The Paraguayan Pantanal

The Pantanal is a vast wetland covering the flood plain of the Paraguay River. It spreads over 81,000 square miles across the borders of Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay. It is one of the world's richest ecosystems, recently declared a "World Biosphere Reserve"

Due to torrential rains for six months of the year, this plain becomes an inland sea. In the dry season, when the water recedes it becomes a huge savannah. It is the home to 665 bird species, the winter home to over 30 migratory bird from North America, 265 mammals and 1,000 species of flowering plants.

Activities

Activities at Fortin Patria change according to the time of year due to flood levels. During the dry season roads into the brush are open giving access by car or horseback to the whole property, during the wet season small wooden boats built by the local Chamacoco indigenous community are part of the silent fleet that gets under way to surprise the abundant birdlife. Over 260 bird species have been sighted to date.

Our rainy season starts around October and continues through April. The water level starts rising in January and continues until July, when it begins to drop in all the tributaries, including the river Paraguay. From August to December the land becomes ravishingly green and as the water level recedes birds come to feed on the concentrated abundance of fish, and mammals become more visible emerging towards the banks of the now shallow water ways.

Vast quantity of birds live here during different migratory seasons: storks, tucans, hawks, vultures, cormorants, ibises, herons, kingfishers, hawks, egrets, to name a few. You're likely to spot capybaras (large South American Rodents), tapirs, giant anteaters, marsh deer, maned wolves, giant otters and monkeys. Jacare's (caiman alligators), pumas and jaguars. Anacondas, boa constrictors are plentiful plus three different types of piranhas which make good fishing and a delicious soup.