Pousada Trijunção

Pousada Trijunção is located amidst an oasis of 33,000 protected hectares and is the perfect base to explore the extraordinary biodiversity of Brazil’s great savannah, the Cerrado. This unique ecosystem is home to around 850 species of birds, 251 mammals, 482 reptiles and amphibians, and almost 50% of its original area has been destroyed. There are therefore 150 species of animal subsequently at risk of extinction, with jaguars amongst those most threatened (including black jaguar), ocelot, armadillo, anteater and the maned wolf.

One of the prime reasons to visit Trijunção is the opportunity to spot the majestic maned wolves. The species starred in the Desert & Grasslands episode of the BBC’s premiere natural history programme Planet Earth Three in late 2023. Filmed over a challenging three years, the crew followed female Nhorinha and her cubs, and even filmed inside a maned wolf den for the first time, capturing the intense threat to their Cerrado habitat from encroaching agribusiness and wildfires.

You'll be led on bike and 4×4 tours to see these amazing animals in their natural habitat, as well as tracking with Onçafari. There’s also the opportunity for kayaking on the River Formoso, birdwatching (over 200 species) and night-time safaris to find dwarf caiman.

Stays here both educate and inspire guests about conservation and the whole enterprise is a sustainable operation whose profits go into their remarkable projects. It may be a five-hour drive from Brasilia (or a short private flight), but the hardest-to-reach places are always the most magical, and with just seven rustic-chic suites, visiting feels like an enormous privilege.