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Dude Ranch Vacation
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At a Glance
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| HIGHLIGHTS | |
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| Famous For: | 3000 acres working cattle ranch, half of it being preserved pristine primary forest, cattle roundups and drives, wood stove home cooked meals, small and intimate where guests become part of the team |
| Capacity: | 4 adult plus 2 children or teens |
| Open: | Year round |
| Altitude: | 1800 feet, cool nights |
| Location: | 32 miles NW from Bodoquena, 43 miles W from Miranda, 78 miles NW of Bonito, MS, at Serra da Bodoquena on the brink of Pantanal |
| Reservations: | 55 – 11 – 9687 2835 or lnn53@terra.com.br |
| Rates: |
Adults: US$200 per day
Children: US$80 child/teens per day up to two per couple |
| Minimum Stay: | No minimum stay |
| Deposit: | negotiable |
| Payment: | bank order, cheque, cash |
| Closest Airports: | Bonito, 78 miles; Campo Grande 190 miles |
| Transportation: | Rental cars from airports or we can arrange to pick you up |
| Travel Agents: | YES |
| Guest Reviews: | Read reviews from travelers who have visited this ranch. |
| FEATURED AMENITIES | |||
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 Adults OrientedBig/Heavy Riders200-250 lbs. BirdingCattle Drives1 or Part Day 2-5 Days Cattle RanchesOver 1000 Head Children's ProgramsBaby Sitting Computer/Email ServicesCuisineRanch/Western Vegetarian |
Dude/Guest RanchesEmail AccessHiking Guided On Your Own Horseback RidingHorsesQuarter Languages SpokenEnglish Portuguese Spanish Laundry ServiceLiquorAvailable Bring Your Own |
Mountain BikingRemote LocationRide on Your Own Usually Available Saddle Your Own HorseShort Stays (1-4 days)Always Smoking PermittedWinter without Snow | |
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| LODGING |
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| Charming wood house built high above the ground, using wood from the region. The front of it being all wood and glass panels providing great views and lots of close bird watching (macaws, tucanos). The whole house will be reserved to your group during your stay, even if you are by yourself. If you are coming in a couple or by yourself, you will be acomodated in the East Room that has a queen size bed and private bath with tub. If your group is from three to four people you will be also using the North room and your group will share the bathroom. Although currently there is electricity in the ranch, we have decided to preserve the main house running on candles and kerosene lamps, as has always being enhancing the star gazing nights. Hot water from LPG and wood stove; satellite internet connection 24 hours. Beautiful deck provide the comfortable atmosphere desired to relax on your hammock after a long day but not before cooling yourself down in the adjoining small running water tank. |
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| RECREATION |
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| Santa Cruz is an economically sustainable, ecologically and socially concerned working cattle ranch with seasonal variable capacity from 900 to 1.200 heads. Quarter horses on brazilian saddles are available for the guests to accompany Santa Cruz’s daily work (milking cows, cattle round-ups, checking the cattle, doctoring livestock, mending fences, checking the water and the salt, corral work and cattle drives) or range by themselves on an unlimited basis. We offer open riding instead of nose to tail. You can either catch, groom, and outfit your own horse or have it brought ready to the house. Bird and mammal watching including deer, capybara, tapir and lots of birds from tucanos, blue macaws, red macaws to dozens of smaller species. Visit to native south American Indians reserve to a close experience with their culture. Non-riding activities include hiking, wildlife photography, 4WD trails through fields and forest, cave exploration or just relaxing on a hammock sipping a “caipirinha” or a “mohitos”. Your Santa Cruz stay will also be a fantastic opportunity to learn or improve your roping capabilities knowledge, as Alberto Lopes, the ranch manager, and his wife Clara, are renowned regional champions. Guided hikes on the fields or in the forest are available, where you might expect to see even more wildlife as there will not be the sound and smell of the horses approaching. Some of them can be self-guided if preferred. Despite having a quite large cave that can be visited at Santa Cruz, our plans include taking our guests to Bonito/Bodoquena (please, see details bellow at Region Section). |
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| FOR CHILDREN |
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| Children are welcome and if above 7 may participate in all activities depending on her/his ability and length of ride. Baby sitting available. |
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| FOOD/LIQUOR |
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| At Santa Cruz you will enjoy great typical Brazilian home cooking served family style and made fresh each day. Our local cook, Cleonice, has extensive training in regional hotels and in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. In the mornings fresh coffee, tropical fruits, orange juice, local milk and cottage cheese, free-range farm eggs, home-baked bread and jams. Meals include fresh veggies from the garden, home-raised beef, lamb and chicken. Evenings begin with “caipirinhas” and “mohitos” made with fresh limes and during dinner, Chilean or Argentinean wine is served. We are happy to cater to any special dietary needs. Just give us some time to plan. There is always a corner set with coffee, tea, milk, juices, cakes, cookies and granola. |
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| REGION/CUSTOMS |
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| Santa Cruz is perfectly located for the ones interested both in the many attractions of the Pantanal and the Bonito/Bodoquena area. While on the farm, visit to the Pantanal, few miles bellow the sierra, will be arranged and either on the way in or in the way back, to Bonito/Bodoquena. Patanal has incredible quantities of birds and mammals. Bodoquena and Bonito, which are also leading national tourist destination, are located 35 and 78 miles, respectively, from the farm and the latter has a national airport with regular flights from Campo Grande. There we may visit the Gruta do Lago Azul and take a trip at the Rio da Prata that is a snorkelling operation going down stream in a absolute transparent water small river running through a natural forest and full of fish to be sighted. Many other different activities may be planned for Bonito/Bodoquena but those two are amongst the preferred by all our foreigner friends. Photos and more information about Bonito/Bodoquena and Pantanal may be taken from the following sites Gruta do Lago Azul: http://www.escolavesper.com.br/pantanal/pantanal_cavernas.htm Rio da Prata: http://www.riodaprata.com.br/index.english.php Bonito in general: http://www.bonitoonline.com |
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| HISTORY/HOSTS |
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| Santa Cruz has a great history. It was one of the first ranches in Mato Grosso do Sul, early called just Mato Grosso and can be spotted in many old maps. The Kadiweus Indian Reserve bordering Santa Cruz date back from the 1791 “Tratado de Paz e Amizade” – (Friendship and Peace Treat) between the fearful “horseman-Indians” and the Portuguese representatives. Latter due to their victorious participation in the Paraguay War, granting Brazil with its current borders the State recognised what became the largest Indian reserve out of Amazonia with 538.000ha. Luciano Nogueira, owner/operator of Santa Cruz since 1979, has entertained visitors from Europe, North America and many parts of Brazil. Previously living in São Paulo, attending the farm on a monthly basis, he used to run the most important music hall in São Paulo for 1700 people presenting all national and international popular singers. Speaking English, Spanish and Portuguese, has been also to more than 30 countries. With a long tradition in the service industry together with Alberto Lopes, Santa Cruz manager, born in the Pantanal and fully versed in the local flora, fauna, folklore and history, both are able to take care of your every need. |
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| ITINERARY |
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| We do not follow a schedule but you can expect to participate in all ranch activities. As we cater for very few people at a time we can accommodate to your special wishes. We always have some corral work to be done but usually they can be accommodate in order to be done or not while you are here. The same with moving cattle from/to our other farms 10 or 20 miles away. Usual days at Santa Cruz, where you participate as much as you like, start milking cows for local consumption at around 5:00AM or waking up to the sounds of birds knocking on your window. Breakfast follows and after that, visit to the four different rotating pastures systems for checking the cattle, doctoring livestock, mending fences, checking the wires, the water and the salt. Usually every 3 days they move from one pasture to the next. Visit to the other 16, 6 days rotating grazing pastures for the same kind of work, plus cattle round-ups, take place every other day. On the way, you will cross parts of the primary forest where you may spot deer, capybara, tapir and lots of birds from tucanos, blue macaws, red macaws to dozens of smaller species. Santa Cruz corral works occurs for vaccination in February, May and November, plus emasculation (mostly all year round), and for sending fat cattle to the slaughterhouse usually once every 45 days. Visually following of the whole slaughtering process which will take place at dawn the following day, 90 miles away may be arranged on request. Cattle drive, including overnight sleep, may be arranged as we usually bring to Santa Cruz young steers either from a 1200ha farm located 10 miles away or from a 1000ha farm located 20 miles away. Longer drives, up to 30 days, may also be arranged upon a month early request. On the way to this other farm we pass next to the “sierra” cliff that runs about 400 meters high, above the Pantanal spreading westwards where incredible sunsets can be witnessed. Just bellow the cliff and accessible by a small winding road is located the eldest Brazilian Indian reserve encompassing 538.000ha, granted to the kadiweus for their efforts during the war against Paraguay. Visits to them, including artisan pottery and body painting, may be arranged. |
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