Alter do Chão: Best-Loved Pop-Up River Beaches of Pará, Brazil
Ancient lore revels in the spellbinding tales of elusive islands such as Hy Brasil, or the Isle of the Blessed, which according to Irish myth could only be seen, but not reached by humans, every seven years. In the Brazilian Amazon, fortune is more frequently found in the shape of beaches which rise from the river waters every year during the area's long summer season (roughly from July to January).
Some of the best are in Alter do Chão, Pará.
Brazil's name has nothing to do with the phantom island of the European myth; rather, it is said to evoke the fiery red of ambers (brasas) of the resin contained in the brazilwood tree. The country has, nevertheless, pop-up river beaches of mythological beauty. In Alter do Chão, a district of Santarém, the most sought-after stretch of sand revealed by the receding waters of the Tapajós River is known as Ilha do Amor or Praia do Amor (Love Island or Love Beach).
The exquisite sandbar located close to the village center, with the Piroca Mountain Range in its background, has helped Alter become known as a Brazilian Caribbean. It starts showing around July or August and expands as the season progresses.
At the start of summer, it takes a short ride on one of many canoes known as catraias to reach Praia do Amor. The owners of kiosks selling drinks and fried fish - charutinho, pirarucu, filhote - don't need much ground to set up shop on, and there are tables and chairs right by the water edge.
Towards the end of the summer, it even becomes possible to walk to the sandbar from the village center.
Praia do Amor has usually become large enough to accommodate many tourists by September, when Alter hosts Sairé (Sep.11 to 14, 2014). The folk festival is, in some ways, similar to the the one held in June in Parintins, Amazonas; it has two great organizations named after the area's river dolphins (Tucuxí and Cor de Rosa) putting up a great competitive celebration.
Travelers staying in the village can, for example, eat stuffed pirarucu and dance the carimbó at Espaço Alter do Chão (www.espacoalter.com.br) - but the best attractions lie beyond the village limits.
Some of those are pristine beaches such as Ponta do Cururu - perfect for watching pink river dolphins and sunsets - Jaguarari, Santa Cruz, Parauá and Maguari. Wildlife - birds, snakes, sloths, alligators, and more - can be spotted in places such as the Jari River Canal, Lago Verde, Igarapé dos Macacos, ZooFIT (an animal recovery center managed by the Brazilian Armed Forces) and the Tapajós National Forest.
Boat tours can include trips along the igapós, or waterways - there is still submerged land and rainforest, even in the summer - and piracaias, beach picnics by the moonlight with fresh fire-roasted fish and caipirinhas, like the ones hosted by the riverside communities of the Resex Tapajós-Arapiuns reservation.
Another fun option is a visit to the ruins of Fordlandia, Henry Ford's unsuccessful attempt at creating an industrial settlement, and his more successful enterprise - the pretty town of Belterra, with about 16,000 inhabitants.
The area has a meeting of the waters similar to that of the Negro and Solimões near Manaus; here, the clear waters of the Tapajós run alongside the murkier ones of the Amazonas without fully mixing.
Local agency Mãe Natureza Ecoturismo (www.maenaturezaecoturismo.com.br) offers those tours and more.
Santarém, founded in the 17th century and the main urban center in western Pará, is the gateway to Alter do Chão. It is served by Maestro Wilson Fonseca International Airport, the fifth busiest in the Brazilian North, and has a busy port used for river travel.
The city located about 433 miles from Belém is known as the "Pearl of the Tapajós" and has its share of attractive freshwater beaches: Maracanã, Juá - on a lake by the same name - Carapanarí, Pajuçara, and Ponta de Pedras, which stay busy, particularly on the weekends and special holidays, roughly until January, when the long Amazon summer comes to an end with the start of the rainiest season and the gradual rise of the rivers.
The village can easily be explored from Santarém, but many travelers choose to spend at least a couple of nights in one of the district's hotels and pousadas. One of them, Hotel BeloAlter, is listed as a Top Pick by Alison McGowan's Hidden Pousadas Brazil. Other places worth checking are Pousada Belo Alter and Pousada do Mingote.
See other places to stay in local online guide alterdochao.tur.br.
Gol, TAM, and Azul fly direct to Santarém from Belém and Manaus, and the trip takes less than 1h30 from either city. Flights from other cities usually involve a stop in Belém.
The trip by boat from Manaus to Santarem lasts about a full day. The ticket agency in central Manaus (phone: 55-92-3088-5764) informs that the current price for a suite with A/C and beds varies from R$500 to R$1000 for the suite.
Several pousadas offer transfers from the Santarém airport.
The presence of jellyfish tends to increase in the warm waters of Alter do Chão during the summer. Bring swimming shoes, use caution when approaching the clear water and learn about some first-aid for treating the sting. The village has an ER clinic.
The acidity of the Tapajós, on the other hand, is a deterrent to mosquito breeding. Repellent is still a must for walks in forested areas.
Some of the best are in Alter do Chão, Pará.
Brazil's name has nothing to do with the phantom island of the European myth; rather, it is said to evoke the fiery red of ambers (brasas) of the resin contained in the brazilwood tree. The country has, nevertheless, pop-up river beaches of mythological beauty. In Alter do Chão, a district of Santarém, the most sought-after stretch of sand revealed by the receding waters of the Tapajós River is known as Ilha do Amor or Praia do Amor (Love Island or Love Beach).
The exquisite sandbar located close to the village center, with the Piroca Mountain Range in its background, has helped Alter become known as a Brazilian Caribbean. It starts showing around July or August and expands as the season progresses.
At the start of summer, it takes a short ride on one of many canoes known as catraias to reach Praia do Amor. The owners of kiosks selling drinks and fried fish - charutinho, pirarucu, filhote - don't need much ground to set up shop on, and there are tables and chairs right by the water edge.
Towards the end of the summer, it even becomes possible to walk to the sandbar from the village center.
Praia do Amor has usually become large enough to accommodate many tourists by September, when Alter hosts Sairé (Sep.11 to 14, 2014). The folk festival is, in some ways, similar to the the one held in June in Parintins, Amazonas; it has two great organizations named after the area's river dolphins (Tucuxí and Cor de Rosa) putting up a great competitive celebration.
Travelers staying in the village can, for example, eat stuffed pirarucu and dance the carimbó at Espaço Alter do Chão (www.espacoalter.com.br) - but the best attractions lie beyond the village limits.
Some of those are pristine beaches such as Ponta do Cururu - perfect for watching pink river dolphins and sunsets - Jaguarari, Santa Cruz, Parauá and Maguari. Wildlife - birds, snakes, sloths, alligators, and more - can be spotted in places such as the Jari River Canal, Lago Verde, Igarapé dos Macacos, ZooFIT (an animal recovery center managed by the Brazilian Armed Forces) and the Tapajós National Forest.
Boat tours can include trips along the igapós, or waterways - there is still submerged land and rainforest, even in the summer - and piracaias, beach picnics by the moonlight with fresh fire-roasted fish and caipirinhas, like the ones hosted by the riverside communities of the Resex Tapajós-Arapiuns reservation.
Another fun option is a visit to the ruins of Fordlandia, Henry Ford's unsuccessful attempt at creating an industrial settlement, and his more successful enterprise - the pretty town of Belterra, with about 16,000 inhabitants.
The area has a meeting of the waters similar to that of the Negro and Solimões near Manaus; here, the clear waters of the Tapajós run alongside the murkier ones of the Amazonas without fully mixing.
Local agency Mãe Natureza Ecoturismo (www.maenaturezaecoturismo.com.br) offers those tours and more.
Exploring Santarém
Santarém, founded in the 17th century and the main urban center in western Pará, is the gateway to Alter do Chão. It is served by Maestro Wilson Fonseca International Airport, the fifth busiest in the Brazilian North, and has a busy port used for river travel.
The city located about 433 miles from Belém is known as the "Pearl of the Tapajós" and has its share of attractive freshwater beaches: Maracanã, Juá - on a lake by the same name - Carapanarí, Pajuçara, and Ponta de Pedras, which stay busy, particularly on the weekends and special holidays, roughly until January, when the long Amazon summer comes to an end with the start of the rainiest season and the gradual rise of the rivers.
Where to Stay in Alter do Chão
The village can easily be explored from Santarém, but many travelers choose to spend at least a couple of nights in one of the district's hotels and pousadas. One of them, Hotel BeloAlter, is listed as a Top Pick by Alison McGowan's Hidden Pousadas Brazil. Other places worth checking are Pousada Belo Alter and Pousada do Mingote.
See other places to stay in local online guide alterdochao.tur.br.
Travel Tips
Gol, TAM, and Azul fly direct to Santarém from Belém and Manaus, and the trip takes less than 1h30 from either city. Flights from other cities usually involve a stop in Belém.
The trip by boat from Manaus to Santarem lasts about a full day. The ticket agency in central Manaus (phone: 55-92-3088-5764) informs that the current price for a suite with A/C and beds varies from R$500 to R$1000 for the suite.
Several pousadas offer transfers from the Santarém airport.
The presence of jellyfish tends to increase in the warm waters of Alter do Chão during the summer. Bring swimming shoes, use caution when approaching the clear water and learn about some first-aid for treating the sting. The village has an ER clinic.
The acidity of the Tapajós, on the other hand, is a deterrent to mosquito breeding. Repellent is still a must for walks in forested areas.
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