Head to Head: The Pantanal vs The Ibera Wetlands

HEAD TO HEAD

THE PANTANAL vs

Both offer some of the best wildlife viewing in the world –

The Brazilian Pantanal covers

some 80,800 square miles, extending into Paraguay and Bolivia. The vast array of wildlife here live in the variety of rivers, forest and savannah. Most of the area floods for long periods, making it the largest tropical wetlands in the world. The opportunities for wildlife viewing are as close to ‘guaranteed’ as you can get.

Argentina’s lesser-known Iberá Wetlands is less than 10% of the Pantanal’s size. However, that’s still 7,450 square miles: an expansive and rewarding area to explore. The wildlife can be a bit elusive, but its lack of worldwide fame means you can visit without seeing many other travelers. Which experience is for you?

THE PANTANAL

By Anna Barnard The Brazilian Pantanal. The name alone evokes images of toucans, parrots, caimans, tapirs, capybaras, monkeys, anteaters, anacondas and jaguars in the flooded plains of southern Brazil. But with such a massive area, where do you start?

Roughly speaking, the region is split into two areas with entry points in the north at Cuiaba and the south at Campo Grande. These two gateways allow you to access lodges which can be within 30 minutes or up

to 5 hours from the airport. You may need to travel farther depending on the type of lodge or wildlife experience you’re looking for.

My favorite Pantanal experience can be found at Araras Lodge, around two hours by road from Cuiaba. This rustic property is remote yet comfortable and even boasts a pool and hammocks. Not long after I arrived, I found myself in a canoe paddling through water lilies with regular sightings of caimans, storks and capybaras, and monkeys scrambling through the trees at the water’s edge.

I was up early the next day and set out on horseback. Traveling by horse allows you to cover more distance and that means more wildlife (you can also go by 4x4 if you prefer). This was one of the best birdwatching days of my life: I saw everything from large rheas and jabiru storks to tiny red-crested cardinals, but it was the hyacinth macaws that made my day. I spotted several pairs of these intelligent birds searching for nuts and ripe fruits.

That evening, I enjoyed a cold drink on the deck at the lodge and, as the sun set in golds and oranges across the water, my mind turned to the wildlife we hadn’t seen. Jaguar sightings are rare here, so I wasn’t expecting those, but I did think that a giant anteater would have rounded things off nicely. I’d love to say that I was looking in the right direction when one was spotted the following morning… but all I saw was a tail vanishing into the undergrowth!

I feel that it’s only fair to point out that none of Audley’s Brazil team can agree on the best part of the Pantanal. My colleague Fiona, for example, prefers the southern Pantanal, which, due to its cattle farms, has more of an estancia-type feel with many private reserves. These do have some advantages: lodges such as the Caiman Ecolodge operate vital conservation projects including a jaguar habituation program, meaning that big cat sightings are far more common. But one thing is for sure: wherever you choose to go in the Pantanal, you’ll be in one of the most biodiverse environments in the world.

Get me there: A ten-day tailor-made trip including Rio de Janeiro, Iguaçu, the Pantanal and a three-night stay in the Amazon starts from $5,135pp. For more information, please call our Brazil specialists on 1-855-838-8610.

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HEAD TO HEAD

The river runs wild Should you get your wildlife thrills visiting the epic Pantanal (left) or the lesser-visited Iberá Wetlands (this)

THE IBERÁ WETLANDS but which of these South American wonders will you choose?

THE IBERÁ WETLANDS

By Melissa Dear If you’ve never heard of the Iberá Wetlands before, you’re not alone. Truth be told, I’d been to Argentina twice before I really appreciated the opportunity they presented. You’ll find them south of the Paraguayan border and, after you visit, you may start to wonder why not many people seem to know about them. For a start, these wetlands are home to around 30% of Argentina’s biodiversity: that equates to some 4,000 species, including toucans, jabiru storks, caimans, peccaries, jaguars and even maned wolves.

While I’d done my research for my first visit to the wetlands, nothing could really prepare me for being raucously greeted by a family of howler monkeys who had

taken up residence in a tree outside my room. Not a bad start to the trip. Putting the wildlife to one side for a moment, one of the real joys of the wetlands is its accessibility. I stayed at the impeccable Estancia Puerto Valle and could not have been made to feel more comfortable. Getting there was a breeze, too: within an hour of disembarking my one-anda-half-hour flight from Buenos Aires to Posadas, I’d checked in and was enjoying a cold glass of wine on the banks of the Parana River.

The next day I met all the guides who would take me out on a nearby lagoon, kayaking on a river, trekking in search of monkeys, and horse riding. The days out exploring were busy but, despite the scrumptious food at the lodge and the wild sunsets, I never wanted them to end.

First, my guide and I headed to a pier, where we encountered a huge colony of capybaras before getting out onto the water. As my guide expertly punted the boat along in near silence, the wildlife calmly revealed itself: everything from endemic caiman species to marsh and pampa deer. My guide even pointed out the best angles for photos. I freely admit I am no birder, but I was also soon spotting and naming a whole range of avifauna. The streamer-tailed tyrant fast became my favorite.

Getting on a horse is almost obligatory in this part of Argentina, especially when you’re staying on an estancia: not only is it part of the culture, it’s also a fulfilling way to explore the landscape and wildlife. The ride exposed me to more of the 360 bird species found in the wetlands, and also gave me a feel for the history of the place and its way of life.

Despite being somewhere I previously had very little knowledge of, I can truly say that the Iberá Wetlands gave me the wildlife experience of my life – and all in the comfort of an excellent small hotel.

Get me there: An 11-day tailor-made trip to Argentina including Iguazu, Buenos Aires, Peninsula Valdes and the Iberá Wetlands starts from $5,245pp. For more information, please call one of our Argentina specialists on 1-855-838-8630.

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