Araras Pantanal Eco Lodge

Rustic eco-lodge on a working farm in Brazil's Pantanal, offering wildlife-spotting on the grounds and from a canopy tower.

Araras is a small eco-lodge, part of a working farm two hours by road from the Pantanal gateway city of Cuiabá. The attractive building houses guestrooms decorated in a rustic regional style, linked by a sunny communal terrace with hammocks and rocking chairs.

Wildlife viewing is very rewarding here, and the guides are eagle-eyed and well-informed. They'll lead you on enjoyable nature excursions on foot, horseback or by open-sided truck. In addition to common sightings of caiman, capybara, coatimundi, storks and parrots, there have been regular viewings of tapir, anteater, peccary, deer and ocelot. You can also explore in a canoe on the river, or view the surrounding grasslands from the 25-metre canopy tower, often visited in the early morning by a variety of tropical birds.

The restaurant offers wholesome, home-cooked fare with a Brazilian twist, and breakfast can be taken al fresco by the pool, where you'll be surrounded by feeding birds.