It’s so interesting to see how the inhabitants of the Amazon region manage to add an even greener (and for that matter, yellow, too) touch to their cities and villages while the soccer world cup takes place miles away. The photos were taken in the formidable Amazon destination of Alter do Chão during the celebration of the 2010 World Cup.

If you want to see more photos of Alter do Chão check out our Flickr album.

If you want more information on the destination, have a look at our blog post Alter do Chão and the river Tapajós.

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For anyone planning an Amazon riverboat trip finding reliable information on schedules / timetables has become something of a quest for the Holy Grail. If a few days ago we pointed at some tips on Amazon riverboat trips, today we’re going to look at the scheduled services across the Amazon region.

There isn’t a single unified site consolidating information from the different companies sailing the Amazon. As a matter of fact, you’d be pressed hard to find a single website belonging to a sailing company listing its schedules and fares.

Navegando e Lendo (“Sailing and Reading”) is an NGO trying to promote reading across the Amazon. Their website contains a wonderful page listing most of the big boats sailing the Amazon. The list is here: Barcos.

The information is grouped according to the three different boarding points in the city of Manaus (there are three). For the three piers (if you could call them that) the following information is offered:

• On the column Barco, the name of the boat.
• On the column Destino, the destination, including the different ports of call along the way.
• On the column Saída, the days of the week with scheduled departures.
• On the column Hora, the departure time.
• On the column Fone, the contact telephone number.
• On the column Tempo de viagem previsto, the length of the trip.

As it is not an official list, we encourage you (and so do the authors of the listing) to contact the company to confirm the departures and schedules. Do not plan your trip based on the information that appears on the list or, if you do, make sure you have a plan B in hand. Schedules are changed, navigations can be cancelled.

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RELATED POSTS:
Amazon riverboat trips
an Amazon adventure: trips around Alter do Chão
“cheia” and “seca” on the Amazon region
tourism on the Amazon region is a foreign affair
destination: Algodoal
destination: Belém
destination: Ilha do Marajó
destination: Manaus
the Meeting of the Waters and the Janauary Ecological Park, near Manaus

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1. Alter do Chão, our Amazon secret

Alter do Chão is a beautiful and to a large extent unkwon Amazon destination that reached fame not long ago thanks to an article on British newspaper The Guardian británico. It is found near Santarém, in the state of Pará and here at the Brazil Travel Blog we devoted it a destination card back in 2007 (a card we updated recently in Alter do Chão and the river Tapajós and an Amazon adventure: trips around Alter do Chão).

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2. Alter do Chão´s recent claim to fame

On 15 April 2009 The Guardian published an article with the title Top 10 beaches in Brazil. It is an article that, by the look of the comments and conclusions extracted from it by the tourist trade, was read by very few. On the second paragraph of the article there is an explanation on how the beach ranking was elaborated. “we asked 10 experts to choose their favourites”. That’s all there is about the ranking. The newspaper asked 10 travel specialists to mention their favourite beach in Brazil. One beach each. The list is published in no hierarchical order. Ricardo Freire -one the specialists consulted- explained at Nasce um mito: Alter-do-Chão, “a melhor praia do Brasil segundo a imprensa inglesa” that the specialists were asked not to mention beaches chosen by any of the other 8 experts. Had it not been for this rule we could have expected a heavy Fernando de Noronha presence on the list (strangely, The Guardian lists the island of Fernando de Noronha as if it only had one beach).

Alter do Chão is on the list. Conspicuous by its absence on the description of Alter published by the newspaper is any mention to the fact that the beaches of Alter are covered by the river between January and July. Should you arrive in Alter in April you will find no beaches at all -you will agree this is no insignificant detail. We know of several frustrated tourists that chose the wrong time of the year to travel to Alter and get to know its beaches.

On the Guardian list, Alter do Chão appears listed first. We know the beaches were listed in geographical order (from north to south). But the local tourist trade chose to ignore this fact and a myth was born: Alter do Chão as the most beautiful beach in Brazil according to the Guardian newspaper. And once a myth is born it is a mean task to make people understand the mistake.

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3. What are the beaches of Alter do Chão like?

Alter do Chão and the region of the river Tapajós contain the most extense collection of white sandy beaches in the Amazon region. Alter owes its fame to the Ilha do Amor beach (“Love Island”) which rather than an island it is a sand bar right in front of the village, contemplated at its best between July and December. The sand bar is bathed by the Tapajós river to one side and by the Lagoa Verde to the other. In the middle of the sand bar there is an endless series of beach huts with restaurants serving Amazon fish. But the Ilha do Amor is just one of many beaches in the region. During the dry season you can walk from Alter to Santarém through the beach following the river course.

The Ilha do Amor is a pleasant beach of fine sand and no waves. The river waters are dark, warm and transparent. To reach the beach from the village you need to enlist the services of a boatman that will take you there in no time at all.

During the weekend and the holiday season the beach is filled with tourists from the region and the cities of Belém and Manaus. The atmosphere at the beach is no different from that of any other beach in Brazil. High season means an awful lot of tourists, noise, movement, chaos, plastic chairs and tables and food and drink aplenty. Plenty of rubbish too.

During the low season, if you reach the beach during the week you will have it mostly for yourself.

We have mentioned there are many other beaches. You can hire a boatman to take you there. Most of the beaches are virgin, with no infrastructure whatsoever. Other beaches, such as the Ponta de Pedras, have restaurants.

If you don’t want to take a boat, you can reach the popular praia do Cajueiro on foot. From Alter’s main square, follow the riverfront to the left and you’ll get there in five minutes.

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4. So, is it worth a trip to Alter do Chão just to see its beaches?

We feel the beaches of Alter are a plus to anyone visiting the rainforest in the region. Alter is a fantastic base for the perfect Amazon experience. So if you go to Alter after a jungle experience, there is much worse you can do than relaxing one day at its beaches.

If you are only after a beach destination for your holidays, and you like your beaches with plenty of intrastructure, we dare say Alter do Chão might not be your place. For the money you’ll pay to get to roustic Alter you can spend a week at a holiday resort.

However, if roustic is your thing and you are after a different type of beach, you might want to give Alter do Chão a try. And if you have in mind a trip combining a beach holiday with a trip to the jungle, then go ahead, Alter is your place.

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RELATED POSTS:
destination: Alter do Chão and the river Tapajós
an Amazon adventure: trips around Alter do Chão
destination: Algodoal
destination: Belém
destination: Ilha do Marajó
destination: Manaus
the Meeting of the Waters and the Janauary Ecological Park, near Manaus
Jungle Lodges in the Amazon

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Alter do Chão and the region of the river Tapajós provide the perfect setting for an Amazon adventure. Whether you are after a hardcore encounter with the jungle or seeking something on the lighter side of things, Alter do Chão might be the place for you. Here’s a description of some of the trips you can do using Alter do Chão as your base.

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1. Floresta Encantada (Enchanted Forest)

Time needed: half a day.
Physical effort: none. You will sit most of the time on a boat.

The Enchanted Florest is found at the end of the Lagoa Verde (Green Lagoon). It is reached quickly on a motorboat. After leaving the lagoon, a change of boat is needed as only a canoe can penetrate inside the flooded forest.

The florest is a wonderful “igapó”, the flooded forest formed during the rainy season (you can read more on the topic at “cheia” and “seca” on the Amazon region). The flooded looks its best from May till September. After September the river levels descend and the florest dries up.

Canoeing through a flooded forest is a unique experience and one of the most fascinating activities you can enjoy in the jungle. If you visit the forest towards the second half of the day you will realize how the forest creatures wake up as the end of the day approaches.

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2. Canal do Jari (Jari channel)

Time needed: half a day.
Physical effort: none. You will sit most of the time on a boat. As it is quite a

The Canal do Jari is a natural channel connecting the Tapajós river and its dark and transparent waters with the Amazon, with its muddy waters. As you enter the channel you will realize how the colour of the waters gradually changes; the closer to the Amazon, the brownier they become.

The channel cuts through a series of fields that are flooded during the rainy season. Only a few people survive on the region on their stilt houses built at a safe height.

Navegating the channel is a very beautiful trip where you will contemplate many plants and trees as well as an abundant number of bird species. Quite close to the Amazon a wonderful surprise awaits for you: a natural garden of victoria-regias, the true queens of the Amazon.

From Alter do Chão it takes approximately an hour for the motorboat to reach the channel. On windy days it can be quite a bumpy ride (the width of the Tapajós river at this point is 15 km, which makes it feel as if you were sailing on the open sea).

You can combine your trip to the Jari Channel with the trip to the Enchanted Florest. A perfect day out.

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3. Reserva extrativista (RESEX) (Extractive Reserve)

Time needed: a day.
Physical effort: you will walk through the jungle for three to four hours.

Crossing the river Tapajós across from Alter do Chão you reach the Extractive Reserve, where several communities make a living out the sustainable explotation of natural resources. Several of those communities are visited on foot.

At the end of one of the treks we canoed through a beautiful “igapó” (flooded forest).

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4. Floresta Nacional do Tapajós (FLONA)

Time needed: 2 to 3 days.
Physical effort: a five-hour treck through the jungle to reach a giant samauma tree.

The Floresta Nacional do Tapajós (aka FLONA do Tapajós or simply FLONA) is an entity similar to a National Park with the only difference that human activity takes place within its boundaries. The FLONA can be reached by dirt track or by boat (three hours by boat, an hour on a speedboat).

As it takes quite some time to reach FLONA you need to sleep on the area to make the most of your trip. While in the region you will visit the local communities of Jamaraquá and Maguary and learn how the natives making a living through the combination of several activities: rubber tapping, beekeeping and, more recently, ecotourism.

During your jungle trek you will have a close encounter with the jungle giants and will contemplate the enormity of the giant samaúma trees.

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5. Ilha do Amor (Love Island)

Time needed: 1 hour to the entire day.
Physical effort: none.

Alter do Chão is worldwide famous for its beaches, the most important of which is the Love Island. Getting there is as simple as it gets. Take a boat right next to the main square in the village and in five minutes you’ll reach the beach.

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6. Additional trips

As well as the trips described here, local agencies organize longer trips travelling around the region and even further away (if you are willing to pay for it, you can reach the remote Amazon National Park). You can also visit Belterra, the second settlement Henry Ford chose when he decided the Tapajós region would be the base for its rubber production industry.

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RELATED POSTS:
destination: Alter do Chão and the river Tapajós
“cheia” and “seca” on the Amazon region
destination: Algodoal
destination: Belém
destination: Ilha do Marajó
destination: Manaus
the Meeting of the Waters and the Janauary Ecological Park, near Manaus
Amazon riverboat trips

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We have just completed uploading our extense Flickr album devoted to Alter do Chão and the Amazon jungle.

We visited the village of Alter do Chão in the midst of World Cup fever.

And reached the beaches that gave Alter do Chão worldwide fame.

In June the Tapajós river is still covering most beaches.

On a boat trip through the canal do Jari, linking the Tapajós and the Amazon rivers, we discovered what is life like in the flooded Amazon.

Oh, wonderful vitórias-regias!

We spent some terrific time canoeing through the mesmerizing igapós (flooded forests).

We learned how the local communities make a living.

And entered the jungle for a close encounters with its mighty giants: the samaúmas.

At Alter do Chão and the river Tapajós you will find all the travel information you need about a place we consider to be the perfect base for an Amazon experience.

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RELATED POSTS:
Alter do Chão and the river Tapajós
destination: Algodoal
destination: Belém
destination: Ilha do Marajó
destination: Manaus
the Meeting of the Waters and the Janauary Ecological Park, near Manaus

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Alter do Chão is a small town in the state of Pará, council of Santarém. It is located at the entrance of a lake formed on the right bank of the Tapajós river – one of the biggest tributaries of the Amazon and known for its dark-blue waters. When the level of the Amazon river is low, from July to January, a beach of fine and clear sands appears at the entrance of the lake, the praia do Amor. Alter do Chão is known as the Caribbean Amazon for its combination of clear waters and sand.

But beyond its famous beaches, what makes Alter do Chão a remarkable destination is the fact that it makes an ideal base for a perfect Amazon experience in the nearby Floresta Nacional do Tapajós. Community-based ecotourism at its best.

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1. HOW TO GET THERE:

Whether you arrive by bus or by boat, the entry point to Alter do Chão is the city of Santarém.

By plane, the nearest airport is Santarém’s. The main Brazilian airlines fly to Santarém from Manaus and Belém (flight time is approximately 1 hour from both cities). From Santarém airport to Alter do Chão, 25 km away, a taxi will set you back approximately R$90.

You can reach Santarém by boat from Manaus or Belém. Travel time is two days. From Belém to Santarém a cabin will cost you R$170. From Manaus to Santarém, R$125.

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2. WHEN TO GO:

Weather-wise, temperatures in Alter do Chão range from the warm to the hot. Rarely does the termometer fall below 20 degrees Celsius and maximum temperatures usually reach the 30′s. It rains heavily from January to July.

The best time to visit Alter do Chão goes from July to September, when the river levels begin to descend and the beaches appear. From January till June there’s heavy rain and the beaches are submerged. From October to December the heat is intense and the river level reaches the year’s low. The magic igapós (flooded forests) dry up.

If you don’t appreciate crowds, we would advice you to avoid Alter do Chão during the Brazilian bank holidays, when the village and the beaches are crowded with tourists coming from Manaus and Belém. The carnival period is particularly critical.

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3. CAREFUL WITH:

• trying to visit Alter do Chão during the Sairé festival during the second week of September; finding acommodation is next to impossible and prices shoot up.
• sting rays. They are found in most beaches, particularly when the river level is low. Accidents are numerous. Before entering the river you need to make sure there isn’t a ray hidden under the sand.
• entering the jungle on your own. It’s a definite no-no.

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4. WE LIKE THE MOST:

• the majestic Tapajós river
• the imposing jungle full of surprises
• the wide range of trips available from Alter do Chão
• the development of true ecoturism in the region
• to spend the day at the Ilha do Amor (literally, “love island”) eating snacks and drinking beer
• to watch the sunset from the new pier and end the night with a piracaia (barbeque fish) at the beach
• the remote and untouched character of Alter do Chão

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5. WE LIKE THE LEAST:

• noise pollution along the river front and the Praça Matriz
• the Ilha do Amor vanishes for several months
• Sunday trippers in Alter do Chão; fortunately, by Monday they are gone
• the unstoppable and destructive advance of men towards the jungle
• the incredible closure and neglect of the Museu do Índio
• the closure of the peixe-boi project, preserving the manatees on the Tapajós river

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6. FAVOURITE PLACES:

The Ilha do Amor, the Ponta de Cururu, the Floresta Encantada, the Canal do Jari, the FLONA, the Tapajós river

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7. PIECE OF ADVICE:

• there are plenty of things to do in Alter do Chão’s surrounding area: a quiet walk along the flooded rainforest and virgin beaches, river-dolphin watching; trekking at the National Parks; getting to know the natives; and even discover two typically American village built by the Ford company during the rubber fever (Fordlandia and Belterra). At an Amazon adventure: trips around Alter do Chão we gave details of the most exciting trips around the Alter do Chão region.
• during the weekend Alter becomes the beach for the inhabitants of Santarem; the place is chock-a-block. During the week it is much quieter
• you can rent a kayak at the Praia do Amor
• there is a supermarket and several shops where you will be able to obtain supplies; however, there are no ATM’s in Alter do Chão
• Alter is an exceptional place if you want to purchase authentic indigenous crafts; some of the shops are real museums
• there’s a great travel agency at the main square, run by Argentinians: Mãe Natureza. They offer good advice and excellent juices and sandwiches
• stalls at the main square sell local food and sweets. A must!

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8. IS IT WORTH VISITING ALTER DO CHÃO JUST FOR ITS BEACHES?

We believe the beaches on the Tapajós river are a fantastic bonus to any visitor to the region. But given how costly it is to reach the region, they could never constitute the only reason for a visit to the area. There are much better beaches all along the Brazilian coastline.

You need to bear in mind the beaches only emerge from July to January. Visit Alter do Chão any other time and you will need a wet suit to see the beaches.

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9. ACCOMMODATION:

There aren’t many options of accommodation in Alter do Chão. Those with a web site are listed at hotels and pousadas in Alter do Chão. We stayed at the pousada Tupaiulândia. It has no website but offers an excellent value for money.

Some of the indigenous communities in the National Forest offer very basic acommodation to its visitors.

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10. HEALTH:

If you are visiting Alter do Chão you are adviced to get your yellow fever shot (more information at 10 facts about yellow fever in Brazil“>10 facts about yellow fever in Brazil). Malaria has not been an issue on the region for some time.

The high acidic level of the Tapajós river guarantees low proliferation of mosquitos. You will find them during your treks in the jungle.

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11. LINKS:

There are no specific pages on Alter do Chão worth mentioning. On Mãe Natureza‘s website, with a version in English, there are detailed descriptions of the activities that can be done in the region. IBAMA’s site devoted to the Floresta Nacional do Tapajós has maps of the region available for download in PDF format.

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12. WEATHER FORECAST:

The weather in Alter do Chão (Santarem) for the next 10 days

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13. CLIMATE:

Average temperatures and rainfall in Alter do Chão (Santarém) at msn.weather.

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13. GOOGLE MAPS:

Alter do Chão in Google Maps.

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14. PHOTOS:

Our Alter do Chão photo album in Flickr.

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15. OTHER BLOG POSTS ON THE AMAZON REGION:
an Amazon adventure: trips around Alter do Chão
“cheia” and “seca” on the Amazon region
tourism on the Amazon region is a foreign affair
destination: Algodoal
destination: Belém
destination: Ilha do Marajó
destination: Manaus
the Meeting of the Waters and the Janauary Ecological Park, near Manaus

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Publishing house Empresa das Artes, with an extense travel-related catalogue, is enabling free online access to the full contents of several of its guides. To read the guides you need to access the tool provided by Book Stand Panrotas.

The available guides are:

Amazonas
Bahia
Goiás
Mato Grosso
Pará
Paraná
Santa Catarina

To open each guide, click on CLIQUE para ler esta publicação. A new window will open where you will be able to read the guide. Unfortunately, the guides are available in Portuguese only, but if you have a basic grasp of the language you will find tons of background information as well as beautiful pictures and maps.

As well as the guides listed here there are a few commercial publications from Panrotas, a trade magazine. Congratulations to the private companies responsible for the initiative.

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RELATED POSTS:
National parks: online brochures

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Next year’s edition of the World Social Forum will take place in the city of Belém, capital of the state of Pará, in the north region of Brazil. This blog has an entry with information on the city (Destination: Belém). I have put together this new entry with information on how to get to Belém.

I can’t give detailed instructions for every single country on the globe, so I’m just focusing on three entry points to Brazil: São Paulo/Río de Janeiro, for those coming from the south of the continent, Europe, North America and Asia; Manaus, for those coming from across the Andes and the United States (Delta has a direct flight from Atlanta to Manaus and Tam from Miami to Manaus); and Fortaleza for those arriving from Europe (TAP has a direct flight from Lisbon to Fortaleza).

From Belém there are only direct international flights to French Guiana (Cayenne) and Suriname (Paramaribo), of no interest whatsoever for most travellers. To find out more about direct flights from your country to Brazil have a look at the list we prepared at D Airfare: Direct flights to Brazil.

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1. FROM SÃO PAULO/RIO DE JANEIRO

1.1 BY PLANE
Among all the main Brazilian airlines, only Gol and Tam have flights to Belém both from São Paulo and Rio. Check their sites for more info.

1.2 BY BUS
Departing both from São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, bus companies Itapemirim and Transbrasiliana have buses to Belém. The price of a single ticket is R$370 from São Paulo. The trip lasts 51 horas. We advice you to compare the cost of flying with the cost of a 2-day trip (you will have to have breakfast, lunch and dinner during that time).

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2. FROM MANAUS

2.2 BY PLANE
Both Gol and Tam have direct flights from Manaus to Belém.

2.3 BY BOAT
The boat departs from the port of Manaus and it takes three days to reach Belém. Prices start from R$250 sleeping on a hammock on what could be described as third-class accommodation. If you want a cabin, expect to fork out a minimum of an additional R$200. There are several boats doing that route during the week (there are no daily sailings).

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3. FROM FORTALEZA

3.2 BY PLANE
Both Gol and Tam have direct flights from Fortaleza to Belém.

3.3 BY BUS
Two companies travel from Fortaleza to Belém: la Itapemirim and Expresso Guanabara. The price of a single ticket is R$195. The trip takes 24 horas. During the last couple of years buses have been robbed at gunpoint on the stretch between São Luís and Belém. We advice you to avoid night travel at all costs.

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We have an entry dedicated to Belém here on the blog: Destination: Belém.

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As well as the destination card on Belém, (Destination: Belém), our contributor Daniel has prepared an anotated map with the main points of interest on the capital of Pará.

View larger map

As usual, you can check the map out here or open it on full screen mode at GoogleMaps.

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[from our special guest Daniel]

Belém do Pará is the capital of the state of Pará, in the north of Brazil, near the mouth of the mighty Amazon. It is known as the “metropolis of the Amazon” and it has accumulated a rich history since its foundation 400 years ago. During the rubber fever it became the first Latin American city to have electricity, and its splendour was such that it was known as the “Paris of the tropics”. This rich historical heritage, combined with the native Indian and African influences, have resulted in a very interesting city surrounded by lush jungle.

WE LIKE THE MOST: Its food. The sunset seen over the river. The parts of the city that are being restored. The recovery of the riverfront.

WE LIKE THE LEAST: Dirt and a certain state of neglect that resemble dangerously New Delhi. The Mangal das Garças, and its faded scarlet ibis and its fridge for butterflies. The lack of interest on tourism shown by the authorities. The chaotic traffic.

HOW TO GET THERE: We do not advice driving to Belém. It is connected by air to plenty of other Brazilian cities. The Amazon river can be used too, from Manaus or Santarém.

CAREFUL WITH: The chuva da tarde (afternoon rain); every day at three o’clock there is a heavy and brief dowpour. Do stay indoors while it lasts. As in any other major Brazilian city, pay special attention to your personal safety. In the area around the Ver-O-Peso market there are pickpockets operating.

FAVOURITE PLACES: The Bosque Rodrigues Alves and the Jardim Zoobotánico Emilio Goeldi. Complexo Feliz Lusitania. Ver-O-Peso Market. Estação das Docas. The Praça da República on a Sunday morning. Icoarací.

PIECE OF ADVICE:

• the restaurants in the Ver-O-Peso market are an unforgettable and really cheap experience.
• açai is the staple diet of Belém. Although it has become fashionable in the rest of the country, what you find in other regions of Brazil is a substitute. In Belém açai is eaten pure, usually really thick, with no other accompaniment than manioc flour. If you find it too bitter you can add sugar to it.
• the worst time of the year to visit Belém goes from December to May, when it can rain non-stop all day long.
• even though most of the Historic Centre is in a state of neglect, it is worth walking from rua Siqueira Mendes to Praça do Carmo, always paying attention to your own safety.
• your gastronomic taste of Belém should include the jambú pizza from the Café Imaginario, any ice-cream from the Cairú ice-cream parlours and an Amazon fish at the Remanso do Peixe.
• the best place to buy marajoara ceramics is Icoarací. If you are looking for something more sophisticated, a good place in terms of creativity and variety is the Polo Joalheiro Sâo José Liberto.
• Icoarací also has a riverfront with lots of bars. It’s a good and traditional alternative to the interesting Estação das Docas in Belém itself.
• Cotijuba and Mosqueiro are islands that can be easily reached from Belém and that will allow you a close contact with the Amazon jungle. You will also be able to enjoy a river beach with waves!

LINKS: Belém City Council, Paratur, Circuito Landi.

WEATHER FORECAST: The weather in Belém for the next 10 days

[Don’t forget to check out the list of other destinations already covered in this blog, here]

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