Travel Santarém, BrazilSantarém is a good place to stop and break up the five-day journey from Ilha de Marajó to Manaus. The town is located where the Amazon meets the much darker Rio Tapajós. The two rivers flow side by side without mixing, and you can actually see the two bands of color from the shore. 
Many travelers almost immediately hop on a bus to the laid-back Alter do Chão, which has white sand river beaches and tours to the Floresta Nacional do Tapajós where you can hike, canoe, and kick back and relax. But to get to the Floresta Nacional do Tapajós independently you need to catch a bus directly from Santarém. If you can swing it, try to be here on June 29th, when a festival honoring the patron saint of fishermen, São Pedro, is celebrated with a parade of boats decorated with flags and flowers. Where to Stay:Hotel Brazil; s/d R$20/35, with air-con R$ 50/60, backpacker favorite, light and airy rooms with a shared but clean bathroom, breakfast includedBrisa Hotel; s/d/t R$45/60/70, small, clean, simple, with a waterfront view New City Hotel; s/d R$75/95, some rooms have balconies, all rooms are clean. Always ask for a discount as the listed prices are inflated. Santarém Bus and Boat Routes:Santarém to:-Alter do Chão by bus; R$2, 45 minutes -Monte Alegre by boat; R$25, 6-7 hours -Alenquer by boat; R$10, 6 hours by slow boat or R$30, 3 hours by speedboat -Manaus by boat; R$100 to R$150 for a hammock space, 2.5 to 3 days |
 |
|
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
