Cristalino Jungle Lodge

The Cristalino Jungle Lodge is nestled in a private forest reserve in the Southern Brazilian Amazon rainforest. It borders the Cristalino State Park and therefore part of a continuous extensive protected area that extends northward into the adjacent state of Pará. This unique region contains many species found only in this part of the Amazon. This lodge is in a remote area on a bend of the Cristalino river - a distant tributary of the distant Amazon - that contains pristine forest and aquatic habitats that support a very rich fauna and flora, and it has been described as an Amazon sanctuary.

The lodge has 17 rooms in one clearing and communal facilities are in another.

Cristalino Jungle lodge’s conservation and community work is being used as a model for ecotourism development in the region and each and every US$25 per visitor is donated to the Cristalino Ecological Foundation. To be seen in the area are 570 species of bird and more than 1,800 species of butterfly; a tapir clay lick.

The 50 m observation tower is perfect for watching birds at dawn; other activities include swimming in the river, canoeing and trekking on the 13 miles of trails through all kinds of forests and habitats. Trails include the Serra Trail, a short boat trip from the lodge, which crosses a small hill to a savannah type of forest growing on top of granite outcrops. If you are lucky then there are beautiful views over the forest below. On the Rocky Trail there is a mammal clay lick with a 6-metre high screened viewing platform from where tapirs, peccaries and deer can be viewed, and just a 20 minute walk from the lodge there is a spectacular 50-metre tower which emerges above the canopy.

Alta Floresta, the nearest town, is served by a regional airline and a main paved road. There is a daily flight on the week days and several coaches that depart daily from Cuiabá, the state capital of Mato Grosso. Cuiabá is served by daily flights from Sao Paulo or Rio de Janeiro, the most common entry points for international flights.

Cristalino Jungle Lodge is a year round destination with a rainy season from November to May.