Thinking of Brazil evokes images of a diverse culture, carnivals, beautiful beaches and football. But, geographically speaking, cities and other human settlements make up only a small fraction of this vast country. Brazil has a majestic and breathtakingly wild side to it. It boasts of having unmatched biodiversity in places like the Amazon, which is the world’s largest rainforest, and the Pantanal, Earth’s largest tropical wetland. These wilderness areas enjoy world heritage status to ensure they are protected and preserved.
If you are looking for a place to visit and enjoy authenticity, peace, nature, wildlife, and tranquility, Brazil wilderness areas will offer you all you are looking for and beyond. Get to see a myriads of animal and plant species in their natural habitat, as if going back to a time when there were large pieces of land unexploited by humans. Nature in its most natural state.
If you come as tourist, organizing a trip all by yourself is no easy task. The country is huge, the things you want to see may be spread around, getting around part is not always obvious, and you probably don’t speak Portuguese.
Luckily, there are companies like Brazil Adventure Tours dedicated to ensuring that people looking to visit the country get to have the most memorable, stress-free, and enjoyable trip. Their primary goal is to relieve you of the pressure of planning a trip by yourself. They have qualified, friendly, and native staff that know the best destinations inside out – be it for honeymooners, adventure seekers, or people seeking to learn more about the country and the local culture. What’s particularly great about Brazil Adventure Tours though is that they cover the whole range of experiences one might be looking for: you can go wildlife trekking, kayaking, biking, surfing, take a cruise, enjoy festivals etcetera etcetera. Let them know your preferences and they’ll figure out an itinerary for you.
Now if you’re looking for true wilderness experiences, the two must-visit areas in Brazil are the Amazon jungle and the Pantanal.
The Amazon Rainforest
The Amazon is the largest rainforest in the world consisting of over 400 billion trees of up to 16,000 species, over 100,000 species of animals, over 2 million species of insects, and 1,300 bird species. It is indeed a nature hub.
The forest acts as a safe haven for animals who keep their distance from the visitors. This makes it hard to see them but with the help of a skilled tour guide, you will get to see a myriad of them. Some of these animals include the intelligent pink river dolphin, the glass frog, the Jesus lizard, the spider monkey, the Kinkajou, the peanut head bug, the anaconda, and the giant otter.
The Amazon will have you feeling like an explorer. There are boats that the locals use in the Amazon River as a means of transport and to ferry goods from one village to the next. There are no roads or telecommunication services – this creates a feeling of isolation, peace, and calm. All that one can hear are the animals and birds as they move around the forest, making it a perfect time to indulge in the beauty of nature.
Some random facts about the Amazon:
- Two-thirds of the Amazon jungle is found in Brazil
- In the past, the Amazon River used to flow westward but the rise of the Andes caused a change and now it flows eastward into the Atlantic Ocean.
- The Amazon Basin covers over 40% of the South American continent. It covers 6.9 million kilometers which is approximately the size of the 48 contiguous states of the US.
- With over 1,100 tributaries, the Amazon is the world’s largest river by capacity.
- Since 2004, there has been a significant drop in deforestation cases due to the stringent measures that have been put to help conserve the forest such as the designation of protected areas and indigenous territories, satellite monitoring of deforestation, increased pressure from environmental groups, and initiatives from the private sector.
The Pantanal
The Pantanal is the largest tropical wetland on earth which covers over 70,000 square miles. Its name originated from the Portuguese word ‘pantano’ meaning swamp, wetland, bog, or marsh. The Pantanal Conservation Area has a more significant percentage of dry land as compared to the Amazon and is home to many animal species. In fact, though not as popular as the Amazon, this area has the highest concentration of wildlife on the continent.
It boasts of having the highest Jaguar population in the world. Other animal species include the giant anteater, the comical capybara, caimans and the tapirs. Birds like the red macaws and the green parrot can be easily spotted across the area. Due to the vast dry land, visitors can enjoy activities such as hiking, viewing wildlife from canopy towers and horseback riding.
Some random facts about the Pantanal
- During the rainy season, nearly eighty percent of Pantanal is covered in water.
- There are 58 species of amphibians, 98 reptile species, 325 species of fish, 656 bird species, 159 mammals, and 3,500 plant species.
- Although it is one of the most protected wetlands in the world, less than 2% of Pantanal wetland is under government protection
- The Pantanal wetland was listed in the WWF ‘global 200’ as an outstanding and representative area of biodiversity. WWF is working hand in hand with ranchers to reduce cases of illegal mining, unregulated tourism, and deforestation to ensure the area is protected and preserved.
Brazil is a spectacular place for anyone looking to get the best wilderness experience. The Amazon and the Pantanal are areas that are rich in wildlife, water species, trees, vegetation, and birds. Visit these places to have the time of your life as you enjoy nature in its undisturbed state.