The Jaguar Ecological Reserve is a 1200-hectare federally registered reserve (R.P.P.N. - Reserva Particular de Patrimonio Natural) in the heart of the Pantanal. The Jaguar Reserve is owned by a local Pantaneiro family who has pledged to preserve it. Profits from the Reserve's lodge are re-invested to purchase more land for the Reserve with the intention of significantly expanding the conservation area. They also hope to fund a local school for Pantaneiro children.

For over a decade guests have enjoyed the comforts of a family-run lodge, the expertise of local guides, and the spectacular setting; taking in some of Brazil's most beautiful scenery and some of The Pantanal's finest wildlife habitat, while supporting a community-based ecotourism project. The Reserve and the surrounding ranches are one of the best places in Latin America to see a jaguar. Approximately one-third of visitors who stay for three or more days see a jaguar at the Reserve or nearby. While we can't promise that you will see a jaguar, we know that you will see other breathtaking wildlife during your stay. Smaller cats such as the ocelot, as well as tapir, giant anteater, peccary, howler monkey, caiman and hundreds of bird species, are regularly seen here.

The lodge does not set out to offer luxury accommodation but the owner Eduardo is proud to offer a comfortable lodge in a remote yet accessible setting. The lodge offers 11 guest rooms, with a total of 18 single beds. All have air conditioning. Each room is fully furnished and has a private bath, mosquito nets, fan, and porch with hammocks. We use a generator and solar panels for electricity. Hot water is available daily.

The Jaguar Ecological Reserve is one of the southernmost ecotourism lodges along the Transpantaneira, and the extra driving time is well worth the effort. The remote location offers the opportunity to enjoy the Pantanal at its most pristine. Wildlife tends to be more abundant near the Reserve than at other lodges closer to Poconé and Cuiabá and without doubt the jaguar sightings at this southern end of the Transpantaneira towards Porto Joffre are better than anywhere else in the world.