My Jaguar Safari in the Pantanal, Brazil: Everything You Need to Know

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Kellie Paxian and her husband under the Transpantaneira welcome sign at the start of the Pantanal, Mato Grosso, Brazil

If you know anything about me, you know I am a WILDLIFE AND ANIMAL LOVERRR.

I’ve travelled all over the world in search of epic wildlife experiences, from gorilla trekking in Uganda and African safaris to the Great Migration in Tanzania and Kenya, lemurs in Madagascar, orangutans in Borneo, the marine mecca of the Galápagos Islands, and approximately a million other animal encounters that have ended up on my bucket list.

And, of course, a huge part of my life now revolves around getting my clients out into the wild too through Adventurelust, from African safaris and gorilla trekking to the Great Migration, Galápagos cruises and our upcoming Antarctica expedition.

For years I had this vision in my head of seeing a jaguar in the wild, and I’ve actually been to the Amazon Rainforest a few times before this trip, keeping my eyes peeled for these epic cats. Little did I know I was looking in the wrong place.

Then I discovered somewhere I had never even heard of before: the Pantanal in Brazil. And it instantly climbed to the top of my bucket list.

So when I finally had the opportunity to get there in September 2026, you can imagine how freaking excited I was.

Welcome to my JAGUAR SAFARI IN THE PANTANAL, BRAZIL. 🐆

Sunset over a river in the Pantanal from the bow of a Pantanal Jaguar Camp boat

So… why the Pantanal?

The Pantanal is one of the world’s largest tropical wetlands, stretching across a huge area of central South America.

And it is WILD.

But this is a completely different kind of safari to what I’m used to in Africa.

There are no open 4x4s cruising across the savanna here. Instead, the action happens primarily from boats, as you cruise along the rivers and waterways looking for wildlife.

Kellie Paxian on a boat safari with capybaras on the riverbank in the Pantanal, Brazil

And the main event?

JAGUARS.

My favourite animal is the leopard, and jaguars are basically leopards on steroids.

They’re bulkier, stockier and incredibly powerful. And the videos I’d seen online of jaguars jumping into rivers, taking down caimans (basically a South American croc cousin 🐊) and dragging them out of the water absolutely blew my mind. Like this one by our guide/Pantanal legend @ailton_lara! 

I knew I had to see this for myself.

Jaguar hidden among tree roots on a riverbank in the Pantanal, Brazil

And omg.

The more I saw and learned about these big cats, the more fascinated and impressed I was by them.

The precision of their movements. The ridiculous strength. The agility it takes to move through this dense river environment. And all the interactions and behaviours I got to see, at such a close proximity, in such a short timeframe…

TRULY. TRULY. INCREDIBLE.

Jaguar mother walking with her two nearly grown cubs along a riverbank in the Pantanal

One of the things that makes a jaguar safari in the Pantanal so special is how much time you can spend with the animals once you find them.

The jaguars are concentrated along the rivers, and they have become super habituated to the boats.

So instead of immediately disappearing into the bush, they’re often completely focused on their own lives.

They’re apex predators here. They don’t have much to worry about. Which means we get to sit there and watch them just… be jaguars.

Walking along the riverbank. Swimming. Resting. Playing. Hunting. Interacting with each other.

It honestly felt like taking 10 Sabi Sands leopard sightings and packing them into one prolonged Pantanal sighting.

Jaguar drinking from the river in the Northern Pantanal near Porto Jofre

Where in the Pantanal should you go for jaguars?

This is one of the BIG things to know before booking a Pantanal trip.

The Pantanal is huge, and not every area offers the same wildlife experience.

If your priority is seeing jaguars, you want to be looking at the Northern Pantanal, specifically around Porto Jofre in Mato Grosso.

This is where you can get out onto the rivers and waterways by boat and spend your days searching for jaguars and the incredible wildlife that lives alongside them.

Of course the jaguars are the main event, but the Pantanal is absolutely PACKED with wildlife.

Capybara on a sandy riverbank in the Pantanal, Brazil

During our short time here we saw:

🐆 Jaguars
🦫 Capybara (cutie patooties)
🐊 Caimans
🐍 Anaconda
🦦 Giant otters
🦜 Toucans and other incredible birdlife
🐴 A TAPIR (super rare!! They’re actually more closely related to horses than pigs — how funny)

Lowland tapir crossing the river in the Pantanal, Brazil

A whole different kind of safari

Our typical days looked roughly like:

6am-ish → 11am/12pm: morning boat safari
Lunch + downtime at camp
2pm → 6pm: afternoon boat safari
Back after dark → dinner → sleep → repeat.

Full disclaimer:

It is hot.

There are other boats.

There is a LOT of sitting and waiting.

And you need patience.

But when you find a jaguar and get to spend a huge amount of time watching it move, hunt, swim or interact with its family, it is SO worth it.

Jaguar resting on a fallen tree at sunset in the Pantanal

How long should you spend in the Pantanal?

For a dedicated jaguar safari, there are a few different options depending on how much time you have and how deeply you want to immerse yourself in the wildlife experience.

I can arrange 3-, 4- and 5-night Pantanal safari packages, depending on your trip and what makes sense for you.

For a quick dedicated jaguar safari, 3 nights gives you multiple morning and afternoon boat excursions and a really solid opportunity to experience the area.

If you have the time, adding additional nights means more time on the waterways, more opportunities for wildlife sightings and more chances to simply sit with these incredible animals.

And because this is wildlife, rather than a guaranteed animal encounter, I always like having a little more time up your sleeve when possible.

If you're travelling all the way to Brazil, you can also combine the Pantanal with other parts of the country, whether that's Rio de Janeiro, Iguaçu Falls, the Amazon or São Paulo.

So this can be a standalone jaguar safari or one piece of a much bigger Brazilian adventure. I do specialize in the Pantanal portion specifically!

When is the best time to visit the Pantanal for jaguars?

If your main goal is seeing jaguars in the wild, the prime months are generally July, August and September.

This is the dry season, when water levels are lower and wildlife becomes more concentrated around the remaining waterways.

And, most importantly for jaguar lovers, this is when the chances of spending serious time with these incredible cats are at their best.

I travelled in September, and the wildlife viewing was absolutely phenomenal.

That said, this is still wild Brazil — there are never guarantees with wildlife!

Capybara walking on a riverbank seen from a boat safari in the Pantanal

How to get to the Pantanal

If you're wondering how to see jaguars in the wild, the Northern Pantanal around Porto Jofre is the area I travelled to.

The basic journey looks like this:

1. Fly to São Paulo, Brazil 🇧🇷

From there, fly onward to Cuiabá.

2. Overnight in Cuiabá

Depending on your flight schedule, you may need a night here before heading into the Pantanal. If you do, I’d book somewhere close to the airport so you can get an early start, and you can find great hotel options in Cuiabá here.

3. Drive from Cuiabá to Porto Jofre

It's roughly a five-hour journey south along the famous Transpantaneira, a road that takes you deep into the Pantanal.

And the drive itself is part of the adventure.

4. Check in → board the boat → JAGUAR TIME. 🐆

From Porto Jofre, you head out onto the waterways by boat and begin your search for jaguars and the rest of the Pantanal's incredible wildlife.

Where I stayed: Pantanal Jaguar Camp

I based myself at @pantanaljaguarcamp with the absolute legend Ailton Lara @ailton_lara.

Ailton is the lodge owner and one of the people who helped make this experience so freaking special.

He knows these waterways, he knows the wildlife, and he knows the individual jaguars and their habits. That local knowledge makes a HUGE difference when you're out searching for wildlife.

And having someone who is as obsessed with the animals as you are? 10/10.

Kellie Paxian with guides on a boat safari at Pantanal Jaguar Camp

How much does a Pantanal jaguar safari cost?

This is probably one of the first questions I get whenever I talk about this trip.

As a general starting point, Pantanal jaguar safaris can start from around $2,500 USD per person for 3 nights, depending on the camp, dates, rooming, inclusions and itinerary.

And that is not just accommodation. A proper safari package can include your accommodation, meals, transfers to and from Cuiabá and your daily boat safaris.

So you're not just booking a hotel in the Pantanal and hoping a jaguar happens to wander past.

This is a full wildlife experience.

Guest room at Pantanal Jaguar Camp in Porto Jofre, Brazil

What to pack for a Pantanal jaguar safari 🎒

You’ll spend most of your days on an open boat in the heat, so think light, breathable layers and LOTS of sun protection. A few things I’d never go without:

  • Binoculars (so many sightings are tucked into the riverbank vegetation!)

  • A camera with a good zoom lens

  • A wide-brim sun hat with a chin strap (it gets windy when the boat is moving!)

  • Lightweight long-sleeved shirts for sun and bug protection

  • Strong insect repellent and sunscreen

  • A dry bag to keep your gear safe on the water

You can shop my favourite safari gear in my Canadian Amazon Shop and US & International Amazon Shop.

And before you go, make sure you’ve sorted your travel insurance (I recommend VisitorsCoverage) and grab an Airalo eSIM so you can stay connected in Brazil without hunting down a local SIM card.


Want to do a Jaguar Safari in Brazil?

This is one of the experiences I'm now SO excited to offer through Adventurelust.

From African safaris to gorilla trekking, the Great Migration, Galápagos cruises, Antarctica and now jaguar safaris in the Pantanal, my whole thing is connecting my clients with the wildest, most incredible wildlife experiences I can find.


Message me at kellie@adventurelust.travel to start planning your Pantanal jaguar safari.


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