We are a family-run, boutique safari lodge situated in the beautiful southern region of the Pantanal in Brazil.
Here you can still experience the preserved eco-system of the Pantanal with its unique wetlands.
Come join us at this most inimate of Pantanal eco-lodges, so that you can discover with us all of the amazing sights and sounds that this remote wilderness has to offer.
We pride ourselves on the intimate and caring service which we provide to our guests.
We go out of our way to make sure that our guests can experience this wildlife paradise in a variety of ways - whether drifting down the Rio Negro river by boat with one of our silent electric engines, horse-riding across our endless, emerald drainage field, or going on a safari drive adventure in an open-back jeep through forest and around lakes, you are sure to fall in love with the beauty of this ever changing and vibrant landscape, and all of the creatures which it supports. And you will no doubt learn a great deal from our very knowledgeable guides and trackers who will accompany you on each of your excursions.
This region of the Pantanal is a wonderful place for birdwatching and photography. Hyacinth macaws, though endangered, are frequently sighted here. Toco toucans light up the forests with their dazzling beaks. And Jabiru storks, famous symbols of the Pantanal, nest here in the dry season.
Mammals abound here too. Giant otters and neotropical otters cruise through the waters of the Rio Negro river. Tapirs rest cautiously in the shadows of the gallery forest. Giant anteaters amble inquisitively through the fields. Black howler monkeys munch lazily on the leaves of trees around the lodge. Even the shy cats (jaguars, pumas, ocelots and jaguarundis) pay us an occasional visit.
Embiara is also a small fazenda (cattle ranch). This practice is in keeping with the centuries-old, cattle farming traditions of this region, which exist in harmony with the wildlife of the Pantanal.
When you are back at the lodge, you will enjoy the diversity and quality of our traditional Brazilian and international cuisine, and you will look forward to retiring to the sanctity of your accomodation, which we have worked meticulously at making as comfortable, cosy and private as possible.
Without a doubt, the Brazilian Porcupine (Coendou prehensilis) is one of the most elusive animals in our region of the Pantanal. This shy, arboreal rodent is solitary and nocturnal, sleeping in tree hollows or well-shaded areas in the canopy during the day, where it is almost impossible to see. So on the very rare occasion that we do manage to see one, it is a moment to savour...
A few nights ago, we saw a beautiful, striped owl (Asio clamator) hunting from a fence post in an open field near the lodge. These owls feed on small mammals, small birds and large insects. Often these birds will hunt by flying low over open terrain, then diving down to catch their prey. But they will also hunt from a perch like a fence post. These birds are very difficult to see here, so we were excited to have this sighting...
In recent weeks, as a result of heavy rain and river flooding, water has started to enter our 'vazante' (drainage field). This is always a magical encounter. The fish, which enter the vazante from the flooded river, reproduce, and aquatic plants, which suddenly grow up in the vazante with the arrival of the water, filter out any suspended sediment in the water, thus creating a beautiful, underwater aquarium...
Recently, we have had some spectacular views of the vazante whilst out on horserides in the late-afternoon...
Even though the macaw nesting period is some months away, the nesting hole of the manduvi tree at the lodge has been receiving a lot of attention recently from a variety of macaws. The other day, a pair of hyacinth macaws (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) and a pair of red and green macaws (Ara chloropterus) seemed to be jostling for position at the hole (see photo below). Finding a hole to nest in is a difficult challenge for macaws, as the holes must be a sufficient size (generally, the manduvi tree needs to be at least 60 years old), so competition is fierce amongst the macaws.
From time to time, coatis (Nasua nasua) pay us a visit at the lodge. These are opportunistic omnivores, so sometimes we see them foraging for invertebrates and small vertebrates in the leaf litter around our walkway, and on other occasions we see them feeding on the fruits of palm trees around the lodge. On this occasion, we were greeted by a coati who was determined to feed on the fruits of a boca iuva palm right beside the building where we eat. Coatis are expert climbers, so it was fascinating to watch the speed and agility with which this curious creature ascended to the top of the palm to find its fruits. Coatis have ankles which rotate beyond 180 degrees. This allows them to descend the trunk of a tree head first, evidence of which is shown in the photo below (note the boca iuva fruit in the coati's mouth!)...
