If you want to self-drive the Trans-Pantaniera in a rental car, the first step is to get from Cuiaba to Pocone. Pocone is a small town where you can grab something to eat and then head to the Trans-Pantaniera which is a well-maintained dirt road through some prime birding territory.
Transpantaneira in blue, it’s not that long when compared to the entire Pantanal region but the birds are amazing!
Well-maintained dirt road.
This map from the German language Pantanal Portal shows the exact position of the various eco-lodges along the Transpantaniera. For our trip, we stayed at Curicara Eco-Lodge and made a day visit to Araras Eco-Lodge. On the last day, we called into Pousada Piuval for a mid-morning snack and to see some more birds in their lush grounds.
For descriptions of the various lodges, this website has a good list in English, also check the latest reviews on Trip Advisor, paying most attention to people with several reviews who seem unbiased.
Here’s a few pics from our drive from the entrance to Araras Eco-Lodge where we made a day visit.
Quaker Parrots (Monk Parakeets) were everywhere – check out those humongous communal nests!
Divided road.