Pantanal, Rio, and Rainforest

It's hard to find enough superlatives to describe Brazil in September, and hard to imagine a more satisfying trip for wildlife or photography enthusiasts, or a more perfect introduction to the country's diversity. Explore the vast, rich Pantanal, beautiful Rio de Janeiro, and the lush Atlantic island of Ihla Grande with our senior guides.

The glorious wetland area known as Pantanal offers the best wildlife experience in the Americas.  Here, you'll be warmly hosted in Refugio da Ilha, a  family homestead on a large Pantanal ranch which has been dedicated to environmental preservation. Footsteps from your door, in the river and grasslands, wildlife is concentrated, abundant and accessible. Find clusters of caimans, pug-faced capybara, wild peccaries, and giant anteaters. Spot as many as two hundred or more bird species, including parrots, hornbills, toucans, spoonbills, ibises, caracaras, owls, nightjars, tanagers, flycatchers, and casiques. Hyacinth macaws, the world's largest, roost here in spectacularly large numbers.

For contrast, travel east to beautiful, iconic, sophisticated, Rio de Janeiro. Take in Tijuca Forest, Corcovado Park, and the famous Sugar Loaf granite rock mountian. Travel by ferry to the gorgeous island of Ihla Grande for 2 days of scenery, walking, wildlife and relaxation along the coastal beaches and in the Atlantic rain forest.

 Iguazu Falls, with its crowns of rainbows, is unparalleled year-round, but September is especially fantastic for butterflies. If you can spare two additional nights to visit these amazing waterfalls, you should definitely do so.