Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
5
THE RIOS NEGRO AND SOLIMÕES
The
Rio Negro
region has a very distinctive beauty influenced by the geology of the Guiana
Shield where the main river sources are, and the consequent soil types and topography. The
dark (nearly black) waters are very acidic and home to far fewer mosquitoes than you find in
other regions. The Negro also tends to have less abundant wildlife than some of the lakes and
channels around the Rio Solimões. You can still see much the same species in both regions,
but the densities are lower on the Rio Negro and many of its tributaries. Plenty of tours
combine both the Solimões and Negro rivers in their itineraries.
Unlike the Rio Negro, the waters of the
Rio Solimões
are a murky brown, as they carry a
large quantity of sediment from the Andes mountains. On the river is the beautiful
Lago
Mamori
, which offers reasonably well-preserved forest conditions in which you'll see plenty of
birds, alligators and dolphins and have the chance to do some piranha fishing. Slightly further
into the forest, the
Parana do Mamori
is a quieter river-like arm from Lago Mamori and a
zone where numerous birds, sloths, pink dolphins, caiman and monkeys are easily spotted.
Lago Arara
, accessed from the Parana do Mamori, is a beautiful and relatively well-preserved
corner in this area. As well as wildlife, the Parana do Mamori allows close contact with the local
riverine communities of
caboclo
people (the settlers who have been here for generations and
who dedicate their time to fishing, farinha making, cattle ranching and tapping rubber). The
Parana do Mamori is connected to the quieter
Lago Juma
; from here the
Rio Juma
region is
accessible. It's remote and malarial, but excellent for wildlife.
Much further south of Manaus, the
Rio Igapó Açu
area is one of the best sites for wildlife
and, despite its remoteness, it can also be easily reached from Manaus (by boat and road) in a
five- or six-day trip; there are no lodges here, but it is possible to stay with locals and ideally
your guide will have good contacts. West of Manaus, on the north bank of the Solimões,
Manacapuru
, also accessible by road and boat, is closer to large population centres and
therefore offers more in the way of a visit to lakes and plant-familiarization walks, including
access to Brazil-nut tree trails. It's also an area where visitors can make interesting excursions
up smaller tributaries in search of birdlife, alligators and spectacular flora, such as the gigantic
samaumeira tree
with its buttress base (one of the tallest trees in the Amazon).
ACCOMMODATION
Mirante do Avião
Rua São Domingos 3
T
92 3365
1644,
W
katerre.com.
Under construction at the time of
research, this new addition to town looked very promising
indeed. This quirky eco-friendly hotel with solar panels, a
veggie garden and recycling facilities is shaped like an
overturned boat; rooms are entirely
made of
local wood
and decorated with artisanal furniture.
R$560
Pousada Bela Vista
Av Presidente Getulio Vargas 47
T
92 3365 1023,
W
pousada-belavista.com.
This
pleasant
pousada
features small but comfortable a/c rooms
decorated with fun, colourful paintings of Amazonian
wildlife and tribes; there are views of the Rio Negro from
the breakfast table, while the beautiful Anavilhanas
archipelago lies just across the river. There are hammocks to
sit back in, and the wi-fi reaches so
me of
the rooms. The
pousada
organizes tours in the area.
R$180
Pousada Tarântula
Rua Nova Esperança, Bairro Sto.
Elias 44
T
92 9110 9185,
E
tarantula@amazonia
expeditions.com.br.
This tranquil
pousada
outside of
town has pretty leafy grounds with a pleasant pool area;
rooms are tiled and nicely decorated with paintings of
Amazonian wildlife. There's a BBQ area and a kitchen that
guests are welcome to use.
It's a n
ice spot to sit back and
have some peace and quiet.
R$160
EATING
★
Flor do Luar
To the south of town
T
92 9418 0865.
This floating restaurant just south of town serves exceptional
food; the talented chef from São Paulo has years of
experience working in some of the country's top restaurants.
She rustles up creative dishes exclusively using seasonal
products with an emphasis on bringing out the genuine
flavours of the Amazon. It's only open on weekends for lunch,
but if you're in town another day just call ahead and the chef
will come in especially for you.
Fri-Sun 10am-5pm.
Sabor do Sul
Av Tiradentes 5
T
92 3635 1621.
This
popular restaurant is one of the best in town, serving simple
home-made dishes that will really hit the spot. It's a laidback
place, but if you're after authentic Amazonian cooking this is
where it's at. The menu includes plenty of fresh fish dishes
(R$55) along with meats (R$59).
Mon-Thurs & Sun
11am-3pm, Fri & Sat 11am-3pm & 7-9pm.
