Bolivia : Destinations : Pantanal (Swampland)

Pantanal (Swampland)

El Pantanal, Swampland, is one of the largest inundated areas in the world. Although, a majority of it is shared with Brazil, along with Paraguay, a smaller but no less important portion extends into Bolivia, more or less 10% of the total area of the Pantanal. The Bolivian part is located to the east of the Santa Cruz district. The attention is centered heavily around the preservation efforts of the Brazilian territory, although the Bolivian swampland could have a major biological importance due to the existence of large stretches of dense, dry, untouched forests, that form the western boundary of the region. Regardless, the area that includes Otuquis and San Matias, severely manipulated by man, came to form part of the National System of Protected Areas in the year 1997. 

The establishment of a network of reserves  and a national park could make it possible to protect a large portion of the swampland's biological diversity. The Bolivian section of the Pantanal continues to remain practically inaccessible and unknown due to the lack of a nearby hotel and transportation infrastructure. There is, however, great potential for tourist development, that if carefully controlled, could benefit this region's economy. Port Suarez and Quijarro are the populations that offer services in the southern part of the Pantanal and San Matias in the northern area. In the southern region there is a five-star hotel and a tourist hotel area under continuous development in addition to the services that exist in the nearby population of Corumba. 

The Caceres Lagoon extends from the edges of Port Suárez. The lagoon is abundant in fish and outlets to the Paraguay river where it is easy to observe a large concentration of yacares (alligators), tuyuyus (a typical bird of the swampland), capiguaras (capybara), and other animals. Just a few miles from Port Suarez are the Motacucito Caves, where inside you can observe stalactites and stalagmites. Towards the south is the majestic mountainous country of Mutún, possessing the most significant concentration of iron and magnesium in the world. This place is characterized by the biological diversity of natural resources, which due to natural processes, risen from rivers and the swamp effects of the land, has created this ecosystem, characterized by its plains and soft undulations. 

The region's fauna offers beautiful landscapes characterized by the lush jungle with its wooded vegetation and shores covered by carpets of "camoletes", an aquatic plant that resembles a lily pad abundant along the banks of rivers, streams, and lagoons. The fauna is defined by the presence of the spider monkey, jaguar, mountain fox, and deer of the swamp. The climate is neutral since the Pantanal is found at an average height of 350 m (1148 ft) above sea level, and the temperature varies between 12º C and 24º C (53º and 75ºF), with significant seasonal changes at times.