Caiman, Pantanal

Character and identity

Caiman sits at the end of a long, bumpy track through Mato Grosso do Sul, a working cattle estancia turned conservation lodge in Brazil's southern Pantanal. Most guests stay in Casa Caiman, an 18-suite refurbishment of founder Roberto Klabin's former home, where cowskin rugs, dangling bridles and stacks of natural history books nod to the property's ranching roots. A six-room private villa, Baiazinha, sits separately on a bird-filled bay with its own pool. Expect a small gym, sauna and pool, full-board Brazilian buffets, asado nights under fairy-lights, and a pantaneiro cowboy's breakfast. Service is professional but unfussy: this is fundamentally a wilderness lodge.

Who's it for

Bottom line

The pull here is the wildlife and the conservation work behind it, not the room product or the cooking. Come for guides who track jaguars by telemetry and scale trees to monitor macaw nests, and you will not be disappointed. Book Casa Caiman for the social rhythm, Baiazinha if you want a private guide and space, and travel between June and October.