Best time to see wildlife in Brazil

Best time to see wildlife in Brazil

The Amazon welcomes wildlife fans into its humid arms at any time of year, but for the Pantanal, the dry season from July to October is best.

Brazil’s summer runs from December to March, and winter is June to September, with heat and humidity rising the further north you go. Cities like Manaus, in the Amazon, maintain a fairly consistent 27°C-29°C all year round. Late June to October is the best time to visit Brazil for wildlife watching, with most trips heading here July to September. This is the dry season, so animals in the Pantanal are clustered around water sources, and the region isn’t flooded, so it’s possible to explore. The Amazon is sweltering year-round, and flooding from January through to May can mean you’re exploring by canoe rather than on foot if you’re here then.

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Brazil wildlife viewing month by month guide

Brazil’s summer runs from December, through January, February and March. This is also the wettest time of year, with 80 percent of the Pantanal submerged by the overflowing rivers at this time. Wildlife watching trips don’t tend to run here now. April is the end of the rainy season, with the Pantanal beginning to become accessible now, although much of it still remains flooded into May, and you may still need a 4WD for the Transpantaneira. There is no huge variation in temperature throughout the year in the Pantanal, although there is in regions such as Rio and Paraty, so if you are including either them on your itinerary, it might be better to head here in October to catch the warmer weather, avoiding the chillier months of July and August. August can be exceptionally busy thanks to the influx of visitors from the Northern Hemisphere, however once traditional European holidays are over September and October are usually seen as the best months to visit Brazil, especially for jaguar spotting in the Pantanal. November finds temperatures and rain levels creeping up across the country. Visiting the Amazon is going to be a hot and sticky experience whenever you visit; the rainy season here, from January to May, floods the forest which means you'll just be exploring in a boat rather than on foot. Expect temperatures in the mid 20°Cs and pushing into the 30°Cs during August, September, October and November. Amazon River cruises run year round.

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