Alter do Chão, Brazil

Alter do Chão.

Alter do Chão is a beach town and an administrative district of the municipality of Santarém, in the state of Pará, 37 km (about an hour) south of the center of the city via road PA-457, on the right bank of the Tapajós River. The town fills up during weekends. Also, the size of the beaches vary depending on the season. During rainy season many beaches disappear altogether.

Be especially careful of stingrays when visiting some of the more remote beaches in the area. They will only sting when stepped on, so shuffle your feet when you walk in the water.

Get in

• Buses leave Santarém for Alter do Chão about once per hour.

• Santarém International Airport - Maestro Wilson Fonseca is around 30 km away from Alter do Chão. There is no bus that runs the airport-Alter route, so you can get a quote from the taxi drivers from the airport or go to Santarem and from there get a bus. The cheapest way is to take an airport-Santarém bus (R$ 2) and ask where you can get another Santarém-Alter bus.

Get around

Alter do Chão is small enough to walk around. To get to Ilha do Amor you can either swim or hire a canoe for R$ 3 for up to four people.

What to See in Alter do Chão

• Carimbó. See a presentation of this musical style.

• Festa Folclórica do Sairé (Festa do Sairé), Sairódromo, or Praça do Sairé, Alter do Chão. Held between June and September.

What to Do in Alter do Chão

• Flona do Tapajós. Bathing in beaches and streams; Trekking through large trees of Amazonian vegetation, such as the giant kapok (Ceiba pentandra), the flour house, the production of ecological leather, the sustainable forest management project and the production of handcrafted furniture; Wildlife observation; Boat and canoe trips through igapó and igarapés; Overnight allowed in communities; Sport fishing; Research and teaching activities; Visit to the tower of the LBA Project; Visitation to indigenous communities. R$ 6.50.

• Morro da Piroca. Panoramic view of the region. Hiking trails of medium difficulty, with the journey time being approximately 45 min. Do not forget to bring water and sunscreen (trail is exposed in several places).

Eat

• Amazônia Pizza, rua Raimundo Branco 339, +55 93 991 86 04 59, e-mail: jose.salinas.escultor@gmail.com. Fr- Sa-Su from 19:30 to 23:30. Traditional pizza from a wood oven. Natural environment. There's a garden with lounge music. R$ 30-50.

• Restaurante e Pizzaria Alter, Praça central. The owner is Italian and it is recommended to order a pizza or fish. average of R$ 18,00.

• X bom - Alter Do Chão, Travessa Rouxinol. dinner time. Traditional and innovative (fish) hamburgers. average of R$ 8,00.

Sleep

• Sleep on Ilha do Amor for free! Just find two trees and hang your hammock.

• Pousada Muiraquitã, Rua Professor Juvêncio Navarro, 34 - Alter do Chão, +55 93 9129-3323, +55 93 3527-1311, e-mail: pousadamuiraquita@oi.com.br. Options of apartments, rooms, and dorms. Double: R$60.

• Albergue da Floresta - Popular with backpackers. R$15 for hammock space. Free kitchen use. A bit of a walk from the main square. R$5 per day to store your luggage while you go on a tour.

• Pousada Alter do Chão - R$ 30 for a single with ceiling fan. R$ 10 per additional person. Includes a big breakfast. Good location. Free wifi.

• Comuníndios - Altar do Xá. Camping or redário (hammock space in a shed) for R$ 10 in a site that looks like a jungle. Kitchen is crude but fully functional and for free. Wi-fi internet is slow but works. This happens to be a place where they prepare ahayuasca and make ceremonies, in case you're interested or want to avoid it.

• Iguana Camping. Near the shore, R$ 15 per person, communal kitchen provided. (Wikivoyage)