A private villa within Caiman, a 53,000-hectare working ranch and wildlife reserve in Brazil’s Southern Pantanal.
Casa Cordilheira is the most exclusive way to explore the world’s largest tropical wetland. Designed by sustainably-minded Brazilian architect Lucio Fleury, seven 70m² bungalows are arranged around a central house with an infinity pool looking over the forest and grasslands. Taken exclusively, it sleeps up to sixteen.
Cattle still graze the open plains, Pantaneiro cowboys work on horseback, and the reserve is home to an incredible diversity of wildlife. The main draw is the elusive jaguar; once rarely seen here, years of dedicated conservation work by Onçafari have made Caiman one of the best places on Earth to see them in the wild.
What we love about Casa Cordilheira
- The remote setting, 13km from the main lodge and taken exclusively by one group, ensures complete privacy.
- Each of the seven bungalows is air-conditioned, with an en-suite bathroom and its own covered veranda and hammock looking into the forest.
- The main house is brilliantly set up for gatherings, with an infinity pool and deck, indoor and outdoor lounges, bar and dining area, and a firepit for drinks after dinner.
- Fully staffed with a private chef, 24h villa host and daily housekeeping; all meals and drinks are included.
- Your own safari vehicle and dedicated field guides are included for personalised daily excursions, including game drives, night safaris, guided forest walks and canoe trips.
Wildlife is the reason to come to the Pantanal, and days at Cordilheira are designed around getting out into it.
Head out in open 4x4s with Caiman’s naturalist and field guides in search of jaguars, giant anteaters, caiman, capybaras and hyacinth macaws; around 350 species of bird have been recorded here, and the noise at first light can be extraordinary. Explore the forest on foot, go out with a specialist birding guide, set out across the lagoons by Canadian canoe, or ride across the grasslands with Pantaneiro cowboys, whose families have worked this land for generations. After dark, head back out with a spotlight to look for ocelots, crab-eating foxes and other nocturnal wildlife.
Onçafari has been based at Caiman since 2011, and its biologists have spent years identifying individual jaguars and following their territories, cubs and movements. The cats were rarely seen at Caiman when Onçafari began its work; today, founder Roberto Klabin puts the chance of a sighting at more than 90 per cent. Join its biologists in the field to learn how they are tracked and monitored, or spend time with the Hyacinth Macaw Institute as researchers check nests across the reserve.
When to Travel
The dry season, from June to October, is our favourite time to visit the Pantanal. As water levels drop, vegetation becomes less dense and wildlife concentrates around the remaining ponds and waterways, making them easier to spot. Cooler temperatures and drier tracks also make it easier to explore.
From November to May, seasonal rains flood large areas of the Pantanal. The landscape is greener and birdlife is particularly abundant as migratory species arrive to feed and breed.
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