Three countries share the Pantanal: Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay, and it covers a 496,000 square-kilometer area. It is one of the most impressive places on Earth in terms of wildlife and considered one of the largest wetlands worldwide. It has also been declared a Ramsar site in 2001.

The Bolivian portion of the wetlands is believed to be the best preserved and is located in the extreme south-eastern corner of the department of Santa Cruz, surrounded by dry Chiquitano Forest and Chaqueño (meaning “from the Chaco region”) Forest. The convergence of these biographic regions has resulted in impressive biological diversity.

Meaning “marshland” or “wetland”, to date approximately 1,700 species of plants have been identified in the Brazilian section and in Bolivia research is moving forward that has led to the identification of species that do not exist on the Brazilian side.

The Pantanal has two protected areas which were established 1997: Otuquis to the Southeast and San Matías to the Northeast. There is a very pretty hotel you can stay at and it is a beautiful area to observe wildlife as well. The town of Puerto Suarez is located in this area.

Trips to the Bolivian Pantanal usually begin in Puerto Suárez. These trips include traveling over rivers and lagoons to observe the wildlife of the area, such as capybaras and alligators. Birdwatching is spectacular here, with an especially great variety of aquatic birds, although this depends on the time of year.

In Bolivia tours remain within Bolivia territory and do not cross the border into Brazil. You can choose to camp with tents or spend the night in one of several basic lodges.

For more information on this and many other amazing ecotours and tours in Bolivia contact Ruta Verde Bolivia. Owners Gijs and Maria Eugenia speak English and Dutch in addition to Spanish. They shared this article!