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From the window of the twin engine Cessna, the Pantanal spread before me like a magnificent emerald and sapphire necklace. Miles and miles of verdant trees interlaced with sparkling blue water everywhere I looked. As we were on approach to the landing strip of the first Fazenda (large cattle ranch), I saw a herd of horses in the distance, galloping to race the plane. Little did I know that one of our riding adventures in this glorious land would be moving that herd across the fields.

Located in the heart of South America, the Pantanal is arguably one of Brazil’s greatest natural resources. This 50,000 square mile wetland, which contains forests, meadows, savannahs and marsh, is surely one of the world’s better kept secrets and one of the world’s greatest wildlife refuges. The bio diversity is as great as that found in the Amazon, but your chances of seeing an abundance of wildlife are greater because the foliage is not as dense. Home to over 650 species of birds, 230 species of fish, and 95 species of mammals, the Pantanal is mainly located in Brazil with fingers of land extending into Paraguay and Bolivia.

We flew non-stop from New York to Sao Paulo, Brazil, and then on to Campo Grande. At the Campo Grande airport we boarded a Cessna, which took us to Mato Grosso do Suo, a province approximately 196 kilometers away. One could drive to the Fazendas that were closer to the small farming center towns of Aquiuduana and Anastocio.

From October through March rain saturates the area leaving only a few pockets of land above the water level. From April to October the water recedes and transportation overland is relatively easy. In October, the driest time of year, the water holes become opportunities for photographers and wildlife enthusiasts. The easiest time to ride in the Pantanal is from April through October.

Clearly, the back of a horse is the very best way to explore the Pantanal, although other forms of transportation, including boats and four-wheel vehicles, also do part of the job.

The cattle-working Criollo Pantanal horses are a breed called Pantaneiros. They are much like the Criollos found in Costa Rica and Argentina. Standing about 15 hands, Pantaneiros are sturdy, sure-footed, very fast and responsive to neck rein or voice. They are so perfectly matched to the swampy environment that one could not conceive of producing a more perfect horse. This horse is at home rounding up cattle, chasing horses back to the fields, hunting down prey, and swimming and walking in high waters for hours each day. The horses are not shot because of the type of environment in which they work. Within a half an hour of being on my first Pantaneiro, I knew I’d have no problem with these horses.

The Pantanal we visited, flew over, boated in, drove and rode horses through, overwhelmed my senses with the presence of wildlife that would not stop, with a terrain that would never cease to dazzle, and with horses who would go like the wind if you asked.

Our mixed group of riders represented at least seven separate nations. The trip was our introduction to the area, a way to test if the Fazenda owners of the Southern Pantanal were ready for our brand of equestrian riding holidays.

The business of riding holidays is new to the Fazenda owners for whom the horse is a necessary beast of burden, ably performing the work of maintaining a ranch that can be successfully done only with a herd of horses and local Peoes (cowboys). The Peoes are proficient in the saddle, good ropers, familiar with all they will confront and keep an eye on rider safety. Our group felt comfortable riding with them.

A riding holiday is typically seven days long, and each day was an adventure. While we were at breakfast, the Peoes saddled our horses. The Pantanal saddle, likely the most comfortable I have ever ridden, is somewhat like riding on a living room sofa. They are long and sit on the horses back with space for air to flow. Through. They are covered with wool blankets, sheepskin covers and a leather sheet. Unlike Costa Rican Criollos, which ride in a simple rope hackamore, these horses use a heavy Spanish curb bit.

We rode from early in the morning until lunch, which usually was a picnic in the wild. We rested the horses, and then we would keep riding until sunset, often putting in four to seven hours on horseback. The speed at which we rode was subject to the conditions of the terrain. When the ground conditions were safe, we were off on long gallops. But, sometimes we would find ourselves in ankledeep mud, which made it difficult to go a pace faster than a walk. Our objective was to cover as much territory as possible in order to see the flora and fauna.

We saw giant anteaters, small anteaters, thousands of Caymans, hundreds of blue macaws, toucans, emus, parrots, crab-eating fox, wild boars, capybaras—everybody’s favorite giant rodent—piranhas, red and yellow macaws, and a million large birds ranging from roseate spoonbills to giant jabiru stork. We did see plenty of jaguar and puma tracks, but no big cats or tapir crossed our path.

One morning we rode from the central pousada (ranch house), to a field where a herd of 40 to 50 young Pantaneiro horses were grazing. Our objective was to round the horses up and move the herd from one pasture to another. Fernando, our guide, split our group up and I went with the more experienced riders. We galloped across large fields, the ground solid underfoot. When we approached the herd, we slowed and formed a large semi-circle around the herd, moving them along with us into the adjacent pasture. I galloped along with glee, pretending that I knew what I was doing, and confident that my horse knew the drill.

This glorious adventure we were on wouldn’t have worked if the 16 ranch owners of the Pantanal, or more importantly the section of the Southern Pantanal organized by the Association of Pantanal Lodges (APPAN), did not cooperate among themselves, sharing high standards for their food, accommodations, and riding. The association of Pantanal guest lodges, APPAN, was founded in February 2001, with the goals to promote and stimulate tourism activities within the Pantanal region, without endangering local culture and environment. The organization’s purpose is to promote eco-tourism as the principal means to preserve the natural environment of the area their ranches inhabit, a land that is both private and wild at the same time.

Historically, the Fazenda owners occupy a recent history in the Pantanal’s flow of life, their historical presence dating back not more than 50 years. They have nevertheless been quick to realize that their greatest asset may not be the cattle that currently supports each operation, but the undeveloped land left to its own natural lifecycle. The development of the Fazenda’s into guest ranches mirrors what has happened to many of the cattle ranches in the United States. One interesting aspect is that they only book enough tourists to preserve the Pantanal.

Through the newly created Pantanal Nature Reserve, ranchers and farmers can afford to protect species that were being hunted downand killed. It’s a matter of basic economics. The tourist dollars replace the bounty money and secures the future of the ranches and wildlife. This is eco-tourism at work, promoting both the land to which the Association is trying to attract tourists, while contributing to its salvation as a natural area.

The new Pantanal is surrounded by new as well as older decaying colonial centers on the edge of the wilderness, pouring out their version of industry, jobs and pollution. However, inside the Pantanal the land is divided among the large ranch owners. Fazenda owners control property that ranges from 1,500 to over 10,000 acres, and among them raise six million head of cattle. The terrain is basically fenced in with few exceptions. The fences could be structures, or the pasture or boundary of one Fazenda to another. The fence’s prime purpose is to restrict the cattle from free roaming, confining them to the owner’s land. They work well on the cattle, but they do not restrain the wildlife that inhabits the area. Even with so much water around, insects were not a problem since it was the height of their “dry” season. Perhaps because of the peculiarity of the winds, which can come up from the South Pole, the bug life that bites was minimal.

Delicious, healthy meals, comfortable beds, hot showers and inspired hosts were de rigor on this trip. One each Fazenda we stayed in the family home, which has a central ranch horse that either contains or connects to guest bedrooms. The rooms are simple and comfortable with two or three single beds per room, and some places have accommodations for couples. The Fazendas are homey, friendly, and clean, usually with less than eight guests, and perhaps a few pilots and guides. The food was outstanding—rich stews, steak with sauces, huge fresh salads, rice and beans, potatoes and local root dishes that were both delicious and healthy. I was also struck by the friendliness of the people. We had our evening meals in the large dining rooms of the pousadas. Conversations flowed easily and multi-language conversations broke out, as did the beer, local wines and drinks.

For those who do not ride, the Pantanal offers other activities including fishing, canoeing, kayaking, bird watching, animal watching and hiking.

The Pantanal is one of the world’s greatest adventure environments. Where else do giant anteaters, horses, capybara and cattle coexist with humans, jaguars, pumas and every kind of armadillo that ever crawled into a shell.

Whether you ride through the water knee deep on a horse, or fly over dry sandy terrain, your eyes remain ready to be dazzled by the next turn of nature and lulled into an appreciation of one of the earth’s last living paradises.

Arthur Sacks is a horseman, nature enthusiast and author of “Worldwide Riding Vacations”. His company, ridingholidays.com, arranges riding expeditions in 23 countries. For more information, call 888-299-5102 or visit www.ridingholidays.com.

The association of Pantanal guest lodges, APPAN, was founded in February 2001, to promote and stimulate tourism activities within the Pantanal region without endangering local culture and environment. For information on APPAN Eco-Lodges featuring horseback riding adventures, visit their website at http://www.appan.tur.br/ or E-Mail: appanms@terra.com.br