Is November a good time to go to The Pantanal, Brazil? If so how long should I go for and what might I see?

Question

Bad time for mosquitos. Fewer hotels open. Poor wildlife spotting opportunities

Answer 1

I know Pantanal region very well, because I've been there at least five times in the last ten years, and as Brazilian, I don't believe this is the best season to go (November).

First you should consider that PANTANAL is a very hot region, and you will be very close to the heavy rainy season, second, Pantanal is a huge geographic area,  that goes from Mato Grosso state inside Brazil territory, and crosses the borders of Paraguay and Bolivia.

Most probably, the region, that stays floaded during summer time, is bigger than most of big European Countries. This means that you have to plan your trip very well, to know where to go, otherwise you will loose time and money.

For a first time visitor, I would recommend a simple and safe trip, visiting MIRANDA and BONITO, and eventually going to CORUMBÁ. BONITO is a very interesting city, very well structured in terms of tourist infrastructure, with lots of activities.

and a very interesting destination, take a look in this site:

http://www.braziltour.com/site/gb/cidade...

The other place I recommend is MIRANDA, located where we can call "the very beggining of Pantanal". You will find different possibilities to observe wild life, specially beautifull birds, and of course, Caymans.

I recomend to take a look in this site:

http://www.caiman.com.br/caiman/english/...

Refugio Caiman Is a very beautifull and charming FARM, that is owned by one of the biggest cattle raisers in Brazil (only in this farm they raise more than 50.000 - fifty thousand - cattle heads), and they built a beautifull hotel inside. It will be possible to follow the "ranchers" in a day of work what I specially recomend.

Well, I hope i have helped you in some way. Have a good trip.

Anything I can help don't hesitate in contact me through e-mail in my page at yahoo answers.

Answer 2

I used to live 30 minutes away from Pantanal..... It's always bad time for mosquitoes over there. Don't worry about the season because the temperatures are always high over there. Sorry about wildlife spotting, can't tell you about that (actually never thought of that).

Answer 3

Have you checked out Footprints South American Handbook for advice on this and plenty more in Brasil and the rest of South America?  It's by far the authority for this continent.  The best time to go is between April and September, by November flooding, persistent rain and extreme heat will make travel in the region difficult.  I didn't make it to the Pantanal because I was in Brasil in the Feb/March but from what I heard one of the best jumping off point for tours is from Corumba which has more cheap accommodation and is more accessible - with an airport 3km from the town centre and buses from the rodoviaria.  Tours are generally four days long but bear in mind you might need to allow time for enough people to sign up for a tour to run. You can also travel into Bolivia from there as there's a regular bus service.  If you can bring your trip forward a few weeks it is meant to be fantastic there, but have fun whatever you do - Brasil's a great country.

Answer 4

The rainy season starts in (December to May), then the Pantanal water levels will rise more than three meters.

November, will be heavy and sticky!