7 -14 août 2022

The last area visited is another huge and very well managed private reserve. It is one of the last forests of the ecosystem known in Portuguese as the Mata atlântica, or Atlantic Forest.
After five centuries of occupation and endless exploitation less than 16% of the Atlantic Forest remains today, and most of it is highly fragmented. It is classified as one of the world's top 5 biodiversity hotspots and contains the largest number of endemic and threatened species of birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians in Brazil. The 450 km² Guapiaçu watershed is the third largest remaining stand of Atlantic forest in Brazil.
With a wide latitudinal distribution and mountainous topography of the region, the geographical isolation has produced a rich biodiversity with an exceptionally high level of endemism averaging 50%!
The lodge is located on the edge of a large wetland area that can be explored freely by day and night. This area is a dormitory for passerines and many species of rails can be heard at sunset before the Frogs begin to sing. What an atmosphere! We took the opportunity to make two night walks where we watched many species of frogs (even right next to the rooms!). For snakes, we were less lucky, but the dry season is not the best for them.
For Mammals, the Brown-throated Sloth, Bradypus variegatus is common on the site but you have to be able to spot it!

The paths in higher altitude offer a completely different panel of Brazilian birds.
We were lucky enough to see, among others, the Giant Snipe and the Fork-tailed Cotinga, two species that are difficult to spot. This was thanks to Adilei Carvalho da Cunha, an excellent birdwatcher and former hunter who guided us for two days. We were also with Frank and Wei, whom we met in Regua. They live in Singapore and have been travelling around South America for a few months. Moreover, Frank is a world-class ornithologist with whom we had great discussion. So happy with such encounters on a trip.

We would have liked to stay a bit more in Regua , especially since, in addition to the rich biodiversity of the site, the welcome is warm and the owners are really passionate about preserving the environment.

For more information https://regua.org/ is very complete.

Visited area:

1.Pantanal
2. Cerrado : Chapadas dos Guimarães and Emas national parks
3. Jardim Amazonia
4. REGUA (Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçu)