SOUTHERN AMAZONIA: RIO AZUL & CRISTALINO LODGE
Our signature trip is a two-week Amazonian extravaganza in the Southern Amazon region out of the town of Alta Floresta (where the Birding Mato Grosso office is located) in the north of Mato Grosso state. No other operator offers such an extensive trip in the Southern Amazon, and to date we are still the only tour operator running regular trips to the fabulous Rio Azul Jungle Lodge. Our Southern Amazonia tour spends an introductory day in Alta Floresta to get our feet wet with parrots, toucans, and riverine forest specialties, 4 nights at the Rio Azul, home of the Bald Parrot and many white-sand specialists, and 6 nights at the world famous Cristalino Jungle Lodge, with its two canopy towers, 20+ kilometres of forest trails, and a birdlist of more than 550 species. A great tour for specialties of the Southern Amazon such as Cryptic Forest-Falcon, Blue-cheeked Jacamar, Bare-eyed Antbird, Snow-capped Manakin and more. Ask us whether the urban Harpy Eagle nest is active! This is also usually an excellent tour for mammals, with good chances for Brazilian Tapir in addition to endemic primates such as White-faced Spider Monkey and the White-nosed Bearded Saki.
Duration: 12 days Difficulty: Fairly easy
Tour summary: A complete immersion into the avifauna of the southern Amazon with multiple night stays at two very comfortable, world-class birding lodges surrounded by lush Amazon rainforest. A potential bird list exceeding 600 species, of which we should record 380+ in less than two weeks of birding. We will be birding beautiful forest trails into a dizzying array of Amazonian micro-habitats in the mornings, with relaxing boat trips in the afternoons, and dawn visits to Cristalino's two unrivalled canopy towers. Cristalino is a reference for birding and nature tourism worldwide, and the accommodations and service reflect that. At the Rio Azul we are quickly welcomed into the family at this charming lodge situated at the frontier between the ranching which drives the local economy, and the vast Serra do Cachimbo forest reserve administered by the Brazilian air force.
When: Any time.
Starting point: Alta Floresta, in the north of Mato Grosso state. One or two flights daily from Cuiabá, the state capital.