Aquidaban — last journey
to the Pantanal

The Aquidaban is one of the last river cargo boats still operating on the Río Paraguay in Paraguay, connecting remote communities of the Pantanal to the outside world. Every week, it makes the journey between Concepción and the isolated port of Bahía Negra, carrying passengers, goods, livestock, and fuel deep into one of the world's largest tropical wetlands.

Travelling aboard for several days, I documented the daily life of passengers and crew — fishermen, farmers, families — for whom this ageing vessel is not a tourist attraction, but a lifeline. The journey is slow, unpredictable, and essential.

Portrait of a Pantanal fisherman sitting bare-chested in front of a tarp shelter on the Aquidaban, Paraguay

Passenger loading water bottles and supplies onto the deck of the Aquidaban at sunset, Río Paraguay

Elderly woman with eyes closed on the deck of the Aquidaban, Río Paraguay at sunset, Paraguay

Crew and passengers unloading a motorcycle down a wooden plank from the Aquidaban at a remote riverside stop at sunset

Passengers and crew surrounding the Aquidaban cargo boat moored at Concepción port, Río Paraguay, Paraguay

Man checking egg crates beside a motorcycle loaded on the deck of the Aquidaban, Río Paraguay

View from the bow of the Aquidaban navigating the Río Paraguay under stormy skies, Paraguay

Woman drinking mate beneath colourful hammocks on the passenger deck of the Aquidaban

Young girl peering between hammocks in the cramped interior of the Aquidaban, Paraguay

Young couple holding a newborn baby aboard the Aquidaban, looking out at the riverbank

Elderly man repairing an electronic device between hammocks on the Aquidaban passenger deck

Passenger sleeping beside a crate of bananas and hanging goods in the hold of the Aquidaban

Stairwell of the Aquidaban loaded with sacks of produce, pineapples, and supplies bound for remote communities

Man sitting on a wooden chair checking his phone beside a 'Sanitario' sign in the hold of the Aquidaban

Captain of the Aquidaban drinking mate in the wheelhouse of the ageing river boat, Río Paraguay

Hanging bags of bread rolls and stacked crates of fruit and vegetables in the cargo hold of the Aquidaban

Front view of the Aquidaban moored at dusk with crew members gathered on the lower deck, Río Paraguay

Young crew member breaking ice with a wooden mallet in a chest freezer on the deck of the Aquidaban

Dockers loading heavy sacks onto the Aquidaban via a wooden gangplank at a river port, Paraguay

Wide shot of the Aquidaban moored beside a beached vessel at a remote Pantanal port, Paraguay

Lone calf crossing a dusty dirt road in a remote Pantanal village at the end of the Aquidaban route, Paraguay

The Aquidaban cargo boat moored at a remote sandy bank on the Río Paraguay at dusk, reflected in still water

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Aquidaban — last journeyto the Pantanal

Aquidaban — last journey
to the Pantanal