Southwild Amazon – Southern Amazon

Alex Burridge
MD South America Travel Centre April 2026

The Amazon basin is larger than Australia, as is Brazil.  The Amazon river rises in Peru and makes its way through Colombia and Brazil before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean, an almost 7,000km journey.

The amazon is found in 9 South American countries. Brazil (60%), Peru (13%), Colombia (10%), with smaller areas in Bolivia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela.  Which means only Chile and Argentina don’t have part of the Amazon basin within their territory.

As you can imagine not all the Amazon is the same.  That said large low-lying areas are quite similar where you find winding rivers, ox bow lakes with some areas realising a 12 metre difference in high and low water levels.

Brazil’s southern Amazon, whilst part of the Amazon basin, is a little different; it’s at a slightly higher altitude (400-450 metres above sea level) and has lower rainfall – with a longer dry-season.

Juruena River – from canopy tower

Greater Ani in water hyacinths

White-nosed saki monkeys

Hoatzin

Elias (my guide) 2nd from left and his family.  His father, far right, found the Harpy nest I visited.

Harpy Eagle

It’s to this region of the Amazon that I headed in April.  My main goal was the Harpy eagle (you can read that article here).  The region has so much more to offer, even during my time here, which is not the best time (June through October is the ‘best time’), I was still able to see several species of monkey, four species of macaw and hundreds of birds.

A flight from Cuiaba, in the northwest of the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, to Alta Floresta and a 3 hour drive took me to a farm, Fazenda Sao Nicolau, where our partner, Southwild Brazil has developed a specialist programme.  It’s not your typical ‘Amazon lodge’.

Fazenda São Nicolau forest is a carbon sink project that was developed within the framework of the Kyoto Protocol implementation and part of global efforts to combat climate change.  Mato Grosso has been one of the states most affected by deforestation since the 1970s due to agricultural frontier expansion. In this context, a reforestation project was launched with the initial objective of studying the impact of reforestation on carbon sequestration.

With a total area of more than 10,200 hectares, the Fazenda includes approximately 8,000 hectares of native Amazon forest and 2,000 hectares of degraded pasturelands. Over time, the project evolved into an integrated platform for research, demonstration, and training, and more recently tourism.

The wildlife highlights that you have a good chance of seeing (June to October) are:

Monkeys: Grey woolly, black spider, white-nosed bearded saki (which has a pink nose), squirrel, brown capuchin and Black-tailed marmoset.

Collared and white-lipped peccary, coati, Brazilian tapir, Giant otter and with luck ocelot.

Jaguars and pumas are found here but the chance of seeing them is small.

Birdlife:
Harpy Eagles nest here, enjoying the numerous Brazil nut trees and enough prey (monkeys, armadillos, macaws are all on the menu of this power predator).  Blue & yellow, scarlet, red & Green and chestnut fronted macaws are all found here.  Two toucans and several aracaris can also be seen.  On the river you have a good chance of seeing hoatzins and the Amazonian umbrella bird.

There are many stunningly beautiful tanagers (including the paradise tanager), manakins, woodpeckers, hummingbirds – this list is significant.

It’s a wildlife paradise – and for those who are less concerned about comfort and want to maximise what wildlife they see it’s a very good option and an very enjoyable adventure.

The accommodation is simple, air-conditioned, with en-suite facilities.  Meals are wholesome and of good quality.  The activities are why you would travel here.  Southwild has a safari vehicle, 4 WD vehicles and a boat.  You’ll explore the area on foot, in a vehicle and by boat.  There are several canopy towers; to view Harpy Eagles, monkeys and the area’s incredible birdlife.

Boat trips on the Juruena River, a 1,200km long tributary of the Amazon, which is up to 900metres wide, offer yet another way to explore the area.  Apparently in the dry season the river is a perfect place to watch monkeys which come down to the water’s edge to drink.

If you do like your creature comforts and still very good wildlife viewing then we’d recommend Cristalino Lodge.

Call 1300 784 794 to speak with one of our specialist consultants.

Juruena River at sunrise