Pantanal Sul covers almost two-thirds of the Pantanal in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul.

Pantanal Sul is an excellent starting point for those wishing to explore the Pantanal in depth – with some of the best cattle ranches in the Pantanal, the usual variety of Pantanal wildlife and the unmissable Bonito amusement park.

For those arriving from elsewhere in Brazil, your main point of entry is likely to be Campo Grande, the state capital.

This is a modern, planned city with wide streets and avenues. It also has an impressive number of parks that are well worth exploring and provide interesting information about the culture and history of the region.

Despite its location outside the Pantanal, it is a convenient centre for travelling to different parts of the Pantanal.

Corumbá has earned the honorary title of “Capital of the Pantanal”.

Although considerably smaller (and sleepier) than Campo Grande, it is the largest city in the Pantanal and an important historical centre.

In the past, it was one of the busiest river ports in the world, transporting the region’s products (including exotic animal skins) to the rest of Brazil, North America and Europe.

In Corumbá, old buildings dating from this period still line the riverbanks and are being gradually restored.

The city even has its own touch of Rio de Janeiro, with the statue of Christ the King of the Pantanal overlooking the city and the huge annual Carnival celebrations that attract participants from all over the region.

Corumbá is also a popular destination for Brazil’s sport fishing community, with many fishing boats and barco hotels on the waterfront. Corumbá is likely to be your gateway to the region if you arrive from Bolivia on the infamous Death Train.

For those interested in wildlife, the Estrada Parque is another great attraction.

It is a dirt road that leaves Corumbá and leads to several small villages and cattle ranches in the heart of the Pantanal.

Although it doesn’t have the fame of the Transpantaneira, travellers along the Estrada Parque often see capybaras, caimans (in their thousands), giant anteaters, anacondas and various birds.

Jaguars are also sometimes seen, but they are rare and require a lot of luck.

Aquidauana is another region of the southern Pantanal that is very popular with visitors.

This region, together with neighbouring Miranda, contains most of the cattle ranches accessible to tourists in the southern Pantanal.

Aquidauana and Miranda guarantee a complete immersion in your Pantanal experience, offering comfortable accommodation with ample wildlife viewing opportunities and the chance to experience the culture of the Pantanal cowboy.

The region includes small mountain ranges known as the Maracajú Plateau and the Serra.

The higher elevations mean cooler and more comfortable temperatures, as well as several fast-flowing rivers suitable for kayaking, fishing and picturesque waterfalls.

The Pantanal region of Nhecolândia is located between the Taquari River and the Negro River, and includes the towns of Coxim and Rio Verde.

This is a popular area for sport fishing, with rapids and small waterfalls providing a spectacular sight as the fish make their way up the river during the annual spawning season (November to March), providing a feast for the region’s caimans.

The Pantanal region of Nhecolândia is also historically important, as more than two centuries ago the local rivers were the main route for the first settlers and prospectors via the monções (river expeditions).

An ancient rock known as Pedra do Leireiro, which served as a landmark and contains inscriptions from these expeditions, can still be found here.

The southern end of the Pantanal region is the Nabileque region. It includes the city of Porto Murtinho, which is the last major Brazilian city before entering Paraguay. This is another historic city and another important fishing centre.

Cities and regions in the Southern Pantanal

1. Campo Grande

Campo Grande is the capital of Mato Grosso do Sul and the gateway to the Southern Pantanal.

Campo Grande is also a great place to learn more about the culture and history of the Pantaneiro, enjoy Sertaneja music and explore the parks with the local wildlife… not to mention the new Pantanal Aquarium.

It’s likely you’ll pass through here on your way to/from Pantanal Sul, as it’s the centre of local transport services. Although Campo Grande may not be at the top of your wish list, it’s worth spending a day or two here to get to know the history, nature and culture of the Pantanal.

And if you’ve been in the Pantanal for a while, going to a concert, shopping mall or catching the latest blockbuster in a modern, air-conditioned cinema is a great way to reconnect with civilisation.

The city is known locally as Ciudad Morena, thanks to its dark red (and fertile) soil. The climate is quite hot (the average temperature reaches 28°C in July and August), but cooler and less humid than the Pantanal.

2. Corumbá

Corumbá is a small historic city in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul, on the border with Bolivia.

The city offers visitors the opportunity to appreciate the faded elegance of its cobbled streets and Art Deco architecture, reminiscent of its heyday as a bustling trading port for products from the Pantanal and the Bolivian Amazon.

Corumbá is one of the oldest cities in Mato Grosso do Sul. Although many buildings in the city centre and along the waterfront date from the 19th and early 20th centuries, the city was founded much earlier, in 1778. The oldest structures did not survive or were destroyed during the Paraguayan occupation of the city during the Paraguayan War (1864-70).

Most of the historic buildings that visitors see today date from the post-war period, when the city’s strategic river port brought in new settlers, trade and the establishment of new military bases to strengthen the border.

However, the advent of railways and roads meant that the focus of the region’s development shifted to other cities such as Campo Grande, Aquidauana and Dourados, leaving behind the living time capsule that visitors can see today. Recently, the city has embraced its heritage, with many old buildings being restored to their former glory.

Corumbá is nicknamed the Capital of the Pantanal because it is the largest city within the boundaries of the Pantanal.

It is also known as the White City due to the light colour of its limestone soil.

The local economy is based on cattle ranching, fishing, tourism, cement production and maintenance of the Brazil-Bolivia gas pipeline. Until recently, several small iron and manganese mines also operated in the nearby hills.

Although Corumbá is the main city, the immediate area is actually a conurbation with several other towns, including

• Ladario: this is the site of a Brazilian naval base established in 1872 after the Paraguayan War.
• Puerto Suárez: on the Bolivian side of the border, it has a large shopping centre, banks, hotels and walks in the Bolivian Pantanal.
• Puerto Quijarro: also on the Bolivian side of the border. There’s not much to see, but it’s the location of the train station that provides transport to Santa Cruz.

Travelling to/from Bolivia is fairly straightforward, but you may need to have your passport stamped (not always necessary for a simple shopping trip) and change between Brazilian and Bolivian taxis at the border.

Brazilian taxis can be very expensive, so be aware that there is also a regular bus to the city centre on the Brazilian side.

2.1 Tourism

Until a decade ago, Corumbá was a popular transit point for backpackers travelling to and from Bolivia.

The town of Corumbá had several backpacker hostels and was a good place to organise trips to the Pantanal.

However, these agencies have moved away or no longer exist. Local hotels can sometimes provide details of some private guides, but their quality can vary considerably.

The safest bet for visitors wishing to spend a few days in the Pantanal is to book directly with a pousada or fazenda online, or to use one of the better-known agencies operating in Campo Grande.

On the other hand, if you want to take a leisurely day cruise along the Paraguay River (still a great opportunity to see wildlife) and/or try your hand at fishing, there are plenty of agencies to choose from along the riverbank at Porto Geral.

The agencies even allow you to hire a small boat so you can set your own pace.

For Brazilians, Corumbá’s tourist attraction is fishing, with boat hotels and fishermen’s lodges providing an ideal haven of tranquillity.

The city also hosts important events such as the annual Carnival and the South American Festival.

3. Aquidauana

Aquidauana is one of the best places in the Pantanal to experience the Pantanal lifestyle, as many of the nearby cattle ranches have been opened to tourists.

As well as enjoying the local wildlife, visitors can experience the life of the Pantanal cowboys with their cattle drives, music, traditional leatherwork and sharing of iced tereré (mate tea) at the end of a long day.

The municipalities of Aquidauana and Anastácio together cover almost 20,000 square kilometres and border other nearby municipalities such as Corumbá and Rio Verde.

The region can be divided into two geographical areas: a plain that occupies about two-thirds of the region, and the remaining third occupied by the Serra da Maracaju and Serra da Piraputanga mountains.

These mountain ranges are a popular refuge, as the extra altitude helps to alleviate the heat and humidity during the summer.

There are also several fast-flowing rivers, popular with locals for canoeing and rafting, and said to have some of the best fishing in the Pantanal.

The municipality of Aquidauana is actually two towns: Aquidauana (on the north side of the river) and Anastácio (on the south side).

The two towns grew independently and were first connected in 1926 with the construction of a small single-lane bridge.

This bridge (known as the Friendship Bridge) still exists, but is now complemented by two other large multi-lane bridges, allowing the twin cities to function as a single entity.

The towns are located 140 kilometres from the state capital, Campo Grande, and have a combined population of around 70,000.

Aquidauana is known as the City of Nature, and its proximity to the Pantanal means that wildlife can even be seen in its parks, including macaws, herons and toucans, which sometimes nest in the Praça da Matriz, near the cathedral.

4. Miranda

Miranda is a small town of 25,000 inhabitants located between Aquidauana and Corumba.

It’s so small that you can walk from one end to the other in about 10 minutes. However, as well as being the heart of a cattle ranching area, the surrounding region is known for its fishing and Pantanal lodges.

This is a popular location for tourists, with several well-established Pantanal lodges, such as the Caimain Ecological Refuge, which has earned a reputation among international visitors for its support of conservation efforts, such as the Blue Macaw Project.

The average temperature varies between 20°C and 24°C depending on the season, reaching 10°C in the dry season (winter) and 35°C in the rainy season (summer).

5. Coxim and Rio Verde de Mato Grosso

The towns of Coxim and Rio Verde de Mato Grosso are the gateway to the Nhecolândia region of the Pantanal.

These towns lie outside the Pantanal ecosystem, but have gained local fame for their abundant sport fishing and as an idyllic refuge with waterfalls and clear water streams.

The Nhecolândia region covers the area between the Taquari and Negro rivers.

Temperatures vary from 20°C in winter to 41°C in summer.

The two main cities are Coxim and Rio Verde de Mato Grosso, located on the edge of the Pantanal, in an area dominated by cerrado and forest.

The Cerrado is renowned for its high biodiversity and is Brazil’s second largest ecosystem, originally covering an area of over two million km² and spread over four states in central Brazil.

5.1 Coxim

A popular fishing spot, Coxim is located at the confluence of the Coxim and Taquari rivers.

The town is also surrounded by several other rivers, which is why it is known locally as the “Paradise of Waters”. In these rivers, fishermen can find catfish, jaú, dourado and piraputanga.

5.2 Rio Verde de Mato Grosso

Rio Verde de Mato Grosso is located 52 kilometres south of Coxim, along the BR-163 highway.

It has a similar history, having been originally inhabited by the Kayapó.

Rio Verde has recently begun to invest in tourism, developing new services and infrastructure.

The packages are aimed at Brazil’s sportfishing community and weekend getaways for residents of Campo Grande, the state capital, 200km away.

The packages highlight the region’s picturesque waterfalls, swimming spots, spas, campsites and other idyllic hideaways.

Activities include horse riding, archaeological sites and abseiling down waterfalls, aqua rides and even hang-gliding from the Pindaivão viewpoint.

6. Porto Murtinho

Porto Murtinho is a small town of 14,000 inhabitants located at the southern end of the Pantanal.

It is here that the Paraguay River leaves Brazilian territory and flows towards the Paraguayan capital, Asuncion.

The town is not much visited by foreign tourists, but there are several small inns and boat hotels used for fishing trips.

The stretch of the Paraguay River around Porto Murtinho is considered one of the best fishing areas in Brazil.

There is also a selection of Pantanal flora and fauna, although not as abundant or diverse as in the north.

As elsewhere in the Pantanal, the economy is based mainly on cattle ranching, but also on tourism, agriculture and the production of tanning agents for leather from quebracho hardwoods.

The climate is very hot, with heavy rainfall, especially between October and January.

During this period the temperature reaches about 38°C. In the winter months (June/July) the temperature drops to around 10°C.

When to visit the Pantanal in Mato Grosso?

The best time to visit is from May to September, when there is less rain. The months of April to May, when the waters begin to recede, are better for game viewing.

The rainy season begins in October and lasts until April, with January and February being the wettest months.

See the Climate of the Pantanal in Mato Grosso in detail

See the following publications about the Pantanal

1. Observing mammals and reptiles in the Pantanal
2. Fishing in the Pantanal – Best places, lures, methods and seasons
3. Most common fish species in the Pantanal
4. Birdwatching in the Pantanal of Mato Grosso
5. Most common bird species in the Mato Grosso Pantanal
6. Flora of the Mato Grosso Pantanal
7. Fauna of the Mato Grosso Pantanal
8. Pantanal of Mato Grosso – Geography, climate, soil and rivers
9. History of the Mato Grosso Pantanal – Discovery and economic development
10. Southern Pantanal Region
11. Northern Pantanal Region
12. Why visit the Pantanal in Mato Grosso?

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