Refúgio
Ecológico Caiman is located 236 km west of Campo Grande,
State
Capital of Mato Grosso do Sul .
It
comprises 4 different lodges:
Caiman
Lodge:
Ibero - American style building with 11 rooms , private baths,
air conditioning , swimming pool , homestyle restaurant , living
room , TV and video. Also called "SEDE LODGE".
Pousada Piúva: 1 km away from Caiman lodge . It
has 6 rooms with private baths , air conditioning , swimming pool
, living room .
Pousada Baiazinha: this rustic lodge has 6 rooms with privates
bath and terraces , air conditioning , ample living room , homestyle
restaurant , swimming pool and an observation tower 9 km from
Caiman lodge. Resembles to a bird with open wings it is built
on stilts
Pousada Cordilheira: it has 6 apartments with private bath
and terrace , ample living room, air conditioning , swimming pool
and an observation tower 13 km from Caiman lodge.
Length
of stay: To fully enjoy the tour program, at least a 3 nights
stay is recommended, checking in on the first day before the afternoon
tour, and checking out on the fourth day after the morning tour.
We suggest that those who have a little more time follow the programmed
itinerary of at least 7 nights. During this period, guests stay
in different lodges, 3 nights in one lodge and 4 nights in another.
THE EXCURSIONS
Photo
Safari - Tour In Open Vehicles
Time: approximately 3 hours
A tour in an open vehicle is the best way to reach places far
from the farm. Crossing fields and stretches of jungle, this tour
broadens opportunities to observe and photograph the wild life.
The vehicle is used for longer photo safaris. At night the guests
go out to do "night spotting": to observe, with the
help of flashlights, nocturnal animals, as alligators, capybaras,
anteaters and small wolves.
Boat Tours
The Refuge offers boat tours, both rowboat and motorboat, on the
two bays of the farm. The rowboat tour is on the bay near Pousada
Baiazinha, near the shores, to look for the mammals which inhabit
the aquatic and shoreline plants, as capybaras and monkeys, and
mainly the birds that feed on the water fauna, as cormorants,
darters, white-headed terns, and different types of herons.
Visitors discover the Pantanal on this tour by way of sounds.
Moving in silence, guests are thrilled by the songs of the toucans,
herons, parakeets, jacanas and the kingfishers. The tour lasts1
1/2 to 2 hours, without anyone's leaving the boat, and is enjoyed
by everyone, independent of age
The motorboat
tour is taken in the bay next to the Pousada Sede, at low speed,
sometimes with the motor turned off, to observe the flora and
fauna and listen to general explanations about the aquatic environment.
The tour also includes a brief hike to see the feeding of the
alligators or to follow a trail into the jungle.
The
main attraction is the alligators, but with luck, capuchin monkeys,
"bugios" (another type of monkey), agoutis, capybaras,
and a great variety of aquatic birds can be seen. The motorboat
tour usually lasts 3 hours including the hike and boat ride
Tours on
Horseback
This is one of the best ways to explore the Pantanal, allowing
for visits to areas which are inaccessible by other means, like
local flooded areas, where the water is too deep for motorized
vehicles or too shallow for other boats. The horses in the Pantanal,
which are raised in the region, are stout, strong and have water-resistant
skin, and are adapted to crossing long distances of flooded fields.
These horses are trained for inexperienced riders, making it easy
for everyone to observe different environments in the Pantanal,
from flooded fields to open vegetation and even forests with large
trees. Before each tour basic instructions are given about how
to get along with the horses, how to ride, the risks and care
involved, etc. The visit goes from the workers quarters and the
hotel, passing the stables. It lasts about 3 hours, but there
are shorter trails of about 11/2 hours.
**Also on horseback, it is possible to participate in a special
program called a Cattle Drive. This is an adventure of riding
with the Pantanal peons in their work routine with the cattle,
driving hundreds of heads on a trip that takes more than one day
to finish (for more information, see Cattle Drive).
Hikes
Taking place mainly on trails through heavy bush, the hikes make
it easy to observe forest vegetation and the animals that live
there, as "quatis" (raccoon-like mammals) and monkeys.
There are approximately 12 different hikes, which are taken on
different days to assure the permanence of the animals in each
area.
The
trails begin in bush with vegetation that is typical of the Pantanal,
as long grass and coppice, and in transition areas, as in the
open pastures. They allow visitors to get to know an even larger
variety of animals and plants in the region. The hikes leave on
foot from the hotel, or are part of the photo safari. The Farm
Tour Walk is taken at the headquarters of the lodge and involves
a visit to the stable, the workers' quarters and the headquarters
of Blue Macaw Project. The hikes vary in duration, depending on
if they are part of the photo safari or not, but on an average
they are 1 1/2 to 3 hours.
BEST TIME
TO VISIT PANTANAL
What is the best season to visit the Pantanal? : This is
a common question for someone considering going to the Pantanal.
The contrast of the seasons makes it attractive the whole year.
Normally, mammals can be observed in the dry period (from June
to September), when the animals have to come out to look for food
and can easily be observed during the outings. At this time the
temperature is agreeable, which makes the tours very pleasant.
During the full season (from December to March), the Pantanal
is completely flooded, making the landscape even more lively.
This is the best time to observe birds, especially migratory ones.
Although transportation becomes more difficult in most areas,
road access is possible throughout the year. In the full season,
the temperature is higher, especially in the months of December
and January. To take full advantage of your visit to the Pantanal,
choose the season that matches your interests the best. We suggest,
if possible, that you make two visits to the Pantanal, one in
the dry season and another in the full season. This is the only
way possible to see the contrasts between the seasons and widen
your vision about this magic place that marvels and enchants even
the most demanding visitors.
HOW TO
ARRIVE AT REFUGIO ECOLOGICO CAIMAN
Transportation:
From the airport of Campo Grande to the Caiman Ecological
Refuge and back, there are regular vans on TUESDAYS, THURSDAYS,
FRIDAYS and SUNDAYS. They depart from the airport at 10:00 am
and at noon. The return van trip from the Refuge leaves at 7:00
am and 11:30 am. The vans are air-conditioned and the trip lasts
about 4 hours with a 20-minute stop. Fares are not included in
the hotel price.
OBS.: Due to operational reasons we do not offer night
transfers.
Driving: To drive your own car from Campo Grande, you should
take highway BR-262, in the direction Campo Grande-Corumbá.
At the Miranda junction, there is a restaurant called "Zero
Hour". At this junction, turn right, taking the paved road
in the direction of the city of Agachi. At this point there are
signs showing the way to Hotel Caiman. A few meters ahead, turn
left onto a dirt road. From there it is 36 kilometers to the Caiman
Ecological Refuge and you will pass by entrances to the farms
called "Santa Delfina" and "Novo Horizonte"
and by signs for the farm "Nova Miranda". After passing
by a house with "Estância Caiman" written above
the main gate, go ahead to the gate that says "Mutum",
which gives access to the Caiman Ecological Refuge. You will pass
by the "Ponte do Paizinho" and by a small villa of local
residents at the end of which is the SEDE Lodge.
Other private transportation:
Caiman is also served by high-level professionals that offer services
as: Exclusive transportation Air transportaion Hotels in Campo
Grande. On the farm, our guests are well supplied with an excellent
infrastructure. We have a full-time nurse, telephone center, fax,
cellular telephone antennas, motorized vehicles, a radio system
which connects to all parts of the farm, and insurance for personal
or group accidents.
Landing Field: With 1500 meters extenuation in gravel,
the landing field of the Caiman Ecological Refuge is one of the
best in the region. Its operational capacity serves for turbine
propellers, single and double engines (Caravan, Bandeirantes,
etc.). The flight time from Campo Grande is approximately 45 minutes.