Refúgio da Ilha Ecolodge | Ecoturismo no Pantanal — Hotel in Região Geográfica Imediata de Aquidauana - Anastácio

We just spent the most amazing days at Refúgio da Ilha! |The lodge’s setting is remote and tranquil, making you feel as though you have entered another world upon arrival. Surrounded by the Pantanal’s lush nature, there are tons of opportunities for wildlife encounters. Capybaras dozing on the lawn, macaws of every size and color in the trees, caymans enjoying the sun - and that’s even before going on any tour. ||The tours take place twice a day and whether we went hiking, took a boat upstream or a jeep around the lodge’s vast perimeter, there was always something new around the corner. We especially have to thank Leonardo, who’s extremely knowledgeable when it comes to the Pantanal’s flora and fauna. He was the perfect guide for all of our tours and an expert for every single bird song you could think of. Additionally, communication with him before the trip was flawless and he made sure that we had the best stay we could imagine. ||As a guest you can feel the love and care the owner’s family is pouring into their lodge every single day. The food was outstanding (I’d love to have a cookbook written by their chef, it was that good!), the room beautiful and the lodge itself did not leave anything to be desired.||What we also appreciated was that we could feel how much the conservation of the Pantanal’s nature means to them and it was great to learn about the efforts they are taking with their lodge and IDS to preserve this beautiful piece of land. ||A big thank you to the owners, their family and their staff! They made these few days we spent at Refúgio da Ilha...

We stayed 3 nights at Refugio da Ilha. I did allot of research on all of the south pantanal lodges and tours and this one had the best reviews and promised good tours and max with +/- 7 people.||Also one of the few which had reviews of spotting a jaguar in the south. It wasn't cheap stay for us but you only go once (probably) and better go for a good stay/tour/etc. Driving to the lodge (easy accessible by car) we already spotted allot of animals on the dirt road. The lodge is magnificent surrounded with the nature, river, ponds, birds and other animals. The rooms are very good and clean. The daily buffet we had were the best meals we had in Brasil with allot of variation and traditional Brazilian choices.||The tours were as promised with max. 7 people en well organized and with English guides which had very good knowledge about the Panatanal and it’s animals. We did see many many many animals in a real nature paradise. We didn’t spot a Jaguar until the last day, we spotted a jaguar mom and her cub! So yes they live in the South and you can spot them. But to be honest you have to be lucky to see them but the guides we had were very experienced. According one of the guides next year 2020 would be a great year to see them because this year they had a few jaguars with a cub and next year they will come out more. But even without spotting the jaguar it’s one of the most beautiful nature regions and animal habitat that we have seen over all our journeys. So we highly recommended Refugio da Ilha and hope to be able to...

I was at Refúgio da Ilha in April, with family. I was so taken with it that, when European friends visited me in August, I took them there. In both occasions, the water levels weren't high, but there was definitely more water in August than in April. || It is a family-run business and you feel it: the charm, decor, personal touches, the way staff listens, the owners' concern with guests' well-being. And the food, straightforward and delicious.|| The setting is lovely, with several seasonal lakes you can walk to, where caiman and varied birds are plentiful, and the river Salobra, right beside the building. One of the best activities at the lodge is to navigate the river in search of otters, giant otters, monkeys, capybara, boas, and other fauna. The resident guides are knowledgeable and clearly enthusiastic. There is also horse-riding, a sunset outing in a motorized vehicle, and guided walks. The Onçafari project, which works with conservation of jaguars (no, I didn't see one there) and other mammals, has a base at Refúgio, and you may get a very good lecture from them. Same with the Salobra project, run by the owners' son, that is working tirelessly to preserve the river and its ecosystems.|| The rooms are very comfortable, with air-con (depending on the time of year, you'1ll need it), an excellent shower, and a good mattress. The place is safe and so laid-back you forget to lock your room door. There is wi-fi in the lodge's public areas. It's the kind of place you never...