Guides make the experience real

We are incredibly proud of our Tour Guides. Our staff truly sets us apart from other local outfitters. They are locally-based, they live here in Cuiaba, Mato Grosso, Brazil, they are experienced biologists, wildlife experts, skilled naturalists, and ecologists dedicated to ensuring a safe and satisfying travel experience. Our team is dedicated to providing you with an unforgettable Pantanal Wildlife experience and aim to ensure that you lack for nothing. The guides are fluent in English, German, French, Spanish and Portuguese. Their skill, knowledge, and enthusiasm are an integral part of a Pantanal Ecoexplorer experience—they are what set our trips apart from all others.

All guides employed by the company or contracted through associates are qualified and accredited in their particular area. Furthermore, all of them are first-aid trained. Guides bring along all the equipment necessary for an ideal expedition including binoculars, spotlights for night viewing and the appropriate bird, mammal, and reptile field guides. In addition, we offer each of our participants a personal checklist featuring the local Brazilian, common English and Latin names for the wildlife encountered during the trip. We intend to help participants not only enjoy and keep track of all they see, but also to become more fully informed about the animals and their behavior.

All of our team members at Pantanal Ecoexplorer, including our wonderful office staff in Cuiaba, are incredibly skilled, appropriately diplomatic, calm under pressure, confident yet humble, charming and entertaining and totally committed to combining their passion with their profession.

Their expertise, commitment and sensitivity to our travelers as well as the people and environments we explore are the reasons we get such great feedback on our guides from our past travelers.

We are very proud to introduce to you:

Carlos Grandez – Co-owner – Pantanal Ecoexplorer
Carlos grew up in the Peruvian Amazon surrounded by beautiful lakes, wilderness rivers, and virgin rain forests where he acquired a healthy respect and admiration for his natural surroundings. He spent time working with his parents at Amazon Jungle Lodge near Iquitos, Peru, which was his first introduction to tourism. Carlos has been guiding for his whole life, he first led tours around the jungle area of Iquitos. However on visiting Brazil in 1990, the country captured his heart and since then has been guiding and leading groups in the Amazon and Pantanal regions. For the past 15 years he has based himself in the Pantanal, running tours throughout this area and in doing so acquiring a thorough comprehension of the region and its people. His fascination with and knowledge of the flora and fauna of the region combined with his energy, good humor and enthusiasm for his work make him a highly sort after guide. He has extensive knowledge of Pantanal's wildlife including birding, it's people and culture and much more. He loves sharing his knowledge of Brazil’s local traditions as well as its cultural and natural history.

He works with and supports several community and social projects in the Pantanal and Amazon regions and is a keen defender of the environments in which he works. Speaking English, Portuguese, Spanish and Italian Carlos is completely involved in every trip he runs, guiding wherever possible and bringing his 8 year old son Matheus along on the family trips to help him with the wildlife spotting!

." Carlos is a true Explorer, and when not guiding, he often can be found taking his own family out on an Exploration trip. "We get to share precious time together this way, and I'm their personal tour guide. Once a Trip Leader, always a Trip Leader!"



Helder Freitas ( Biologist )

Helder Freitas is originally from Sao Paulo where he studied and gained a deep understanding of the history, local traditions as well as its cultural and natural history of Brazil. He received his guides license in 1990 and has been working as a guide ever since. He started off his guiding career in Florianopolis on Brazils Atlantic coast but after discovering the Pantanal has spent the past 15 years working as a naturalist tour guide in the Pantanal region. His love of nature and wildlife led him to study for a degree in Biology at the Universidad Federal de Mato Grosso in Cuiaba, Brazil. He has extensive knowledge of Pantanal's wildlife including birding, its people and culture and much more. He also speaks three different languages, English, Spanish and Portuguese. Helder is married and has one daughter and while not leading trips, he enjoys spending time with his family. He loves to share his knowledge and experience with anyone he travels with. We are sure you will agree.




Flávio ( Wildlife Expert )

Flavio, has been guiding for Pantanal Ecoexplorer for several years and getting great reviews. He has extensive knowledge of Pantanal's wildlife including birding, it's people and culture and much more. Flávio comes from an Indian tribe and was raised in the Amazon. He came to the Pantanal 15 years ago and after 5 years of formal training has been guiding here for the past 10 years. He was trained in nature history, birding and wildlife, and takes great pleasure in being able to share his understanding of the native wildlife and the local customs of the Pantanal.  His familiarity with the behavior and habits of the local birds and mammals make him an incredible source of information and an ideal guide for locating some of the Pantanals more elusive inhabitants. Flavio is an expert Jaguar Tracker, his ability to spot animals and identify them by their call make him a huge asset to any tour into the Pantanal.  He speaks fluent English and Portuguese. When not guiding, Flavio relaxes with his family at their home in Cuiaba, Brazil.