Amazon Adventures

Brazil Tours and Travel

Alter do Chão

Alter do Chão - 30 km / 21.7 mi. from Santarém, a river beach resort and the big attraction of the Tapajós river. When the Amazon basin waters are low a visit to Alter do Chão is a must. This river beach has been appointed as one of the 10 most beautiful beaches in Brazil. The best time of the year for a visit is from June to November. Alter do Chão, a small village (3,000 inhabitants) with simple hotels and restaurants, where life flows are quietly as the Tapajós river flows to meet the mighty Amazon further down river in Santarém. Some 7 thousand years ago lived in the area a cilivization that has been called by archaeologists, Tapajônica, who left us a legacy of masterpieces in ceramic pots and vessels sculpted in what has been said as fine baroque with traces of Mayan or Incan.

From Alter to Chão, there are several activities and cruises on typical Amazonian boats, visiting untouched forest, watching lovely sunsets and a countless number of bird species

4 Day / 3 Night Borari Package

Day 2 - Alter do Chão / Lago Verde (Green Çale) / Piroca Ridge / Igapós and Igarapés (river channels and flooded forest) / Floresta Encantada (Enchanted Forest / Ponta do Muretá (Muretá Point) or Ponta do Cururu (Cururu Point) - departure at 8:30 and return by 18:00/18:30.
It could be said that today you will experience a sampler of the Amazon. Right after breakfast, we leave the village on board a "Rabeta" - speedboats equipped with an outboard motor with a long axle, crossing the Lago Verde (Green Lake) and stopping at Alter do Chão's main beach at Ilha do Amor (Island of Love). Hike to Serra da Piroca (Piroca Ridge), the main elevation in a rather plain region. Here one finds the "cerrado" - marsh vegetation as far as the ascent becomes steeper. We take 1:40 hr on this expedition and reaching the top of Piroca Ridge, a full birds' eye view of 360 degrees of the Tapajós, the Lago Verde (Green Lake) and its bays, the Amazon up North and Alter do Chão, South. An endless panorama, spreading as far as the eyes can see from this vantage point at the Tapajós River Park. On the boat again, cruise to the Lago Verde bay (Igapó do Macaco - flooded forest from March to August), a lovely sight and where one may see birds and fish. When the waters are low - September to February instead of a flooded forest, or "igapó", it is the time of the "igarapés" - channels that link the lakes and rivers and you will see river sources sprouting in crystal clear bays. The place for a refreshing swim! Optional lunch in a restaurant at Floresta Encantada (Enchanted Forest). After lunch, the hammocks under the trees are just perfect for a nap! Entering the flooded forest (Floresta Encantada / Enchanted Forest) where vegetation is dense with bigger trees, silent and a perfect environment. Closer to the end of the afternoon, cruise the Tapajós do either Muretá or Cururu points to enjoy the sunset with the grey and pink dolphins.

Day 3 - Alter do Chão - day at leisure
This is a day for your leisure and to discover the charm and uniqueness of Alter do Chão, take your time and walk barefoot to the beach or take the time to "talk" to the locals, buy gifts to take home or just sit at the beach and let time slip through your fingers....

Day 4 - Alter do Chão / Santarém airport
Your check-out time from your hotel in Alter do Chão and transfer to Santarém will be set with ample time for check-out procedure at the hotel in Alter do Chão, transfer to Santarém and check-in at the airline counter.

I want to book this!

rates per person in USD in Dbl room. Overnight with breakfast at Hotel Belo Alter or Hotel Mirante da ilha -English/french/german/japanese speaking guide . With 2-3 people = $615 per person, with 4-5 people = $524. Single supplement = $165

Note: Children over 2 years old have a 50% rebate off the adult person cost (organizer will have a person to assist with child care for the duration. Included in the package cost: Transfers in/out, bilingual guide, visit tickets at the communities, soft drinks and mineral water. Lunch is optional.

4 Day / 3 Night - Muiraquitan Package (Flex)

Day 1 - Santarém / Alter do Chão
Immediate transfer to Alter do Chão, upon arrival at Santarém Airport. Arrival and accommodation at the hotel or lodge. In the afternoon, a visit on foot to the village "downtown" and its lovely crystal clear waters beach. This is the perfect time of the day to see the village inhabitants carrying on their chores and the open stores and market. Later on, we leave the village on board a "Rabeta" - speedboats equipped with an outboard motor with a long axle, crossing the Lago Verde (Green Lake) and stopping midway the Tapajós river continuing our reconnaissance tour to Serra da Piroca (Piroca Ridge), the main elevation in a rather plain region. Here one finds the "cerrado" - marsh vegetation as far as the ascent becomes steeper. We take 1:40 hr on this expedition and reaching the top of Piroca Ridge, a full birds' eye view of 360 degrees of the Tapajós (width in some portions of the river - 20 km / 12.4 mi. wide) , the Lago Verde (Green Lake) and its bays, the Amazon up North and Alter do Chão, South. As the trail is steep, coming down take awhile. Before sunset a swim at the Tapajós, closing the day on a high note, Sunset at Ponta do Cururu (Cururu Point)

This Reconnaissance tour takes about 2 hrs. Mineral water available throughout.

Day 2 - Alter do Chão - Lago Verde (Green Lake) / Ponta das Pedras / Ponta do Jari
After breakfast, crossing of Lago Verde (Green Lake) on Canadian canoes or speedboat as far as a bay with flooded vegetation. Trees are small with thick trunks, the environment is beautiful and with luck one can always see fishes and birds. Taking a forest trail, arrival at Ponta das Pedras community, vegetation by the trail is savanna, a type of marsh and the highlight on this trail is a magnificent Hevea Brasiliensis, the famous Rubber Tap Tree. Original of the Amazon its tap was used to manufacture tires and several other products and was the origin of the "Rubber Boom" when production was at a peak (end of the 19th and first decades of the20th). Today rubber tap extracted is used in other products and has played an important part to the communities of the Amazon. After a short rest, we take the speedboat to Ponta do Jari, a natural channel linking the Tapajós (clear waters) to the Amazon (muddy waters). The Ponta do Jari, a flooded area, is the homing ground of ibises, parrots and homing birds are a sight to see at both sunrise and sunset! Depending on the time of the year and water level you will be able to see caymans.

Departure at 8:30 hrs and return around 17:30/18:00 hrs. Including lunch, mineral water and soft drinks.

Day 3 - Alter do Chão - day at leisure
A day to spend on your own, enjoying the lazy atmosphere of the Amazon, the river beaches and maybe experience life on barefoot! Alter to Chão is worth a visit, enjoy the handcraft, lunch in one of its restaurants or just spend sometime at the beach.

Day 4 - Alter do Chão / Santarém
Your check-out time from your hotel in Alter do Chão and transfer to Santarém will be set with ample time for check-out procedure at the hotel in Alter do Chão, transfer to Santarém and check-in at the airline counter.

I want to book this!

rates per person in USD in Dbl room. Overnight with breakfast at Hotel Belo Alter or Hotel Mirante da ilha -English/french/german/japanese speaking guide . With 2-3 people = $923 per person, with 4-5 people = $667. Single supplement = $110

Note: Children over 2 years old have a 50% rebate off the adult person cost (organizer will have a person to assist with child for the duration). Included in the package cost: Transfers in/out, bilingual guide, visit tickets at the communities, lunch, soft drinks and mineral water.

4 Day / 3 Night - Muiraquitan Package

Day 1 - Santarém / Alter do Chão / Serra Piroca
Immediate transfer to Alter do Chão, upon arrival at Santarém Airport. Arrival and accommodation at the hotel or lodge. In the afternoon, a visit on foot to the village "downtown" and its lovely crystal clear waters beach. This is the perfect time of the day to see the village inhabitants carrying on their chores and the open stores and market. Later on, we leave the village on board a "Rabeta" - speedboats equipped with an outboard motor with a long axle, crossing the Lago Verde (Green Lake) and stopping midway the Tapajós river continuing our reconnaissance tour to Serra da Piroca (Piroca Ridge), the main elevation in a rather plain region. Here one finds the "cerrado" - marsh vegetation as far as the ascent becomes steeper. We take 1:40 hr on this expedition and reaching the top of Piroca Ridge, a full birds' eye view of 360 degrees of the Tapajós (width in some portions of the river - 20 km / 12.4 mi. wide) , the Lago Verde (Green Lake) and its bays, the Amazon up North and Alter do Chão, South. As the trail is steep, coming down take awhile. Before sunset a swim at the Tapajós, closing the day on a high note, Sunset at Ponta do Cururu (Cururu Point)

The Reconnaissance tour takes about 2 hrs. Mineral water available throughout.

Day 2 - Alter do Chão / Lago Verde (Green Lake) / Ponta das Pedras / Ponta do Jari
After breakfast, crossing of Lago Verde (Green Lake) on Canadian canoes or speedboat as far as a bay with flooded vegetation. Trees are small with thick trunks, the environment is beautiful and with luck one can always see fishes and birds. Taking a forest trail, arrival at Ponta das Pedras community, vegetation by the trail is savanna, a type of marsh and the highlight on this trail is a magnificent Hevea Brasiliensis, the famous Rubber Tap Tree. Original of the Amazon its tap was used to manufacture tires and several other products and was the origin of the "Rubber Boom" when production was at a peak (end of the 19th and first decades of the20th). Today rubber tap extracted is used in other products and has played an important part to the communities of the Amazon. After a short rest, we take the speedboat to Ponta do Jari, a natural channel linking the Tapajós (clear waters) to the Amazon (muddy waters). The Ponta do Jari, a flooded area, is the homing ground of ibises, parrots and homing birds are a sight to see at both sunrise and sunset! Depending on the time of the year and water level you will be able to see caymans.

Departure at 8:30 hrs and return around 17:30/18:00 hrs. Including lunch, mineral water and soft drinks.

Day 3 - Alter do Chão / Maguary Community including lunch, mineral water, soft drinks, bushman guide, IBAMA and community visitors tax.
Visit to the Maguary Community at the Tapajós National Forest. Access is either by a 4X4 vehicle or boat passing by Pindobal or Armanai beaches. This is one of the many communities involved in the Amazon ecosystem sustainability project. It is interesting to see how they use their natural resources, their staple food (cassava root flour), beans and rice. The ecological leather (made of rubber tree tap) the process to obtain this new material and its uses. Follows a visit to Jamaragua community, 3 km away and one of the smallest at the Tapajós National Forest. The next visit is to Belterra where Ford Motor Company established in 1934 a huge rubber tree plantation to extract the tap to supply rubber for its cars. The idea as to create the largest rubber production region in the world, but the smuggling to the rubber tree seeds to Asia, dictated the decline of the Amazonian Rubber Boom! Belterra was built after the model of a typical north american city its houses lined in streets, painted white and green, the Baptist church and the Water Tower in iron. After a visit to Belterra, return to Alter do Chão for overnight.

I want to book this!

rates per person in USD in Dbl room. Overnight with breakfast at Hotel Belo Alter or Hotel Mirante da ilha -English/french/german/japanese speaking guide . With 2 people = $1132 per person, with 3-4 people = $929, with 5 people = $834. Single supplement = $165