Photo Gallery
Rich Hoyer
A flight from Cuiabá to the frontier mining town of Alta Floresta is the first step of our journey.
Photo: Idie Ulsh
After traveling through 45 miles of ranchland, we cross the Teles Pires River, a southern tributary of the Amazon.
As we motor up the smaller Cristalino River, we’ll stop for birds perched along the river edge, such as this Rufescent Tiger-Heron.
We arrive at our the beach by the lodge…
…where a Rusty-margined Flycatcher pair is usually on territory.
Upon our arrival, we’ll have an orientation meeting…
…while enjoying a delicious tropical punch…
…and settle into our rooms for the next week.
On the beach there are often puddle parties of butterflies, such as this swallowtail backed up by sulphurs.
We’ll take a few boat rides to reach more distant trails, along the way searching for birds and other animals…
…such as this Bare-faced Curassow…
…or this Spectacled Caiman.
One trail we take passes by the largest Brazil Nut tree in the region.
Another takes us up the granite dome of the Serra…
…where a Great Potoo sitting on a chick could be one of the exciting finds…
…and where we’ll make a special search for the endemic poison dart frog that was discovered on this very hill.
We’ll climb the observation tower several times for unusual views of canopy birds, such as these male Black-girdled Barbets…
…this White-browed Hawk, one of the exciting possibilities from the observation tower…
…or this exotic-looking Paradise Jacamar.
We’ll have plenty of opportunities to marvel at the diversity and beauty of nature in the rain forest, such as this green long-horned beetle…
…this Costus flower…
…this Trochilus Metalmark…
…this Osteocephalus treefrog…
…this White-whiskered Spider-Monkey….
…and this pair of firetail damselflies.
Cristalino Lodge from the air: a tiny human footprint in a vast wilderness.
Photo: Cristalino