Cowboys, Capybaras, and Caipirinhas: My Trip to Brazil’s Pantanal
Woke up to roosters, macaws, and baby goats, learned to lasso (badly), and searched for jaguars on safari. My trip to Brazil’s Pantanal was the most authentic adventure I’ve ever had.
When you think Brazil, you probably picture Rio’s beaches, Carnaval parades, maybe a soccer game blasting on TV. But Brazil is...massive. Like, it’s almost the same size as the entire continent of Europe. And tucked deep in the middle of it all is the Pantanal—a wild wetland the size of entire countries. Getting there is an adventure (think off-road safaris and long drives) but trust me, it’s worth every bump in the road.
We stayed on a ranch run by Pantaneiros, who are basically Brazilian cowboys. Waking up there felt like I was living inside a National Geographic documentary narrated by David Attenborough. You step outside and instantly you’re surrounded by blue macaws (yep, the ones from Rio), horses grazing, cows wandering, birds chirping, and a gang of baby goats bouncing around like they just had three shots of espresso. Some even barged into the ranch office looking for breakfast. Honestly, if you asked me to think of a better way to wake up, I couldn’t do it.
The only items on the agenda for the day were to learn how to be a Brazilian cowboy and find a Jaguar on safari. Naturally, the day started with lasso lessons. Cowboy hat on, big belt buckle strapped, I looked the part. I’d love to say I crushed it, but…no. I was terrible. Like rope-around-my-own-ankle terrible. Respect to anyone who can actually pull that off—it’s way harder than it looks.
We went on two safaris: one on foot, one by truck.
On foot, we trekked through the forest and found Cayman alligators chilling in the water, monkeys swinging through the trees, and more rare birds than I could name (aka all of them). This place is basically Disneyland for birdwatchers and I was sat for it.
The truck safari, though, was the main event. I had one mission: spot a jaguar. We rolled out at sunset, and right away ran into a squad of capybaras, which were surprisingly giant, and were somehow both hilarious and adorable. A couple hours went by, and searching with binoculars turned to searching with flashlights. The jaguars probably heard about my lassoing skills and ran off because we never found one. Kinda brutal. But what we did get was one of the best sunsets I’ve ever seen. Picture light rays beaming through the clouds and reflecting across the wetlands. That made the ride back with the Pantaneiros, dinner, drinks, dancing, and a few too many caipirinhas feel like a win.
People throw around the phrase “adventure travel” a lot. It can mean a lot of things—hiking through the Swiss Alps, seeing Machu Picchu, or camping in one of the USA’s national parks. But this? This was different for me.
Living on a ranch with Brazilian cowboys, learning their skills (or at least attempting to), and being welcomed into their way of life felt raw, real, and unforgettable. They let us in, showed us their world, and made sure we felt like we were part of it.
On the off-road drive back to civilization, I knew I was leaving one of the most unique travel experiences I’ll ever have. And if the Pantanal can deliver something this unreal, it makes me wonder what other adventures are out there waiting.
