Half dayLago Verde and the Enchanted Forest
Half an afternoon by boat through the creeks of Lago Verde, swimming at Pindobal beach and sunset at Ponta do Cururú, where pink river dolphins appear.
R$ 320per person
Alter do Chão, Pará, Brazil
From the village square to primary rainforest in 55 minutes
Half-day trips to four-day expeditions across the Tapajós, Arapiuns and Amazon rivers. Guided by people who have lived here since 2008.
About us
Seventeen years on the same river
Mãe Natureza has operated out of Alter do Chão since 2008. Our guides come from the communities we visit: Jamaraquá, Maguary, Urucureá, Maripá. The person opening the trail lives on it.
4.9Google rating
2008operating in Alter do Chão
650khectares of forest in the FLONA
4partner communities
What you can do
Six itineraries, from half an afternoon to four days
All depart from Alter do Chão. Prices are per person and include transport, guide and protected-area fees.
Half day
2 days, 1 nightTapajós National Forest, 2 days
The Tapajós National Forest with an overnight stay in a family home in Jamaraquá. The hunting trail almost no tourist walks, night canoeing for caiman, and the ancient kapok trees.
R$ 1,290per person
3 days, 2 nightsNational Forest, Reserve and the Jarí Channel
Three days crossing all three rivers: Tapajós, Arapiuns and Amazon. The communities of Jamaraquá, Maripá and Urucureá, and the Jarí floodplain where the wildlife concentrates.
R$ 2,450per person
4 days, 3 nightsFour-day boat expedition
Four days sleeping in a hammock on board, across the Tapajós, Arapiuns and Amazon. Fish baked on a deserted beach, a six-hour trail, and the kapok tree it took twenty people to encircle.
R$ 3,900per person
4 days, 3 nightsMonte Alegre and the rock paintings
Four days on the north bank of the Amazon, among rock paintings 10,000 to 12,000 years old, the Vale do Paraíso waterfall and the wind-carved rocks of the City of the Gods.
R$ 3,200per person
1 dayFishing on the Tapajós and Arapiuns
Fishing in protected areas with all gear included. Lago Verde, Muretá and Pindobal, or the more distant lakes of Maripá and Bacurí in the Reserve.
R$ 890per person
The region
Two Amazons in the same place
The Tapajós runs clear and green, nothing like the brown of the Amazon. It rises and falls almost six metres a year, and that changes everything you can do here.
Dry season
August to December
White sand beaches emerge. Ilha do Amor, which the Guardian named the best beach in Brazil, becomes a sandbar you can walk across by November. There are almost no mosquitoes this time of year.
High water
February to August
The water rises and the beach disappears. In exchange, you paddle a canoe straight into the Enchanted Forest, a maze of submerged trees full of birds and monkeys. This is when the forest itself becomes navigable.
There is no bad season. There are two different trips.
How we work
Our own boats, local guides, partner communities
01
Our own fleet
Speedboats for up to 7, covered launches for 18, 18-metre boats with kitchen and bathroom, and a barge with 11 en-suite cabins for groups who want to take their time.
02
Guides from the communities
The person leading the trail was born on it. You learn about medicinal plants, canoe timber and forest vines from someone who uses them daily.
03
Money that stays
Lunch in a family home, handicrafts bought directly from the women's association in Urucureá, overnight stays in community lodges. The tour pays the people who live there.
04
Permits included
The Tapajós National Forest and the Arapiuns Reserve are protected areas requiring fees and permits. All of it is already in the price.
Archive
Seventeen years photographing the same river
Mãe Natureza is also a photography collective. Every image on this site was taken on our own trips.
Questions we always get
When is the best time to visit?
It depends what you want. August to December brings white sand beaches and almost no mosquitoes. February to August the water rises and you can paddle through flooded forest. July is the most crowded month.
How do I get to Alter do Chão?
Fly into Santarém (STM), 45 minutes away by car. We include the transfer on multi-day programmes.
Do I need to know how to swim?
For beach and creek trips it helps but is not required. Life jackets are provided on every boat.
Are there a lot of mosquitoes?
Far fewer than most people expect. The Tapajós is acidic and clear, which greatly limits breeding. In the dry season there are almost none.
Can I bring children?
On day trips, yes, and it is common. For overnight expeditions in the forest we talk through age and itinerary beforehand.
What should I bring?
Insect repellent, sunscreen, a hat, swimwear, a dry change of clothes, closed shoes for trails, and a torch on overnight programmes. Hammock and mosquito net are ours.