Fourteen days across the Southern and Northern Pantanal — jaguars on the Cuiabá and Piquirí rivers, giant otters, hyacinth macaws and night safaris on the Transpantaneira.
This departure is fully booked. Join the list for the next Pantanal group or request a private departure on your own dates.
Led by Yeudy Hernández · Elías Peña
Every workshop is request-only — nothing is charged when you send the form. All workshops.
A private expedition coordinated by VIVO with trusted Brazilian field partners: open-jeep fazenda drives in the south, the Buraco das Araras macaw sinkhole, and three full days of jaguar work by motorboat in Porto Jofre.
The route mixes boat photography, vehicle safaris and lodge-based sessions so mammals, wetland birds and habitat all get proper time.
Field leadership is shared between VIVO and our photography partner; local guides operate each property and river section.
Field coaching and logistics are handled by the same people you talk to before the trip.
Bird & Wildlife Photography Partner
Collaborating photography leader on selected international departures, focused on in-field coaching for bird and wildlife photography — multi-flash hummingbird setups, birds in flight and low-light forest work.
Founder · Expedition Planner · Costa Rica Field Lead
Founder of VIVO Expeditions. Designs every workshop route, coordinates hotels, ground transport, permits and local specialists, and leads field sessions in Costa Rica. He is also the person travellers talk to before, during and after each workshop.
Sites, travel times and species targets per day. Wildlife is never guaranteed — the schedule is built around the highest-probability windows.
Arrive early morning to São Paulo (GRU). Internal flight to Campo Grande. Meet the local guide and transfer to Pousada Aguapé in the Southern Pantanal. Possible giant anteater sightings en route.
Full-day excursions by open jeep through the fazenda. Hyacinth macaws, giant anteaters, hawks and toucans. Night drive for the elusive ocelot.
Full day in the Pousada Aguapé private reserve. Excellent opportunities for pampa deer, yellow armadillo, giant anteater and crab-eating fox along the Aquidauana River.
Morning drive in an open vehicle. After lunch, transfer to the Bonito area. Arrival at Hotel Rural Araras for dinner and rest.
Visit the Buraco das Araras — a 124 m deep, 500 m diameter sinkhole with its own ecosystem. Red-and-green macaws in flight and bats emerging at dusk.
Domestic flight to Cuiabá, then the legendary Transpantaneira road for about 3 hours with wildlife stops. Arrive at the lodge for a boat excursion on the Pixaim River — hawks and kingfishers in flight.
Morning boat tour searching for giant river otters and jabiru storks. After lunch, a 90 km transfer to Porto Jofre — the heart of jaguar territory.
Full day on the Cuiabá River by motorboat. The intensive jaguar search begins on exposed riverbanks, with giant otters, caimans, capybaras and rare waterbirds along the way.
Another full day exploring the Cuiabá and Piquirí rivers — the two main jaguar routes. Monkeys, caimans and an incredible variety of wildlife along the waterways.
Third full day on the rivers to build a complete jaguar portfolio. Morning and afternoon outings exploring side channels and riverbanks.
Last morning on the rivers. After lunch, a 3-hour transfer to Pouso Alegre Lodge. Afternoon photowalk on the Urutu trail — jabiru nests, agoutis and night herons.
Morning game drive. Afternoon excursion for Brazilian tapir at a known watering hole. Evening night safari along the Transpantaneira — ocelot, giant anteater and nocturnal birds.
Morning game drive on the property for final wildlife photography. Mid-morning departure for Cuiabá airport.
Flight from Cuiabá to Guarulhos airport for the international connection. End of expedition.
Target species are the ones the route is designed around. Everything else is a realistic possibility, never a promise.
Pousada Aguapé, Hotel Rural Araras, a Porto Jofre lodge and Pouso Alegre — all on the field route, no long commutes.
A/C vehicles, open jeeps for game drives and motorboats for the river sections.
Cuiabá → Campo Grande included in the program.
Brazilian field partners operate each property and river section alongside the VIVO photography lead.
Included for every site on the route.
Arranged by the traveller. We share recommended arrival and departure windows.
Coordinated with local partners when your flights are confirmed.
Pre or post days in Costa Rica planned by the same VIVO team, with transfers included.
These properties are the ones used on this route. For a private departure on different dates, availability is re-confirmed in writing before anything is committed.
All ground transport inside the program is coordinated by VIVO. Arriving early or staying longer? We can arrange private airport and hotel transfers around your workshop dates.
See private transfersBlue-and-yellow Macaw
Pantanal wildlife
River wildlife
Pantanal scene
Pantanal vista
Pantanal birds
This is a request, not a booking. Nothing is charged now: we review dates, lodges, guides and group size, then send you a written proposal with the exact route and cost.
Send the request form to join the list for the next Pantanal group, or ask for a private departure on your own dates. Nothing is charged when you send it.
Photography leadership is shared between our partner Yeudy Hernández and VIVO, with Brazilian local guides operating each property and river section.
No. Porto Jofre offers among the best jaguar odds in the world and we allocate three full river days, but wild animals are never guaranteed.
