RouteBelém

Amazon Forest at Belém's Door: River & Rainforest

Belém sits at the Amazon's eastern gateway — the world's largest rainforest begins at the city's edge; the rivers, the islands, and the forest around the city provide extraordinary Amazon encounters without the multi-day journey upriver

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1
Rio Guamá Ecological Area
The Rio Guamá Ecological Research Area – managed by the Emílio Goeldi Museum – preserves the varzea (floodplain) forest accessible by boat from Belém; the scientific reserve provides scientists and visitors with access to pristine Amazon floodplain ecology
2
Pink dolphins (Botos)
The pink Amazon river dolphins (Inia geoffrensis) are often seen in the rivers and canals surrounding Belém — Rio Guamá, Ilha do Marajós canals and Guajará Bay are regular sightings of these extraordinary animals
3
Giant otters
The giant otter – South America's largest weasel and one of the Amazon's most charismatic mammals – lives in the quieter river channels around Belém; the animals are social, playful and vocal; family groups can be observed fishing cooperatively
4
Canopy Bird Watching
The roof of the Amazon around Belém is home to extraordinary birds - eagle owls (the world's largest eagle), red macaws and dozens of parrots; the forest patches on the islands around Belém are productive birding sites
5
River Turtle Conservation
The giant South American river turtle (Podocnemis expansa) – once hunted almost to extinction for its eggs and meat – is the subject of conservation programs in the rivers around Belém; nesting beaches on the islands near Marajó are now protected
6
Mangrove Canoeing
The mangrove channels around Belém – explored by sea kayak at high tide – reveal a hidden world of filter feeders, nesting birds and juvenile fish; The mangrove ecosystem, which protects Belém's coastline from storms, is an extraordinary paddling environment