Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Ilha do Marajó
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Ilha do Marajó
is a vast, 40,000-square-kilometre island of largely uninhabited
mangrove swamps and beaches in the Amazon river delta opposite Belém. Roughly the
size of Switzerland, it is by some way the largest river island in the world. Created by
the accretion of silt and sand over millions of years, it's a wet and marshy area. The
western half is covered in thick jungle, the east is flat savannah; it's swampy in the
wet season (Jan-June) and brown and firm in the dry season (June-Dec). Originally
inhabited by the Marajoara, famed for their ceramics, these days the savannah is
dominated by
fazendas
where water buffalo are ranched; some 60,000 of them roam
the island, and supplying meat and hides to Belém is Marajó's main trade. Among the
most spectacular sights are the flocks of scarlet ibis (
guará
), which can vary in colour
from flamingo pink to blood red. Common on Marajó but an endangered species in
the rest of Brazil, they are born white - it is the red crabs they eat that turn their
feathers red over time. Marajó has beautiful sandy
beaches
, and it's become a popular
option for Brazilian sunseekers and ecotourists alike. On all beaches, be mindful of
stingrays
- they are particularly common on Marajó. Stick to places with waves and
moving water, and avoid wading in rivers and streams.
5
Brief history
Although it was settled by Jesuits in the seventeenth century, Marajó's earliest
inhabitants left behind thousand-year-old burial mounds, in which many examples
of distinctive Marajó pottery were found. The most spectacular are large funeral
urns, decorated with geometric engravings and painted designs - the best examples
are in the Museu Goeldi in Belém (see p.339). When the Jesuits arrived and
established the first cattle ranches, the island was inhabited by the Aurá, who lasted
no more than a few decades; later its vast expanses offered haven to runaway slaves
and to refugee indigenous peoples who wanted to trade with Belém without too
much direct interference into their culture from white settlers. Water buffalo, ideally
suited to the marshy local conditions, were imported from India during the rubber
boom - or, if you believe local legend, were part of a French cargo bound for
Guiana and escaped when the ship sank. River navigation around Marajó is still a
tricky business, the course of the channels constantly altered by the ebb and flow
of the ocean tides.
Salvaterra
The first town you come across upon alighting the ferry to Ilha do Marajó is
SALVATERRA
.
The town itself doesn't offer much to visitors, although just outside town is Praia Grande,
the island's longest stretch of freshwater beach. Buffalo roam the surrounding countryside,
characterized by large tracts of boggy fields. Salvaterra is a major fruit-growing region - its
pineapples are said to be among the sweetest in the country.
Joanes
The sleep town of
JOANES
is the perfect spot to head to if you want to get away from
it all - there's a wonderful 2km stretch of beach just by the town's only hotel. In the
seventeenth century Jesuits settled in Joanes to evangelize the island's indigenous
peoples - you can still see the ruins of a seventeenth-century Jesuit church here.
Soure
The largest town on the island is
SOURE
, where most visitors head for at first. It is
home to pleasant beaches where you can relax under the shade of ancient mango trees.
The town is linked to Salvaterra and Joanes, on the other side of the estuary, by a
regular ferry service. One of the best beaches on the island is Praia do Pesqueiro, about
8km from Soure - a lovely wild stretch of coast with a handful of restaurants that make
for a perfect lunch spot.
