The Pantanal, located within the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul, is the world’s largest tropical wetland and flooded grassland (>42 million acres). Pantanal has around 10 million caimans, along with the highest density of jaguars anywhere in the world.
Surprisingly, 95% of the Pantanal is under private ownership, used for cattle grazing. Over a million visitors come to Pantanal annually to enjoy animal and bird watching. The best time to visit Pantanal is during the dry season between April and September.
Pantanal Airports
Cuiaba airport (CGB) is in the north of the Pantanal and Campo Grande airport (CGR) is in the south of the Pantanal (see image below).
Google Flights from São Paulo to Pantanal airports
For US based visitors, São Paulo/Guarulhos–Governor André Franco Montoro International Airport (GRU) is the best option to first arrive and then it is easy to find connecting flights to the Pantanal airports (CGB & CGR).
Award Booking Flights to São Paulo
Latam Airways business class seats from the US to GRU airport can be booked with 50K Alaska miles with minimal taxes (see image below).
Award Booking Flights to Pantanal
Alaska’s free one-way stopover can be used to spend some time in Sao Paulo and take a free connection to CGB airport (see image below).
Pantanal Accommodations
I recommend using Booking.com (link) to find the best rated accommodation within Pantanal that suits your budget. We arrived at the CGB airport and drove a rental car to an all-inclusive resort called Pousada Piuval and took several day trips to see the wild life.
Pantanal Scenery
Conclusion
Pantanal is a magical Brazilian wetland that must be explored by nature and wildlife lovers, and the trip can be done on a budget by using miles to pay for the flights.