offered by Refúgio’s staff, including treks, canoe rides, jeep rides, photo safaris, bird watching and tours to local projects involving animals like the jaguar and the Hyacinth Macaw. During high season, from June to September, astronomy workshops are also available.
“Each season has its own features, depending on whether there’s rainfall. The best time of year people interested in mammals is the drought season (from June to September). For bird lovers, the breeding season, in October and November, is the ideal period, because the birds look more flamboyant and vocal to draw in their partners,” explains the Marketing and Sales supervisor Juliane Rosa.
The diversity of the local fauna is guaranteed to satisfy any animal lover. In the area, over 40 different species of mammals, 359 species of birds and 26 species of reptiles have been observed.
“The more common mammals include the Capybara, the Crab-Eating Fox, the Pampas and Gray Brocket deer, the White-Lipped and Collared peccaries, the Marsh Deer, the Black Howler and Brown Capuchin monkeys, the Anteater, the Coati and the Raccoon. As for the birds, there are lots of waterbirds such as the Jabiru Stork, the Wood-Stork, the Limpkin, different types of Ducks, Herons, the Hyacinth Macaw, the Blue-fronted Parrot, Parrots and Hawks. The commonest reptiles are the Caiman, the lizard and some snakes,” Rosa says about the predominant species near the Refúgio.
So that tourists can learn about the local biodiversity, Refúgio has a team of bilingual tour guides (Portuguese/English) who specialize in Pantanal’s fauna and flora. Besides the professional guides, local guides also join in for the tours. “The activities also involve field guides, local residents with a deep knowledge of the Pantanal. This enhances our guests’ experience even more,” Rosa stresses.
Getting to know the local gastronomy is also part of the experience at Refúgio. “Our menus are inspired in pantaneiro recipes and use plenty of local ingredients, like freshwater fish, prime meat cuts and fruit from the cerrado (local Savannah) such as the pequi, the graviola and the guavira,” Rosa says.
Twice a week, guests are offered a pantaneiro barbecue, with choice meats served on long wooden skewers. The barbecue is served outdoors, usually in the warehouse of the peões (the Brazilian cowboys), to the sound of the viola (a typical ten-string instrument).
For those looking to enjoy the place with their family and friends alone, Refúgio offers the option of booking the entire guest houses. Guests can book all of the rooms in Baiazinha or Cordilheira for R$ 10,950 a night per guest house (US$ 2,840 at current exchange rates). It’s worth noting that the buildings are 22 km apart.
The cost of one room is R$ 2,334 (US$ 605) at the Baiazinha and R$ 2,794 (US$ 725) at Cordilheira a night. In this case, the guest houses only accept children aged eight or older.
According to Rosa, last year, 62% of Refúgio’s guests were foreigners, mostly from the United States, United Kingdom, Belgium and Germany.
Although they are not regulars, some Arabs have stayed at the Refúgio. According to the supervisor, the two guest houses have welcomed people from Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Libya, Tunisia and Morocco.
Contact
Refúgio Ecológico Caiman
Located in Mato Grosso do Sul state’s Pantanal area, in a farm spanning 130,000 acres, 236 km away from state capital Campo Grande. The place can be reached by land or air, and has its own landing strip.
Website: www.caiman.com.br
Reservations and information: +55 11 3706-1800
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
