The first thing I noticed about Alter do Chao was that it was a lot less humid than the rest of the places we'd stopped at along the Amazon. Everywhere was hot, but the humidity was a real problem, especially to my camera.
Alter do Chao is an administrative district of Santarem. Ii is in Para state, on the right bank of the Tapajos, about 37 km by highway from Santarem and is upstream. In the early 20th century Alter do Chao was one of the transportation routes for rubber latex. By 1950 extraction had declined. Since 1990 it has become a tourist spot for Santarem. The locals depend on tourism and fishing.
According to the ship's blurb, Alter do Chao houses the most beautiful freshwater beach in the world according to the Guardian, popularly known as the Brazilian Caribbean. I wouldn't agree with that! The sandy bay is overlooked by 2 hills. The name means Altar of the Earth. The settlement was named after the flat topped hill, supposedly like a church altar. The beach has palm trees and stalls selling fish and beer. Not what you expect in the Amazon. It lies at the entrance to a picturesque lagoon, Lago Verde, green lake, whose waters change colour from green to blue during the day.
The Tapajos is a majority tributary of the Amazon. Combined with the Juruena River, the Tapajos is approximately 1900 km long. It is one of the largest clear water rivers, accounting for about 6% of the water in the Amazon basin.
Welcoming band -
From the jetty, a boardwalk crosses a marshy area, which was good for bird watching. There were some nice capped herons. They have a blue beak and a black crown from which 3 or 4 long feathers extend -
I didn't see any dolphins, but throughout the town were many symbols of the pink (boto) and grey Amazon dolphins.
From the tender jetty, I walked along and saw Love Island, which is a really narrow strip of beach connected to the opposite bank. Boats would take you across from this side for a fee.
Phone box
I walked on through the sleepy town to Lago Verde on the other side. Decided to swim as there was a family swimming so I guessed it was safe. There were lots of vultures flying overhead. Water was very warm.
Dog enjoying a paddle
After my swim I wandered back through the town and saw quite a few birds -
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| Smooth billed Ani |
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| orange fronted yellowfinch |
I had a quick look in the cemetery which had some nice frangipani trees
I went to the main beach and swam there, the water was not quite so warm. Many people from the ship as well as locals were swimming there.
After lunch I walked along the other beach where the bars and small restaurants are. This seems a very civilised way to drink beer in the Amazon area -
Saw several iguanas. Some were quite well camouflaged.
This one appears to have ticks, unless they are some body part
This handsome guy was high in a tree
Some more birds -
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| kiskadee |
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| smooth-billed ani |
I had a final swim and sat on the sandy beach - totally unexpected for the Amazon!
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See the next blog on my Amazon cruise - Icoaraci and Belem.
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