Easilry birding Brazil near Iguazu (1 Viewer)

[TomFriedel]

I'd like to visit Brazil especially around state of Parana. I don't have a car, and am looking for destinations with simple logistics. I know I can go to Campo Grande and do tours to the Pantanal but other than that don't know any easy stops,
thanks
tom

 

[tmurray]

Hi Tom,
I spent best part of a week on teh Argentina side in 2007. Great birding, but not possible to get to the site as early as one would wish.
Took one day spin over to Brazil side and found it far far inferior for birding, we then decided to get out of Brazil as quick as was possible..... Maybe with a guide it might be recommended, but the day we were there there were many 'guides' which would be useless, and you are obliged to hire them.
So my swing is for the Argentina side....

Tony

 

[TomFriedel]

HI Tony
Maybe you are talking about the Brazil side of Iguazu and I dont like that side
because it is more expensive and there are no trails. The best trail is to walk the
road. I am thinking of areas maybe en route to Campo Grande (Pantanal) or other locations quite far from Iguazu. Even if they are mostly the same birds it often turns out that some are easier to see in one location than another. In any case, I am going to head to Campo Grande, and hope I can find another destination. My flight home in two months is from Rio and I hope to visit some of the Atlantic rainforest locations near the coast on that segment. That area seems much more eco-tourism friendly and it is easy to find lodges but recommendations welcome here as well.
thank you
tom

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

HI Tony
Maybe you are talking about the Brazil side of Iguazu and I dont like that side
because it is more expensive and there are no trails. The best trail is to walk the
road. I am thinking of areas maybe en route to Campo Grande (Pantanal) or other locations quite far from Iguazu. Even if they are mostly the same birds it often turns out that some are easier to see in one location than another. In any case, I am going to head to Campo Grande, and hope I can find another destination. My flight home in two months is from Rio and I hope to visit some of the Atlantic rainforest locations near the coast on that segment. That area seems much more eco-tourism friendly and it is easy to find lodges but recommendations welcome here as well.
thank you
tom

If you're going to be in the Rio area then you should try to stay at REGUA - it's fantastic and just a couple of hours from the airport:
http://www.regua.co.uk/

 

[dacol]

Without your own transportation your best bet is probably staying in one the lodges or hiring some local guide. One of the owners of one such lodge in the southern Pantanal (Fazenda Barranco Alto), Lucas Leuzinger, used to post here in Birdforum about his bird findings there (under username barrancoalto). Check the above link. There is also an interesting blog about the lodge.

 

[fbeeldens]

Hello Tom,

I'll second Andrews recommendation of REGUA. It was my favourite part of the SE Brazil trip we took. No worries about transportation and an incredible mix of sites (both in Regua itself and daytrips to reasonably nearby sites) and habitats to bird.

Cheers,

filip

 

[George Edwards]

I third the Regua recommendation. Best place to stay and bird.

 

[DMW]

Fourth'd about Regua - it's a great place to stay with excellent birding. I posted a trip report on Travelling Birder: http://www.travellingbirder.com/tripreports/reports/110824103441_birding_trip_report.pdf

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Fourth'd about Regua - it's a great place to stay with excellent birding. I posted a trip report on Travelling Birder: http://www.travellingbirder.com/tripreports/reports/110824103441_birding_trip_report.pdf

Really good report Duncan - glad you enjoyed your stay.

 

[DMW]

Thanks for the kind words Andrew. I certainly did enjoy my stay! When did you visit?

 

[TomFriedel]

thanks, will check out regua on way out from Rio in 7 weeks.
tom

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Thanks for the kind words Andrew. I certainly did enjoy my stay! When did you visit?

I first stayed at REGUA in 2006 and then returned for two months (in the lovely vols accommodation!) in 2008. There should be threads somewhere on here detailing both visits.

 

[TomFriedel]

In my initial research I´ve learned Regua is expensive!! But it looks like a really great place to visit.

I first stayed at REGUA in 2006 and then returned for two months (in the lovely vols accommodation!) in 2008. There should be threads somewhere on here detailing both visits.

 

[DMW]

In my initial research I´ve learned Regua is expensive!! But it looks like a really great place to visit.

If you are used to backpacking and paying $10 a night to stay in a hostel (which is what I usually do), Regua isn't cheap. However, SE Brazil is not an inexpensive place in general, and I think Regua offers pretty good value for money. The quality of food and accommodation are very high, and it is no more expensive than comparable eco-lodges in the area.

Bear in mind also that it is a non-profit organisation, and money spent at the lodge goes directly into funding Regua's conservation activities.

 

[Mark Harper]

I certainly want to go back to Regua it was June 2005 when I visited and the wetlands were still being dug out. I have a battle to resume with the Bellbird that taunted me vocally for the whole of my trip without being seen, plus a few other species that I missed.

 

[George Edwards]

When I visited in September Regua was at the cheap end of bird lodges I stayed at - and had very (relatively speaking of course) cheap and good quality guiding. This is because the Br real was at an all-time high, and everyone else was pricing in real, but Regua had fixed its prices in US dollars. So if the exchange should go the other way, I guess the reverse might be true. The room / location / ambience / wifi / birdability and in-house guides also compared very well with the other half-dozen places I stayed… I had a really good guide (portuguese speaking) to myself for about 4 or 5 days. Only downsides were they were a little disorganised with my booking and getting to and from was a bit problematic, but nothing too eventful. Definite trip highlight and very relaxed.