Pousada e Camping Pantanal Norte — Poconé Gateway Campground

This is your last real bed and first real camp before you drop into the Transpantaneira corridor heading south toward Porto Jofre. Poconé itself is a working cattle town with fuel, a mercado, and basic mechanics — and this pousada-campground combo sits on the edge of town where the pavement starts giving way to the famous dirt-and-bridge highway. Expect rudimentary but functional: cleared sites, cold showers, basic toilets, and a communal eating area where other travelers swap Pantanal intel over cold Skol. Caiman sightings start here.

Access is straightforward — paved road into Poconé, the campground is well-known among overland travelers running the Transpantaneira. During the dry season (May–September) it fills with birders and 4×4 crews. Rainy season (November–March) turns the access track into a legitimate mud situation. Confirm current availability by phone before arrival — Brazilian pousadas don’t always maintain online booking systems.

Transpantaneira's northern basecamp.