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Parque Nacional Otuquis Bolivia — Pantanal boliviano, humedales tropicales en la frontera con Brasil y Paraguay
caiman
— National Park · Bolivian Pantanal · Brazil–Paraguay border1.005.950 ha

National Park
Otuquis.

1,005,950 ha of pure Pantanal. The Bolivia-Brazil-Paraguay triple border. Jaguar, giant otter, black caiman. The purest Pantanal on the continent — and the least visited.

The Pantanal ↓How to get there ↓Gallery ↓
Surface area
1,005,950 ha
Ecosystem
Bolivian Pantanal
Triple border
Bolivia·Brazil·Paraguay
Jaguar
Confirmed population
Waterbirds
300+ species
Access via
Puerto Suárez
— Why Otuquis is unique

The Pantanal. Without tourists.

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The purest Pantanal
Otuquis has no mass tourism infrastructure. No paved roads inside. No large tourist operations. The wildlife here has not been habituated to human presence in the way the Brazilian Pantanal has — encounters are wilder, more unpredictable, more honest.
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Jaguar confirmed
Camera trap programmes confirm dense jaguar populations throughout the park. The waterways and gallery forest edges are prime territory. A 4–6 day boat expedition in dry season produces tracks at every waterhole and frequent indirect signs.
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300+ waterbird species
The Pantanal wetlands of Otuquis support enormous concentrations of waterbirds: jabiru storks, wood storks, roseate spoonbills, hundreds of herons and egrets, ducks, rails and kingfishers. Dawn on the waterways produces spectacles comparable to the best birding in Suriname or the Venezuelan llanos.
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Boat access only
The interior of Otuquis is accessible only by boat — the wetland landscape has no roads. This is a feature, not a problem. The boat journey through the flooded gallery forest at dawn — with the sounds of thousands of birds and the occasional caiman eye gleaming from the bank — is the Pantanal experience at its most immersive.
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Almost no tourists
Otuquis receives fewer than 1,000 visitors per year. For context, the Brazilian Pantanal receives more than 1 million. Equivalent wildlife density, a fraction of the human impact. The park's remoteness is the guarantee of its wildness.
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Triple border landscape
Otuquis sits at the convergence of Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay — a landscape shaped by three national territories and the rivers that define them. The Paraguay River marks the eastern boundary. Satellite images show the Pantanal flooding cycle at continental scale — Otuquis is at its epicentre.
— Expedition logistics

Getting there and when to go.

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How to get to Otuquis

  • Step 1: Flight Santa Cruz → Puerto Suárez (~1h, BoA or Amaszonas, ~$70–120 USD) — recommended
  • Alternative: bus Santa Cruz → Puerto Suárez (~4–5h by paved road)
  • Step 2: From Puerto Suárez, your operator transfers you to the boat boarding point
  • Step 3: Boat into the park interior — 30 min to 3h depending on destination within the area
  • No internal hotel infrastructure — camping or Puerto Suárez lodges
  • All arranged with a specialist operator from Santa Cruz or Puerto Suárez
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When to go and what to expect

  • Dry season (May–October): river level drops, wildlife concentrates on rivers — best for sightings
  • Wet season (November–April): vast flooding — many zones inaccessible but waterbirds explode
  • 3 nights minimum to feel the Pantanal: dawn on boat, midday on land, night on boat with spotlight
  • Black caiman sighting at night from the boat is near-guaranteed any season
  • Jaguar requires patience — daily tracks, full sighting possible with 5–7 days
FAQ

Questions about Otuquis.

Plan your expedition →

Otuquis National Park and AMNI (1,005,950 ha) is Bolivia's Pantanal — a pure tropical wetland at the convergence of Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay. Created in 1997. It is the purest and least-visited Pantanal on the continent: no mass tourism infrastructure, equivalent wildlife density to the Brazilian Pantanal, a fraction of the human impact.

From Santa Cruz: fly to Puerto Suárez (~1h, ~$70–120 USD, BoA or Amaszonas) or take the bus (~4–5h by paved road). From Puerto Suárez, a specialist operator transfers you to the boat boarding point for the park interior. The park has no internal road network — all access is by boat. A Santa Cruz or Puerto Suárez operator is essential.

Otuquis has confirmed jaguar populations (camera traps), giant river otters, marsh deer, capybaras, black caimans (up to 6m), anacondas, giant anteaters, peccaries and 300+ waterbird species including jabiru storks, wood storks, roseate spoonbills and dozens of heron species. Night spotlight boat tours produce caiman sightings on every excursion.

May to October (dry season) is best: river levels drop, wildlife concentrates on rivers and waterholes, and boat access to more zones is possible. Night caiman spotting is excellent year-round. November–April (wet season): vast areas flood, some zones become inaccessible, but waterbird concentrations are extraordinary. Avoid January–February for the park interior — peak flood season.

— Your Bolivian Pantanal expedition

The Pantanal without tourists.
Start here.

45 minutes. We design your Otuquis expedition with flight to Puerto Suárez, boat, specialist guides and full logistics.

$90 · €85 · Bs. 623

Book consultation → $90 · €85 · Bs. 623Puerto Suárez →