Pousada Trijuncao

Explore the bird-filled savannah of Brazil's Cerrado, enjoy luxury in the wilds and watch wolves at this conservation-focused pousada.

Pousada Trijunçao is a wildlife lodge on a private reserve in the Cerrado tropical savannah in the vast, remote heart of Brazil.

A six-hour drive from Brasilia, a blanket of whispering grasslands is interspersed with dry forest and sparkling streams. This fragile, threatened wilderness is one of the world’s most biodiverse ecosystems, home to abundant wildlife and a huge array of plants. It’s a paradise for bird lovers, with macaws and toucans aplenty as well as rare, endemic species.

However, the star of the show is the maned wolf: over 90% of the surviving population lives in the Cerrado, threatened by commercial agriculture and deforestation. Thanks to its links with the Oncafari conservation project, Pousada Trijunçao is the best place in Brazil to spot these elegant, secretive creatures in the wild, as they roam the savannah at dawn and dusk.

In harmony with its environment, the accommodation is in rustic low-rise, red-tiled buildings, with just seven guest rooms and suites clustered around a garden and pool. Constructed from local wood and fibre, they are decorated discreetly with traditional handicrafts, but are air-conditioned with modern bathrooms and amenities.

Pousada Trijuncao is an inviting base from which to explore the Cerrado with expert naturalist guides. Your daily programme may include safari-style outings in open-sided trucks, birding, bush walks, caiman-spotting, fat biking or kayaking on the reserve’s lagoon.

Activities make the most of the dawn and dusk prime times, with a chance to recharge during the heat of the day. Your stay also includes at least one outing with the Oncafari research team as they track the movements of the reserve’s maned wolf population. Sightings are increasing, thanks to an ongoing project to fit radio collars, but cannot be guaranteed.

You’ll love the little touches here, such as the lack of set meal times. The food is delicious, with a menu of traditional regional recipes from the three Brazilian states which converge at the reserve. There are lounges with cosy armchairs and hammocks, and an observation tower where you can survey the savannah to a distant horizon. After a day exploring, indulge in a massage or kick back in a hammock, spotting hummingbirds and toucan as they breeze between the tropical vegetation.

Set on a conservation farm in the Brazilian Cerrado, the largest savannah in South America, this eco-lodge was built to help protect local ecosystems from negligent agricultural practices and support threatened species including the jaguar and maned wolf. Oncafari’s work at Trijunçao is funded entirely by the lodge and has been vital to understanding these creatures and the challenges they face.