Transpantaneira Highway — Porto Jofre to Poconé via the Pantanal Wetland Corridor (Southbound Return)
Jaguar road. 122 bridges. Zero guarantees.
The Transpantaneira is a fever dream of a road — a single-lane dirt causeway punching north from Poconé into the Pantanal’s heart, terminating at the Rio Cuiabá ferry dock at Porto Jofre. Built in the 1970s and never finished, the highway was supposed to cross the entire Pantanal. It didn’t get there. What remains is 145 kilometres of rotting wooden plank bridges — 122 of them still standing in various states of structural optimism — flanked by the densest jaguar corridor on earth. Running it southbound from Porto Jofre means you’ve already done the rough-and-tumble push north on your way in; now you’re dealing with saturated bridge timbers, caiman sunning across the road deck, and whatever the last rain did to the shoulders.
This is not a technical rock-crawling run — it’s a soft-road endurance test. Ground clearance matters less than tyre width and knowing when a plank bridge is actually load-bearing versus wishful thinking. A stock 4WD with a snatch strap, spare timber planks, and a hi-lift jack is the minimum. A second vehicle is strongly recommended June through September — the dry season when water levels are manageable and wildlife concentrations are extraordinary. The wet season (November to March) renders most of the road impassable without dedicated expedition kit. Fuel at Poconé before you head north; there’s nothing reliable until you turn around. Mosquito load is brutal year-round. What you get out of it: jaguars from the track side, hundreds of hyacinth macaws, and a wetland ecosystem that will recalibrate your sense of scale.
Trail Specs
| Difficulty | Moderate |
|---|---|
| Trail Type | Overland Route |
| Surface | Dirt, Mixed |
| Features | Camping, Historic, Remote, Scenic, Water Crossings |
| Length (miles) | 90 mi / 145 km |
| Duration | 2-3 days |
| Max elevation (ft) | 590 ft |
| Best season | June-September |
| Minimum vehicle | Stock 4WD high-clearance |
| Nearest town | Poconé, Mato Grosso |
| Land manager | SEMA-MT / Pantanal National Park (IBAMA) |
| Permit required | No |
| Cell service | Spotty |
| Water crossings | Yes |
| Dispersed camping | Yes |
| Official sources | ICMBio Pantanal National Park IBAMA Brazil |
| Verified | |
| Start coordinates | |
| End coordinates | |
| Copy both for Google Maps directionsClick to copy the directions URL · or open it directly in a new tab | |
| Find on Google | Search on Google → |
Location
Trail Conditions
No recent condition reports. Be the first to post one.
Frequently asked questions
Can a stock 4WD high-clearance vehicle handle the Transpantaneira, or do I need a lift?
A stock 4WD high-clearance rig — Hilux, Land Cruiser 70, Pajero — will get you through in dry season without issue. The bridges are the real wildcard: some are rotting timber with no guardrails and gaps wide enough to swallow a tire, so slow and deliberate matters more than suspension height.
What happens if I try to run this route in the wet season?
Wet season (November–March) turns the Pantanal into a shallow inland sea — sections of the road flood completely and multiple bridges become impassable or structurally compromised. Dry season (June–September) is the window; October and April are borderline and require local intel before committing.
Do I need any permits or fees to drive the Transpantaneira?
There's no toll or permit to drive the highway itself, but entry into the Pantanal National Park boundary near Porto Jofre falls under IBAMA jurisdiction — check with ICMBio before entering protected zones if you plan to camp inside park limits. Camping outside the park boundary along the corridor is generally dispersed and free.
What's the hardest part of this route and what should I actually be worried about?
The 122 wooden bridges are the consistent stress point — many are single-lane, have no barriers, and flex noticeably under vehicle weight. Go slow, check the deck before committing with a heavy rig, and never rush a crossing. Getting a tire off the edge of a rotting plank 3 meters above a caiman-filled river is a bad day.
How far is the nearest fuel stop, and can I make the full 145km on one tank?
Fuel is available in Poconé at the northern end — there is nothing reliable between Poconé and Porto Jofre. Fill completely before leaving Poconé southbound; with 145km of slow bridge crossings and soft road surface, budget conservatively and carry a jerry can if your rig has below-average fuel range.
Trail track
No GPX track for this trail yet. If you've driven it and have a track, contribute below.
Log in to contribute a GPX track.