In Search of Adventure (and Ecotourism) in Brazil

The blue cave, near the ecotourist mecca of Bonito in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, has been visited by sightseers since at least 1940, and has some signs of rough use as a result. There are bullet holes and scars of formations that were carried off as souvenirs. However today, the Brazilian government keeps vigilant watch over the natural treasure, and strictly limits the number of visitors (to 340 per day). The cave is perhaps a metaphor for the state of ecotourism across Brazil. Just like most of the world, the country saw centuries of unfettered exploitation of its natural resources, but is moving into an age of optimistic commitment to protecting its spectacular biodiversity and sharing it's unique places and culture with a global public that is increasingly receptive to green, adventure and new experience.

"Ecotourism is the business of the 21st century, bringing together environment and economics," the Brazilian minister of tourism recently said. "Ecotourism done the right way is an important part of the solution to protect the environment from those who would degrade it, and it provides good jobs to those who might otherwise have to destroy these places," he added.

"In Brazil our natural resources are a major part of our image abroad. We're very proud of that, with the Amazon, our spectacular beaches and much more. But we also have great diversity and authenticity to offer, and a new way of life that is healthy, and based on local communities," Jeanine Pires, the president of Embratur (part of Brazil's Ministry of Tourism) told me over a fancy breakfast at the swank Tivoli Hotel in Sao Paulo. "The stereotypes that we have, with Carnival, beaches and so on, are important, but there's much more." One of Pires' colleagues, Gisele, pointed to a community in the state of Minas Gerais, which had bootstrapped itself up from poverty after the local diamond mine closed by starting a new ecotourism business.

I came to Brazil, as the guest of Embratur, to see some of this diversity and authenticity, and to see how ecotourism could work. I asked Pires if Brazilians resented Americans and Europeans for telling them what to do with their rainforest, when we already cut all our primary forests down a hundred years ago. She just shrugged it off, saying Brazilians knew they had to protect their environment for future prosperity and for their happiness today. But I wanted to know what others thought...

The Pantanal, sometimes called the world's largest wetland, is one of the best places to see wildlife in South America. The massive region, mostly in southwestern Brazil but extending into Bolivia and Paraguay, hosts scale-tipping biodiversity, and the animals tend to be concentrated around watering holes in the open, especially during the dry season when I visited.

Brazil has more species of plants and amphibians than any other country. It has at least 200,000 known species, with estimates of up to 2.2 million more. Brazil has 530 known mammal species, 1,731 birds, 3,000 freshwater fish and tens of thousands of insect species.

Perhaps the quintessential ecotourist activity is a canopy tour, and the Pantanal is a great place to try one. Walkways and ropes course techniques were originally used by scientists to study the spectacular diversity of life that teems in the tops of trees, and is hard to observe from the forest floor. Today, visitors to the lovely Hotel Cabanas outside Bonito, Brazil are treated to an exciting adventure of crossing suspended bridges (each one is a bit different, and requires different footings), climbing over cargo nets and even walking along a tightrope. At all times guests are connected to safety lines via climbing-quality carabiners, and are supervised by the friendly staff, including the joke-cracking Marcio. The operation has earned the abeta seal from the Brazilian association of ecotourism and adventure operators.

There's nothing like soaring through the treetops on a zipline. Here guests also have the option of splashing down into the cool Formoso River -- but none of our group took the plunge since it was a chilly overcast day. We also opted not to go river tubing there, although it looked like a blast in the instructional video. That adventure is great for families, and takes guests over a series of natural rapids, through pristine forest. It beats any "lazy river" rides at amusement parks or Vegas pools.

At 512 feet, the spectacular Boca da Onça waterfall is the highest in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul. During the dry season, when we visited, the flow is reduced to more of a mist than the torrent it becomes when the rains fall. So we had a great look at the "jaguar's face" in the rock behind the falls, visible about a third of the way down in my photo. Adjacent to the falls is a platform that affords breathtaking views of the mountainous terrain. Guests can also take guided repelling tours down the canyon wall.

The natural pool below the jaguar's mouth is surprisingly warm, thanks to the strong tropical sun. It is one of a number of swimming holes that guests can enjoy along a hike through several forest ecosystems, from wet to drier. One of the other gorgeous falls has a natural grotto that's accessible by swimming under a rock overhang.

Our guide, the German-born Ulli Braun, told us that groups at Boca da Onça are limited to 15 people, and that they are spaced out at least 20 minutes, in order to minimize impact on wildlife and to provide for the best ecotourism experience.

Here Ulli is explaining how strangler figs fight their way above the forest canopy by choking out host plants. He also pointed out aroeira "ironwood" trees, which were harvested nearly to extinction; posts made from the extremely hard, rot-resistant wood are still standing on farms 130 years later. The tree is now protected, and is making a comeback.

Ulli also pointed out the white papaya tree, which is sustainably harvested by cutting small sections out of the trunk. These holes heal quickly, yet the spongy material makes a delicious, fibrous food when cooked with sugar. He also pointed out a large-leafed epiphyte (plant that lives on other plants) that native peoples use to induce abortions.

Guests at Caiman Ecological Refuge have a chance to learn about parrot conservation first hand. Research scientists give regular talks to visitors, included guided observations. Those who want to go deeper have the option to "ride along" with biologists and help observe nests.

Parrot populations have plummeted across much of Latin America, as a result of deforestation, hunting, poisoning by farmers, pesticides and the pet trade. For example, since 1981, 413,000 blue-fronted Amazon parrots have been collected, according to Dr. Glaucia Helena Fernandes Seixes, who took some time to talk about her conservation work.

Dr. Glaucia Helena Fernandes Seixes gives visitors a quick look inside the nest of a blue-fronted Amazon parrot. Although the mother is regularly observed by researchers, she cowered over her two eggs.

According to Seixes a major part of her work is environmental education, both to tourists and local people, so they won't support the black market pet trade. Asked if the legitimate market for bred parrots inadvertently supports wild harvesting, Seixes said no. "People like to have animals, but it's important to buy from breeders, who don't take them from nature," she said through a translator.

She said blue-fronted parrots are prized in part because they are good at mimicking human speech. In the wild the monogamous birds live to be around 20, though they can live to 50 in captivity. They eat a wide range of flowers, leaves and seeds, mostly from the tops of trees. Seixes and her team use radio telemetry, cameras and direct observation to monitor the birds.

A float down the river is a great way to see wildlife along the banks, like tiger herons, anhingas, monkeys and caimans. We were asked to keep our hands and feet inside the boat, since "caiman can jump," although we were reminded that they are rarely dangerous (see my pics of caiman here). A river sail is also a good time to try your luck fishing for piranha...

Although piranhas look like fearsome predators, they are rarely a threat to human beings or other large animals (although it's said that native people sometimes show the scars of bites). There are believed to be 30 some species, distributed throughout much of South America. Many are fished for recreation and food. In fact, piranha soup is quite tasty! I never hauled one in (they kept stealing my bait!), although several members of my group got lucky, as my photo proves.

Trail riding is a popular activity in the Pantanal. Horses have been central to the culture there for a hundred years, and do well on the rugged terrain, alternating between dry and wet. From the back of a horse I saw country that isn't otherwise easily accessible (we had to cross some deep, shoe-stealing mud). This was our best opportunity to get a sense of the vast changes in the Pantanal from dry season (June-September) to wet. I was there in September, when the waters had receded down to a few standing pools (although everyone kept telling me it had been a particularly wet dry season). But when the rains come much of the Pantanal is flooded, including the horse trail pictured.

Cattle can be seen throughout the Pantanal, where they form the backbone of the economy (ecotourism is still a small, though growing, sector there). I was surprised to learn that the Pantanal is 95% privately owned, yet it is remarkably intact. This is partly due to the style of relatively low-impact ranching. Cattle are mostly free ranging on very large sections of land (fazendas), where they feed on grasses, both native and imported. They are largely tended by cowboys (and a few girls) on horses, and they aren't given any hormones. I was told by several people that the beef isn't finished on feedlots, as it is in the states, although that is apparently becoming more common in neighboring Argentina. It's not to say that cattle ranching in the Pantanal hasn't had negative impacts, but many credit the seemingly fine balance between nature and economic activity with preserving more wildlife than much of the rest of the world.

Every rancher in the Pantanal must set aside 20% of his or her land as wildlife reserve, explains Helder Brandao, the environmental manager for the Caiman Ecological Refuge. In the Amazon, large landowners are supposed to set aside 80%, though enforcement in the vast and largely inaccessible area has often been difficult. At Caiman, the owners added another 10% of their holdings into a permanent conservation easement. "They want to transform the area into an example of conservation, education and research," said Brandao.

Elevated on stilts and overlooking a picturesque lake, Pousada Baiazinha is a wonderful place to stay at the Caiman Ecological Refuge. To help ensure you're traveling with a reputable outfit, look for the abeta seal, which indicates the provider has met the safety, quality and environmental standards of the Brazilian ecotourism and adventure travel association.

Every guest to Caiman Ecological Refuge helps support those goals. According to Brandao, a recent environmental monitoring program has helped the lodge increase recycling and reduce energy and water use. Caiman uses solar thermal heating, and according to Brandao, "We're always looking for more ways to improve." Something to think about when you're taking a dip in the outdoor pool, watching jabiru storks and parrots gliding overhead.

Not exactly "roughing it," the Pousada Baiazinha has very comfortable rooms, each with its own balcony overlooking the water, affording views of foraging capybaras, marsh deer, caimans and jabiru storks. My shower had a resident tree frog, which locals call the Perereca-de-banheiro (banheiro means bathroom).

Caiman can often be seen on the edges of water with their toothy mouths open, cooling themselves.

Solar thermal systems are common sights on Brazil's eco-lodges, where compact fluorescent lightbulbs are also standard. Fazenda San Francisco is named after the American city where its owners first met. It is one of the best places to see wildlife in the Pantanal, with guided safaris along verdant rice fields and through protected native habitat. It is here that I saw the mighty jaguar (pic here!), two ocelots, the crab-eating fox and the crab-eating raccoon.

To say that our group ate well in the Pantanal is an understatement. The food isn't spicy, which surprises some visitors. Instead, it is based on local beef, cooked in stews or served up barbecue style, and rice and beans, which are served in a broth made with onions and garlic. Root vegetables are staples, especially potatoes and manioc. There is an abundance of fresh fruit and produce, as one might expect in a tropical country, and plentiful desserts, from cakes to flan and the ubiquitous -- and delectable -- doce de leite. Called dulce de leche in Spanish-speaking countries, the sweet treat is made by cooking milk slowly, condensing it and adding sugar. Ulli told us it takes hours, even days, to get it right. Dessert is also served with sweet local preserves, from starfruit to bananas and green papaya.

I rarely eat red meat, but I couldn't resist trying the world-famous churrasco (pronounced shoo-RAS-koo), or Brazilian barbeque. This style has served southern Brazil's cowboys well for generations, so I dug in. The chef prepares cuts of beef, pork or lamb on big metal spits, glazing them with a salt rub and turning over a fire. When it's ready, your server brings the spit to the table and starts carving. With tongs you peel off cuts of steaming meat. To most Brazilians the rump, called picanha, is the choicest cut. It melts in your mouth.

After a long day of sightseeing and eco-adventures a caipirinha really hits the spot. The national cocktail of Brazil, the refreshing beverage is made with sugar, fresh lime and cachaca, a distilled spirit made from sugarcane that's not unlike rum. It's not hard to see why the caipirinha has become a favorite of mixologists around the globe.

Near Boca da Onça is a beautiful guest facility, with a restaurant, bar, meeting space and manicured grounds. I took a dip in the natural swimming pool, though only one other member of our group would join me. Everyone else was intimidated by the big fish swimming below the surface. The pool contains no chlorine or other toxic chemicals, and is kept pristine through natural filtration.

What was it like to swim with the fishes? They kept swimming just out of reach, so I never ran into any. Still, it was a cool feeling to do laps surrounded by other living things.

A symbol of the Pantanal region, the pink trumpet trees (Tabebuia impetiginosa and T. heptaphyla) impart explosions of color during the dry season (roughly late summer and early fall in North America). They are in the same botanical family as the area's yellow and white trumpet trees, which normally have staggered flowering schedules. However, the unusually wet Brazilian winter made for more overlap in 2009, lighting up the horizon for visitors.

Through my entire 11-day trip I never met anyone in Brazil who openly advocated wholesale exploitation of the region's rich natural resources. This was refreshing coming from the states, where "Drill Baby Drill" is still part of our national debate. Admittedly my sample size is skewed toward those who work in ecotourism, but it's also true that I spent a fair amount of time talking to Brazilians of many stripes, from cowboys to bartenders, shopkeepers and punks on the streets of Sao Paulo.

(This monkey skull was on display at an eco-lodge with other natural artifacts to educate guests.)

Brazil has many challenges, including crime, poverty, unequal distribution of wealth, deforestation and agricultural and industrial pollution. But my brief trip left me with considerable optimism about the resilience of the land and the people, and about the seeds of sustainability that are being widely sown. As Shannon Stowell, president of the Seattle-based Adventure Travel Trade Association, put it at the abeta summit in Sao Paulo, "[Ecotourism] is at the front line of many of the challenges of the world, including poverty and protecting the environment. What's becoming more important to travelers are sustainability, authenticity, uniqueness, connection to nature and lifetime memories." The Pantanal offers all that and more.

My trip was sponsored by Embratur, part of Brazil's Ministry of Tourism, and much of the logistics were provided by PantanalWay.