nature reserve · Barão de Melgaço, MT
RPPN Sesc Pantanal
Created in 1997, it is the largest private natural heritage reserve in the country, with about 108,000 hectares, and is part of a Ramsar site. It welcomes visitors on tours guided by Pantanal locals.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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About RPPN Sesc Pantanal
The RPPN Sesc Pantanal is the largest private natural heritage reserve in Brazil, covering about 108,000 hectares in the municipality of Barão de Melgaço, in the Pantanal of Mato Grosso. It lies between the São Lourenço and Cuiabá rivers, in the heart of the Northern Pantanal.
The reserve was created in 1997 by Sesc, in the wake of the Rio 92 Earth Summit. It is a Ramsar site, a title given to wetlands of international importance, and part of the core zone of the Pantanal Biosphere Reserve. Surveys there have recorded hundreds of species of plants and vertebrates, some endangered.
Visits take place on guided tours that depart from the Hotel Sesc Porto Cercado, next to the reserve, and are reserved for guests. They are led by Pantanal locals who work as park rangers. The most complete tour combines a trail through the reserve, a conversation with the rangers and a boat trip. Another, shorter tour travels by boat along the Corixo do Moquém and ends with the sunset.
It is an outing for anyone who enjoys nature and watching wildlife and birds. Outside the organized tours, the reserve is not open for visitors to roam freely.
Before you go
Practical information
How much time to set aside
Tours inside the reserve last from about 2 hours (boat trip along the channel) to more than 6 hours (trail, talk and boat).
Best time
Year-round: the hotel where the tours start operates in both the high-water and dry seasons, and the boat trip along the Corixo do Moquém departs every day at sunset.
How to get there
The trips start from the Hotel Sesc Porto Cercado, on the Poconé–Porto Cercado highway, in the Poconé Pantanal, about 145 km from Cuiabá. Sesc offers transportation from a meeting point in Várzea Grande, a trip of about 2 and a half hours.
Tip
The tours are exclusive to guests of the Hotel Sesc Porto Cercado and run on set days of the week; check the schedule on the Sesc Pantanal website before setting your travel dates.
Official website
A look at the place
RPPN Sesc Pantanal in pictures
These pictures are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs. They may differ from the place.
Click the picture to enlarge it.
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about RPPN Sesc Pantanal
Can anyone visit the RPPN Sesc Pantanal?
Not freely. Visits are made on guided tours that depart from the Hotel Sesc Porto Cercado and are exclusive to hotel guests.
Who leads the tours in the reserve?
Pantanal locals who work as the reserve's park rangers.
What tours are available?
There is a longer outing with a trail, a conversation with Pantanal locals and a boat ride, and a boat trip of about 2 hours along the Corixo do Moquém, with the sunset. Each tour runs on set days; check the Sesc Pantanal website.
How long does it take?
From about 2 hours, on the boat trip, to more than 6 hours, on the full tour of the reserve.
Can you visit during the high-water season?
Yes. The hotel where the tours start operates in both the high-water and dry seasons.