Pousada do Rio Mutum

Friendly, homely wildlife lodge with modest but cheerful rooms and a good range of excursions.

Friendly Pousada do Rio Mutum is a 3-hour drive from Cuiabá airport. Red-roofed chalets house modest but cosy and brightly decorated rooms with en suite facilities and mosquito screening. There is a swimming pool, shady patio and a large thatched restaurant serving hearty buffet meals, including a nightly chance to try soup made from piranhas freshly caught by guests during the day.

Thanks to its position at the point where the Rio Mutum merges with two lakes, there are frequent sightings of giant river otter from the lodge. The surroundings are quite thickly forested and support a rich variety of bird life; red and green macaws are seen in abundance. Capybaras graze nearby and after nightfall they appear en masse within the grounds.

Guides are well-informed, and excursions, which include kayaking on the river at sunrise, as well as nature walks and horse riding, are suitable for most ages and abilities.