From the Meeting of the Waters to the Tapajós beaches

The Teatro Amazonas, the Adolpho Lisboa market, the Meeting of the Waters and the Janauari creeks in Manaus; then Alter do Chão, on the Tapajós, with the Ilha do Amor and the white-sand beaches that emerge as the river falls, a boat across Lago Verde and a trail in the Tapajós National Forest with local guides from the community.

Day by day Open the itinerary in the app

Manaus → Alter do Chão · 6–8 days

The route on the map, in the itinerary’s order.

BrazilManaus
Days
3–4
When
Jun–Sep
Per person/day
Average 400–700 BRLMid-range · per person/day
Cost scope
Per person per day: accommodation, meals, urban transport, visits and a small allowance for extras. Flights excluded; larger purchases vary. Editorial estimate, not a quote.
BrazilAlter do Chão
Days
3–4
When
Aug–Dec
Per person/day
Explore costsGuide estimate
Cost scope
Per person per day: accommodation, meals, urban transport, visits and a small allowance for extras. Flights excluded; larger purchases vary. Editorial estimate, not a quote.

Who it is for

For anyone who wants to see the Amazon through the rubber-boom city and a clear-water river, with forest and river beaches in the same trip.

Not for anyone travelling from February to June for the river beaches, since in those months the Ilha do Amor and the sandbanks are under water.

The strategy

Manaus comes first; the airport is about 14 km from the centre. For Alter do Chão, there is a direct flight from Manaus to Santarém, or the scheduled riverboat, about 36 hours, with a hammock, rope and padlock. From Santarém airport to Alter is about 33 km, close to 45 minutes by car; agree the taxi fare before getting in. Santarém is one hour ahead of Manaus, so check the times. Stay in the village of Alter and keep the last day for the Santarém waterfront, where the Tapajós runs alongside the Amazon. The flight home leaves from Santarém, with direct flights to Belém, Manaus, Brasília and, since September 2026, Belo Horizonte. August and September combine the best season at both stops.

What you will see

Amazonas Theatre, Manaus. An opera house opened on December 31, 1896, at the height of the rubber boom, with imported materials: Carrara marble, British iron, French furniture, and 36,000 glazed tiles from Alsace on the dome, in the colors of the national flag.
Ilha do Amor, Alter do Chão. The strip of white sand in front of the village, between the Tapajós and Lago Verde, is a peninsula that the river covers for part of the year.