By Mikael Castro, TIES Travel Ambassador – “Welcome to the Capital of Ecotourism” read the sign at the entrance of town Bonito, in Brazil’s state of Mato Grosso do Sul. A rather ambitions statement, I thought, confident I would find only a few great ecotourism establishments among a pool of green-washed want-to-be’s. I was pleasantly surprised, however, to find an amazingly organized, conservation-driven, municipal-wide, policy-driven, multi-stakeholder system for ecotourism.

The hotel Canto das Aguas (“Song of the Waters”) in Brazil’s beautiful Chapada Diamantina region is the first hotel to be certified under the official Brazilian Sustainable Tourism Standard (ABNT NBR 15.401). The hotel was established more than 20 years ago in the historic diamond town of Lençois in the Chapada Diamantina, one of Brazil’s top outdoor adventure destinations, in the heart of the State of Bahia. The hotel is known for is charm and hospitality and its attention to its socio-environmental responsibilities.

Roteiros de Charme Hotel Association was founded in Rio de Janeiro by five independent hoteliers in 1992, immediately following UNCED, as a private non-profit organization. Recognising the pressure imposed by the growing tourism industry on the maintenance and integrity of ecosystems and biological diversity, its mission is to support actions that encourage environmental conservation where they operate, aiming at promoting the sustainable development of tourism in Brazil. Roteiros de Charme has reaffirmed its commitment to the environment through the development…

The fundamental objective of The Southern Right Whale Project is to guarantee the survival and population recuperation of the Southern Right Whale, an endangered species, in Brazilian Waters. The season for whale watching in the state of Santa Catarina is from July to November, with peak sightings occurring between mid-August and early October. In addition to getting up close and personal with this spectacular species, a journey through Santa Catarina offers great breaks and a shipwreck for surfers, kite and wind surfers, quaint fishing villages, and a true escape.

When travelling through Brazil, you see horses everywhere. According to the Brazilian Geography and Statistics Institute (IBGE)’s 2007 data, there are nearly 6 million horses in the country, which means Brazil has the fourth largest herd in the world. Many of these horses are of mixed origin and often used in cattle-ranching. But Brazilians also breed and enjoy riding quality horses in disciplines that range from classical dressage to horseback archery.

With 650 species of birds, 120 of mammals, 80 of reptiles, Pantanal is home to the largest concentration of fauna in the Americas, covering parts of Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay. In the Wet Season, this area is flooded by waters overflowing from its rivers: this is the time when there is an explosion of color in the rich aquatic flora, with the mammals concentrated on a few mound hills. In the Dry Season, lakes are formed which provide a source of food for an enormous variety of wildlife, including migratory birds from all over the world.

There is plenty of adventure in the great outdoors of Brazil. The adventure tourism industry has grown a lot and, since 2005, Brazil is investing heavily in improving the quality and safety of its adventure tourism product. Here are some ideas of what you can do and where you can do it in Brazil. For those who like their shot of adrenaline in wild and beautiful natural areas, Brazil offers many interesting technical climbs. Hiking and trekking are popular all over Brazil and there are endless possibilities. Brazil has 29 peaks over 2.300 meters, and many of them are located in National Parks.

The present day mammal fauna of Brazil is a mixture of the descendants of ancient inhabitants of Gondwanaland and newcomers that descended from North America with the closing of the Panama land bridge about 3 million years ago. Some animals managed to reach South America after it was isolated, but before the sea became an unsurpassable barrier. These include the new world primates and the caviomorph rodents. But many of South America mammals are descendants from more recent arrivals and probably out competed species now extinct.

The mythical Amazon can only be described in superlatives. It covers an area of 5 million square kilometers of which 80% is on Brazilian territory. It is the largest and most intact rainforest region in the world. Through it flows an extensive drainage system of more than a thousand rivers and in the skies over the rainforest, you have the flying rivers that flow in the opposite direction from the ocean to the Andes. It is estimated that water is recycled as vapour and rain 5 times on this journey.

Visitors to Brazil usually list the stunning nature of Brazil as the number one attraction, but the friendly nature of Brazilians themselves comes a close second. As anyone who has visited Brazil can attest, Brazilians are fun loving and very welcoming. You will encounter this warm hospitality everywhere you go, whether it is in a small remote community or the big city. This month’s ecoDestinations online auction features a wide range of eco-vacation experiences in Brasil – from a rainforest hike tour to a wildlife adventure, to an organic farm stay.