The Rio Xingu is one of the Amazon's most extraordinary fishing destinations — a 2,700-kilometer river that originates in the woodlands and savanna (cerrado) of northern Mato Grosso and flows north through the dense, moist rainforest of Pará before emptying into the Amazon. What sets the Xingu apart from most large Amazonian rivers is its remarkable water clarity. Because it drains the ancient Brazilian granite shield rather than sediment-laden terrain, the Xingu and its tributary the Iriri run impressively clear, allowing anglers to sight-fish and target species across a wide range of habitats in the same stretch of river. The geological structure of the Xingu basin creates an extraordinary diversity of sub-habitats — oxbows, pools, channels, lakes, lagoons, riffles, rapids, and waterfalls — that support more than 700 species of fish. The sport-fishing operation is located within the Kayapo indigenous territory, a 22-million-acre protected reserve in the southeastern Amazon that remains virtually untouched. Access is tightly controlled, with only eight anglers per week permitted on this stretch of river, making it one of the most exclusive and pristine freshwater fishing experiences on the planet.