Explora Journeys in Alter do Chão

Alter do Chão is a small river village on the Tapajós about 30 km upstream from Santarém, where the water runs clear and blue instead of the muddy brown of the main Amazon. It is one of the few stops on a deep-Amazon journey that trades dense jungle for white-sand river beaches and a walkable waterfront, and it is a tender call, not a dock. Explora reaches it in February, which is high-water rainy season, so the famous sandbars are mostly submerged and the day is about boats, forest, and the village rather than beach lounging.

What to do on a day in Alter do Chão

• The refurbished riverfront promenade and jetty, where tenders land you a few steps from the village core, the open-air craft market, and the church square
• A small-boat tour up the igarapés (narrow forest channels) into Lago Verde, the green-tinged lagoon behind the village, watching for grey river dolphins (tucuxi)
• Ponta do Cururu, a point where the tucuxi dolphins gather; reachable by the same boat tour year-round and on foot only when water is low
• The Floresta Nacional do Tapajós, a protected rainforest reserve reached by boat or road for guided trail walks and canoeing among old-growth trees
• The village craft market near the jetty for indigenous seedwork, pottery, and basketry, and a carimbó folk-dance set if the timing lines up at Espaço Alter

Getting ashore

Ships anchor in the Tapajós and tender guests directly to the village waterfront, so you step off a few steps from the market, church, and promenade. The village itself is tiny and covered on foot in under an hour, so the day is really about the boat excursions into the channels and forest; one day is plenty for the village and one water tour.

When to book the ship's excursion vs your own →

Weather and when to visit

• February (Explora's call, wet/high-water season). Hot and humid with daily showers, temperatures roughly 23 to 32 C. River levels are near their seasonal peak, so the Ilha do Amor sandbar and most beaches are underwater; expect a green-and-brown day of forest and channels rather than open sand.
• August to December (dry/low-water season, for reference). Drier and still hot, with the river dropping to expose the wide white-sand beaches and the Ilha do Amor sandbar. This is the classic beach-village version of Alter do Chão that photos usually show, not what a February cruise sees.