Refúgio Ecológico Caiman is located 236 km west of Campo Grande,
State Capital of Mato Grosso do Sul .

It comprises 4 different lodges:
Caiman Lodge: Ibero - American style building with 11 rooms , private baths, air conditioning , swimming pool , homestyle restaurant , living room , TV and video. Also called "SEDE LODGE".
Pousada Piúva: 1 km away from Caiman lodge . It has 6 rooms with private baths , air conditioning , swimming pool , living room .
Pousada Baiazinha: this rustic lodge has 6 rooms with privates bath and terraces , air conditioning , ample living room , homestyle restaurant , swimming pool and an observation tower 9 km from Caiman lodge. Resembles to a bird with open wings it is built on stilts
Pousada Cordilheira: it has 6 apartments with private bath and terrace , ample living room, air conditioning , swimming pool and an observation tower 13 km from Caiman lodge.

Length of stay: To fully enjoy the tour program, at least a 3 nights stay is recommended, checking in on the first day before the afternoon tour, and checking out on the fourth day after the morning tour. We suggest that those who have a little more time follow the programmed itinerary of at least 7 nights. During this period, guests stay in different lodges, 3 nights in one lodge and 4 nights in another.

THE EXCURSIONS
Photo Safari - Tour In Open Vehicles
Time: approximately 3 hours
A tour in an open vehicle is the best way to reach places far from the farm. Crossing fields and stretches of jungle, this tour broadens opportunities to observe and photograph the wild life. The vehicle is used for longer photo safaris. At night the guests go out to do "night spotting": to observe, with the help of flashlights, nocturnal animals, as alligators, capybaras, anteaters and small wolves.

Boat Tours
The Refuge offers boat tours, both rowboat and motorboat, on the two bays of the farm. The rowboat tour is on the bay near Pousada Baiazinha, near the shores, to look for the mammals which inhabit the aquatic and shoreline plants, as capybaras and monkeys, and mainly the birds that feed on the water fauna, as cormorants, darters, white-headed terns, and different types of herons.
Visitors discover the Pantanal on this tour by way of sounds. Moving in silence, guests are thrilled by the songs of the toucans, herons, parakeets, jacanas and the kingfishers. The tour lasts1 1/2 to 2 hours, without anyone's leaving the boat, and is enjoyed by everyone, independent of age

The motorboat tour is taken in the bay next to the Pousada Sede, at low speed, sometimes with the motor turned off, to observe the flora and fauna and listen to general explanations about the aquatic environment. The tour also includes a brief hike to see the feeding of the alligators or to follow a trail into the jungle.
The main attraction is the alligators, but with luck, capuchin monkeys, "bugios" (another type of monkey), agoutis, capybaras, and a great variety of aquatic birds can be seen. The motorboat tour usually lasts 3 hours including the hike and boat ride

Tours on Horseback
This is one of the best ways to explore the Pantanal, allowing for visits to areas which are inaccessible by other means, like local flooded areas, where the water is too deep for motorized vehicles or too shallow for other boats. The horses in the Pantanal, which are raised in the region, are stout, strong and have water-resistant skin, and are adapted to crossing long distances of flooded fields.
These horses are trained for inexperienced riders, making it easy for everyone to observe different environments in the Pantanal, from flooded fields to open vegetation and even forests with large trees. Before each tour basic instructions are given about how to get along with the horses, how to ride, the risks and care involved, etc. The visit goes from the workers quarters and the hotel, passing the stables. It lasts about 3 hours, but there are shorter trails of about 11/2 hours.
**Also on horseback, it is possible to participate in a special program called a Cattle Drive. This is an adventure of riding with the Pantanal peons in their work routine with the cattle, driving hundreds of heads on a trip that takes more than one day to finish (for more information, see Cattle Drive).

Hikes
Taking place mainly on trails through heavy bush, the hikes make it easy to observe forest vegetation and the animals that live there, as "quatis" (raccoon-like mammals) and monkeys. There are approximately 12 different hikes, which are taken on different days to assure the permanence of the animals in each area.
The trails begin in bush with vegetation that is typical of the Pantanal, as long grass and coppice, and in transition areas, as in the open pastures. They allow visitors to get to know an even larger variety of animals and plants in the region. The hikes leave on foot from the hotel, or are part of the photo safari. The Farm Tour Walk is taken at the headquarters of the lodge and involves a visit to the stable, the workers' quarters and the headquarters of Blue Macaw Project. The hikes vary in duration, depending on if they are part of the photo safari or not, but on an average they are 1 1/2 to 3 hours.

BEST TIME TO VISIT PANTANAL
What is the best season to visit the Pantanal? : This is a common question for someone considering going to the Pantanal. The contrast of the seasons makes it attractive the whole year. Normally, mammals can be observed in the dry period (from June to September), when the animals have to come out to look for food and can easily be observed during the outings. At this time the temperature is agreeable, which makes the tours very pleasant. During the full season (from December to March), the Pantanal is completely flooded, making the landscape even more lively. This is the best time to observe birds, especially migratory ones. Although transportation becomes more difficult in most areas, road access is possible throughout the year. In the full season, the temperature is higher, especially in the months of December and January. To take full advantage of your visit to the Pantanal, choose the season that matches your interests the best. We suggest, if possible, that you make two visits to the Pantanal, one in the dry season and another in the full season. This is the only way possible to see the contrasts between the seasons and widen your vision about this magic place that marvels and enchants even the most demanding visitors.

HOW TO ARRIVE AT REFUGIO ECOLOGICO CAIMAN
Transportation: From the airport of Campo Grande to the Caiman Ecological Refuge and back, there are regular vans on TUESDAYS, THURSDAYS, FRIDAYS and SUNDAYS. They depart from the airport at 10:00 am and at noon. The return van trip from the Refuge leaves at 7:00 am and 11:30 am. The vans are air-conditioned and the trip lasts about 4 hours with a 20-minute stop. Fares are not included in the hotel price.
OBS.: Due to operational reasons we do not offer night transfers.
Driving: To drive your own car from Campo Grande, you should take highway BR-262, in the direction Campo Grande-Corumbá. At the Miranda junction, there is a restaurant called "Zero Hour". At this junction, turn right, taking the paved road in the direction of the city of Agachi. At this point there are signs showing the way to Hotel Caiman. A few meters ahead, turn left onto a dirt road. From there it is 36 kilometers to the Caiman Ecological Refuge and you will pass by entrances to the farms called "Santa Delfina" and "Novo Horizonte" and by signs for the farm "Nova Miranda". After passing by a house with "Estância Caiman" written above the main gate, go ahead to the gate that says "Mutum", which gives access to the Caiman Ecological Refuge. You will pass by the "Ponte do Paizinho" and by a small villa of local residents at the end of which is the SEDE Lodge.
Other private transportation:
Caiman is also served by high-level professionals that offer services as: Exclusive transportation Air transportaion Hotels in Campo Grande. On the farm, our guests are well supplied with an excellent infrastructure. We have a full-time nurse, telephone center, fax, cellular telephone antennas, motorized vehicles, a radio system which connects to all parts of the farm, and insurance for personal or group accidents.
Landing Field: With 1500 meters extenuation in gravel, the landing field of the Caiman Ecological Refuge is one of the best in the region. Its operational capacity serves for turbine propellers, single and double engines (Caravan, Bandeirantes, etc.). The flight time from Campo Grande is approximately 45 minutes.