Alter do Chão: The Caribbean of the Amazon
Alter do Chão — 30 km from Santarém — has white-sand beaches on the turquoise Tapajós River that rival Caribbean beaches; the village, the river, and the surrounding forest make it one of Brazil's most extraordinary destinations
- 1
Ilha do Amor Beach
The sandbank island that appears in the off-season in Tapajós at Alter do Chão - Ilha do Amor - has Caribbean-quality white sand and turquoise waters; the combination of freshwater beach, tropical environment and forest in the background is rare anywhere in the world
- 2
Lago Verde
Lago Verde - a freshwater lagoon connected to the Tapajós at Alter do Chão - has crystalline green water and abundant pink river dolphins; the canoe trips on the lagoon, the dolphin encounters and the sunsets are unforgettable
- 3
Tapajós Dolphin Encounters
Pink river dolphins (botos) are abundant in Tapajós at Alter do Chão — they are used to human presence and can be seen up close at dawn and dusk; the experience of swimming with wild pink dolphins in a turquoise river is extraordinary
- 4
Piranha fishing
Piranha fishing at Tapajós — catching the red-bellied piranha on handlines with meat bait — is a standard activity at Alter do Chão; the fishermen are much less dangerous than their reputation suggests and fishing is a tradition in the Amazon
- 5
Alter do Chão Village Life
The village of Alter do Chão – with its thatched restaurants, craft shops and traditional waterside canoe farms – has retained its Tapajós river character despite its growing popularity among domestic tourists
- 6
Tapajós National Forest Trails
Floresta Nacional do Tapajós – protected forest across the river from Alter do Chão – has trails, lookout towers and indigenous Munduruku communities; the forest visits, arranged from Santarém, reveal the primary Amazon rainforest at its most accessible