12 Days Tour, Great Chaco, Cerrado And Pantanal Tour

This tour offers the impressive wildlife of the Great Chaco, and the magnificent wilderness of the Pantanal, but also some of the last and most remote spots of the Cerrado. Amazing birding spots, with +80 bird species in a morning, but also best chances to see some of the most impressive mammals, including Jaguar, Puma, Lowland Tapir, Giant Otter, Chacoan Peccary, Giant Anteater, Marsh Deer, and many others.

ECOREGIONS AND ECOSYSTEMS

DAY 1: Humid Chaco

We will visit first the Humid Chaco, with its characteristic palm savannas and forest islands, in one of the Important Bird Areas, where in the morning we usually add + 80 bird species, howler monkeys, gray-buck deer, and sometimes we can add to our wild list of the site, the Giant Anteater.

Early birding at Benjamín Aceval, only 40 km from Asunción (1 hour approximately), where we will see many birds in ecosystems of Chaco Humid, including Plumbeous and Buff-necked Ibis, Black-collared Hawk, Golden-green and Pale-breasted Woodpeckers, Red-legged Seriema, Great-rufous Woodcreeper, Red-billed Scythebill, Purplish and Plush-crested Jays, Black-capped Donacobius, Scarlet-headed Blackbird, and Crested Oropendola.

In this spot, we also have one of the best chances to see the endangered Strange-tailed Tyrant. Before midday, we will continue our travel to Laguna Capitán, and in the afternoon, watch birds and wildlife until nightfall. Overnight at Laguna Capitán or Loma Plata Inn Hotel.

DAY 2: Dry Chaco - Salty Lagoons

Following the Dry Chaco, with its amazing Salty Lagoons, where in part of the year + 2000 Chilean Flamingos, many species of waders, ducks, and egrets, show the amazing wildlife of the Chaco, as well as Collared Peccaries, Lowland Tapir, and other mammals, enrich the great nature of its dry forests.

We will spend the morning birding and wildlife watching at the salty lakes, arriving at Campo María or Chaco Lodge, where we will spend the rest of the day. We will see some of the Chaco endemics: Cream-backed Woodpecker, Crested Gallito, Scimitar-billed Woodcreeper, Chaco Earthcreeper, Cinereous Tyrant, Black-capped Warbling-Finch, and Many-colored Chaco-Finch.

Many waterbirds and shorebirds will increase our list during this day, with great possibilities to see White-faced Whistling Duck, Coscoroba Swan, up to thousands of Chilean Flamingos, Ringed and Brazilian Teal, Collared Plover, Black-necked Stilt, Lesser Yellowlegs, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, and many others.

DAY 3: Humid Chaco

Today we will go across the Humid Chaco again, to venture on roads that, during part of the year, are closed due to the flooding of the Paraguay River. Here we already get into one of the largest wetlands in the world, the Pantanal. We will reach Bahía Negra, where we will take a boat to go to Tres Gigantes Station through the Río Negro. Giant Otters, a good number of caimans, Chacoan Titi Monkeys, Marsh Deer, and some of the impressive wildlife that we will enjoy during our stay at Tres Gigantes.

DAY 4: Tres Gigantes

We will enjoy the nature of the Pantanal in the area of Tres Gigantes. An early walk in its trails will give us the chance to see some of the Pantanal's attractive birds, such as Mato Grosso Antbird, White-lored Spinetail, and Buff-bellied Hermit. Other attractive birds that we will enjoy during the walk are Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Swallowed-tailed Hummingbird, Crested Oropendola, Fawn-breasted Wren, Silver-beaked Tanager, and Rufous Cacholote.

During the afternoon, we will take a boat trip up to the Rio Negro, to enjoy the abundance of aquatic birds. Depending on the time of the year, there could be flocks of thousands of Bobolinks (November to April), and different species of Seedeaters such as Rufous-rumped and Dark-throated Seedeaters. During the boat trip, we may have the chance to see Giant otters, ga ood number of Caimans, and Marsh Deer.

DAY 5: Tres Gigantes

After an early walk in the trails of Tres Gigantes Station, we will leave again in the direction of Bahía Negra. From Bahía Negra, we will go to the Cerro Chovoreca Natural Monument, the only protected area in our Cerrado ecorregion of the Paraguayan Chaco. In this area, we will stay in the lodges of sustainable cattle ranches.

DAY 6: Cerrado

We will walk in the trails of sub-humid forests of the Cerrado, where we have good chances to add some of the great bird diversity of this threatened ecorregion: Blue-throated Piping-Guan, Bare-faced Currasow, Great Potoo, Amazonian Motmot, Green-cheeked Parakeet, Yellow-collared and Red-and-Green Macaws, Giant Antshrike, Black-bellied Antwren, White-backed Fire-eye, Ochre-cheeked Spinetail. To our mammal list, we expect to add Black-tailed Marmoset, Lesser Grison, Azara´s Agouti, Greater and Lesser Hairy Armadillo, but also some possibilities of the Giant Armadillo.

At night, we will look for cats, expecting chances to add Puma, Jaguar, Ocelot or Jaguarundi.

DAY 7: Defensores del Chaco National Park

An early walk to continue adding fauna to our lists. Before midday, we will leave in the direction of the Defensores del Chaco National Park. This Park is the largest protected area of the country, and it maintains some of the wildest areas of the Dry Chaco. During our stay in the park, we will lodge in the administration house, which is rustic.

DAY 8: Defensores del Chaco National Park

We will have an early walk in the trails of the Defensores del Chaco. Here we will have chances to see some of the 18 endemic birds of the Chaco, including the Brushland and Quebracho Crested-Tinamous, Black-legged Seriema, and Black-bodied Woodpecker. Chances of mammals are very good at Defensores, including Jaguar, Puma, Chacoan Peccary, and Geoffroy´s Cat.

Also, White lipped and Collared Pecaries, Plains Viscacha, Gray and Red Brocket Deer. At night, we will look for the Chaco Owl, another endemic of the region, and expect to have luck with some of the cats.

DAY 9: Defensores del Chaco National Park

We will have an early walk in the trails of the Defensores del Chaco. Here we will have chances to see some of the 18 endemic birds of the Chaco, including the Brushland and Quebracho Crested-Tinamous, Black-legged Seriema, and Black-bodied Woodpecker. Chances of mammals are very good at Defensores, including Jaguar, Puma, Chacoan Peccary, and Geoffroy´s Cat. Also, White lipped and Collared Pecaries, Plains Viscacha, Gray and Red Brocket Deer. At night, we will look for the Chaco Owl, another endemic of the region, and expect to have luck with some of the cats.

DAY 10: Médanos del Chaco National Park

We´ll leave early to visit Médanos del Chaco National Park. At Medanos, we will look for Stripe-capped Sparrow and Spot-winged Falconet. Return to Teniente Enciso during the afternoon.

DAY 11: Neuland's Reserve

Early birding at Tte. Enciso National Park, and the journey to Neuland's Reserve. At Neuland's reserve, we will walk its trails to look for mammals and have other opportunities for the endemic birds of the Chaco. Azara´s Night Monkey and Great Anteater are some of the possible mammals in this reserve.

DAY 12: Neuland's Reserve

We´ll enjoy the morning wildlife watching at Neuland, and in the afternoon, we will return to Asunción.