The Hyacinth Camps, part of the Tropical Nature conservation system (Our Mission), are the best place in the world to see the Maned Wolf and the Hyacinth Macaw – the largest of macaws. You'll also get up-close looks at Capuchin and Howler monkeys. Deep red mesas tower over sweeping grasslands dotted with palm groves in this wooded savannah ecosystem that covers much of central Brazil.
In 2002, a scenic area of dry forest and red rock escarpments was named a national park, Parque Nacional das Nascentes do Rio Parnaíba (National Park of the Parnaíba River Headwaters), the largest outside the Amazon. Inside this park straddling four states are Hyacinth Camps. The three sites that make up Hyacinth Camps – Hyacinth Valley, Hyacinth Cliffs, and Greenwing Valley – sit within a 10,000-acre reserve managed by our local conservation partner, the BioBrasil Foundation. This reserve is vital for the conservation of the savannah as lands to the south are increasingly being cleared for agriculture.
Hyacinth Macaws
A large flock of Hyacinth Macaws feed at a favorite spot – only 30 feet
in
front
of
a custom-built photo blind 15 minutes from the Hyacinth Valley Camp!
Palm nuts – the food of choice – are tough to crack. The macaws hop down to the ground, select a nut, and then return to the low bushes and trees to crack the nuts and eat.
Manipulating the nuts with tongues thick as thumbs, they open them in their powerful beaks with explosive cracks.
The huge blue birds also jockey for favorite nut-cracking perches as they feed and play.
Please note that Hyacinth Macaw viewing is guaranteed only from April 15 to July 15.
Maned Wolves, Monkeys and Other Wildlife
Hundreds and hundreds of multicolored macaws live in the cliffs surrounding one of these lodges, and purple clouds of hyacinth macaws descend on the palm nut feeding area nearby. At nightfall catch a look at the elusive and endangered Maned Wolf, which hunt mice in the region’s long grasses, and look like long-legged foxes. You'll relax in hammocks as you wait for this long-legged creature to visit it's favorite feeding spot.
Click to play video...
At the Greenwing Valley Camp, a viewing blind allows
you to watch the fascinating behavior of Brown Capuchin Monkeys.
The new park is the only place you can see them at work — on the ground, within 30 feet. Just a few feet from the blind, you can observe
the most complex tool use of any non-human primate.
Recently, scientists dubbed these brown capuchins “Einstein monkeys” when
they discovered them selecting igneous stones from a riverbed and hauling
them hundreds of yards to a clearing. There, little 13-pound monkeys lift
5- or 6-pound weights overhead and slam them down to open palm nuts, using
flat stones as anvils. Tufted-Eared Marmosets and Black
Howler
Monkeys
can also
be
found
in the area.
Exploring the reserve in the project vehicle or on foot, guests might see the
South American Rhea, Blue-and-gold, Red-and-green, and Red-bellied macaws, the
Red-legged Seriema, King Vulture and the Toco Toucan which nests between September
and
December.
Peter Oxford
Accommodations
Hyacinth Valley and Hyacinth Cliff sites each feature seven bungalows that include:
Two twin beds
Private, tiled bathrooms with solar-heated showers
Screened windows and mosquito nets
Greenwing Valley is equipped with
double occupancy bungalows and private bathrooms.
Meals are served in a thatched-roof open-air dining room. The home-cooked meals are prepared using fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and local Brazilian staples. Vegetarian and special diets can be provided on request.
How to Get There
From the cities of Salvador da Bahia or Brasilia, fly (weekdays only) on Passaredo Airlines or travel
by overnight bus to the inland town of Barreiras. From here, it is a six-hour
drive through the wooded savannah, dry scrubland, and the red mesas of Hyacinth
Cliffs
to the camps.
You can choose to bypass the bus and fly. For information about chartering private flights, please contact a Tropical Nature Travel representative.
The Kaytee Avian Foundation in association with Tropical Nature and Tropical Nature Travel announces their official Foundation trip to the Parnaiba Headwaters National Park and the Hyacinth Macaw Conservation Project in the dry, sunny, mosquito-free forests of northeastern Brazil. June 13 - 20, 2009 click for more information.
Booking
Prices are per person and based on a minimum of two people traveling together. Trips depart daily. Rates include:
Roundtrip travel from Barreiras to Hyacinth Camps
Private bungalows with private bathrooms
All meals and snacks
Purified drinking water and juices
Bilingual naturalist guide
All excursions
Soda, beer and wine are available but not included.
Hyacinth
Camps
Trip length
5 days/4 nights
6 days/5 nights
Departs
Daily
Daily
Number of travelers
2
2
4
6
8
Cost per person
$1843
$2198
$1836
$1836
$1430
Single supplement
$550
Price is
per person based on 2- people sharing double accommodation. Customized
travel plans available. Price does NOT include domestic flights within
Brazil or international flights. Approximate cost of round trip
air from Brasilia/Barrieras is $400.00 per person. An overnight
bus is available for approximatley $150.00 per person.
Staying on in Brazil? Whether your interest is wildlife or culture, in a short extension tour you can experience more of the rich living heritage of this vibrant country. And for the adventurous wildlife enthusiast, why not visit Hyacinth Camps? We can even arrange hotels and transportation.