Due to its orography, it is a gently sloping basin that receives runoff from the high areas, slowly releasing the water through the Paraguay River and its tributaries. It constitutes a huge internal fluvial delta, in which several rivers flowing from the surrounding plateau converge. The Pantanal is a humid and dry tropical region with a marked and copious rainy season and a dry season, corresponding to the southern summer and winter, respectively.

This gigantic wetland is the ecosystem with the greatest diversity of flora and fauna in the world and, in addition, approximately 80% of the alluvial plains that form it are submerged during the rainy season, which nurtures a biologically diverse collection of plants aquatic, supporting a wide variety of animal species. Its complex ecosystem is defined by its cyclical flooding and seasonal desiccation, changing between phases of stagnant water and phases of dry soil.

The region is considered an unparalleled wildlife sanctuary of spectacular beauty, with species of flora and fauna as dense and diverse as those of the Amazon rainforest, being home to thousands of species of plants, butterflies, insects, birds, snakes, reptiles, fish, and mammals. The anaconda and the alligator, the jaguar, the peccary, the tapir and the giant river otter, the toucan and the macaw, among many others, make their home in the Great Pantanal.

Of all the planet, the Pantanal has one of the highest densities of jaguars and caimans. The area is also an important stage in the routes of migratory birds from other parts of the world.

Part of the Pantanal has the rank of National Park, being an ecosystem protected by strict laws, and since 2000 it is considered a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Some of these areas are governed by an agreement called Ramsar, which requires national governments to conserve and use wetlands wisely. However, about 95% of the Pantanal is private property, mostly used for grazing cattle.

Welcome to the Great Pantanal!