NOW THIS IS A RANCH.........Fazenda Santo Antonio do Paraiso

Now this is a RANCH, practically a country......Happy Trails to you and your herd of puma. Encompassing 255,371±-deeded acres, this property is one of the most reputable and beautiful ranches in all of Brazil. Located a 2.5 hour drive from a large, well-served domestic airport, the ranch is flanked by two large rivers flowing 80 miles along two of the ranch borders. Seventy percent of this land lies within the Pantanal Wetlands Complex which is the largest wetland in the world. Four distinct ecosystems harbor a rich and diverse array of flora and an incredible concentration of wildlife including jaguar, puma, marsh deer, anaconda, caiman and over 640 species of birds. A 500-acre lake also holds large numbers of Peacock Bass and other game fish. Additionally, this is one of Brazil's most famous "Panteneiro" (cowboy) ranches running 23,000+ mother cows and farming soybeans on 12,000± tilled acres with far greater potential than its current operation. The ranch is substantially supported by a variety of structures and includes six runways. Acreage: 255,371+/- Deeded Acreage Breakdown: Deeded: 255,371 acres 102,972 hectares INFASTRUCTURE One noteworthy historical fact is that the previous owner maintained 11 wives, an amazing feat in and of itself, not to mention the fact that he had to build a house that could "roost" this large harem. This 11-room house includes a large living room with a central fireplace, a kitchen with a large wood-burning stove, a thatched roof, outside dining area, and a walk-in gun room. Other dwellings include 8 employee houses, a "cantina" that serves as a cafeteria, tack shed, barn, sawmill, hydroelectric turbine house, school, chapel, tannery, 8-stall dog kennel, laundry house, 5 retiros (cow camps) complete with housing, tack sheds, generator houses, watering systems, traps for horses, etc., and each has an airstrip. Excellent roads service the entire property, including all-weather roads through the wetlands and forest trails that meander through the beautiful cerrado forests on the plateau. The main ranch runway is adequate for King Airs and it has a compacted gravel surface. A sturdy concrete hangar can service two single-engine aircraft. Location The name of the ranch, Fazenda Santo Antonio do Paraíso, is very telling. At least as far back as the late 1800's this name has been known to represent one of the true paradises of Brazil, a rare jewel and microcosm of the larger ecosystem which it borders; the Pantanal. Fazenda Santo Antonio do Paraiso is located on the northeastern edge of the Pantanal wetlands approximately 80 miles south of the agricultural boomtown of Rondonópolis, Mato Grosso in southwestern Brazil. Rondonópolis hosts a public airport that offers commercial flights to various domestic locations. An international airport is located 138 miles northwest in Cuiabá, the state capital of Mato Grosso. Cuiabá serves as the northern gateway for tourist activities in the Mato Grosso Pantanal whereas Rondonópolis acts as an industrial and supply base for the agricultural expansion belt in the southern part of the state. The property offers excellent gravel road access to the major federal paved highway BR163 that lies approximately 15 miles east of the ranch headquarters. Ranch headquarters are located at S17 29' 29" W055 13' 53". Joao Carlos Marinho Lutz is offering to sell 50 years of arduous labor, vision, and conservation ethic to a buyer that he hopes will appreciate his family's efforts and will continue to perpetuate the legacy of the ranch. Previous offers from buyers whose intentions to exploit the ranch's natural splendor by building substantial hotel infrastructure to facilitate a large scale ecotourism business have been negated for fear that development would damage the ecosystems. This ranch is quite suitable for a buyer with a strong interest in conservation and agricultural opportunities. Click for additional photos