Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
5
The upper Rio Negro
he
UPPER
RIO NEGRO
flows into Manaus from northwestern Amazonas, one of the
least explored regions of South America. The area remains largely unexplored by
travellers, and it's a wonderful place to venture if you're looking to get off the beaten
track. The main towns along the Rio Negro are
Barcelos
, the jumping-off point to
Brazil's highest waterfall, and
São Gabriel da Cachoeira
, providing access to Brazil's
highest peak, the Pico da Neblina.
Barcelos and around
The pleasant little town of
BARCELOS
is one of the stopping-off points for boats
heading further upstream. The town attracts plenty of fishermen - its waters are highly
rich in fish, in particular peacock bass. It's possible to arrange fishing trips for one or
more days. Barcelos is also the jumping-off point to Mariuá, Brazil's largest freshwater
archipelago, and the Cachoeira do El Dorado, the country's highest waterfall at 353m.
ARRIVAL AND TOURS
BARCELOS AND AROUND
By plane
Trip has flights to Barcelos from Manaus
on Wed & Sun at 6am (1hr), returning to Manaus Wed &
Sun at 10am.
By slow
boat
Slow boats leave Manaus Tues, Wed & Fri at
6pm, returning to Manaus on Mon at 6pm, Wed at 11am,
Fri at 6pm & Sat at noon & 6pm (R$110 hammock space;
R$300 cabin for two including meals).
By fast boat
Fast boats from Porto São Raimundo in
Manaus leave Tues & Fri at 3pm (R$170/person including
meals; 12hr), returning to Manaus Tues & Fri at 7pm.
Tours
The Spanish-Brazilian-run Amazonas Mataverde
(
T
97 9179 7657,
W
barcelosecotur.com) has a simple
camp four hours from Barcelos by motorized canoe; they
organize jungle and community stays as well as canoe trips
in the Mariuá archipelago. Amazon Clipper (see p.370)
organizes cruises to the Cachoeira do El Dorado.
ACCOMMODATION
Hostel Barcelos
Rua Anauali 46, Bairro São Francisco
T
97 9179 7657,
T
92 9328 0825,
W
hostelbarcelos
.com.
Run by an expat from Luxembourg, this welcoming
hostel offers fan-cooled privates and dorms. There's a
swimming pool to cool off, a BBQ area and breezy verandas
where travellers can while away a few hours swinging in
their hammocks. The hostel has its own large motorized
canoe that can be hired for trips and expeditions ranging
from half a day to several weeks, as well as a fibreglass
kayak that can be rented from R$25 a day. During
September to April guests can also rent tents (including
breakfast and dinner) and pick their own jungle beach to
camp on
. They
also re
nt bike
s (R$
10/per
son). Book ahead.
Doubles
R$40
; dorms
R$10
; tents
R$50
/person
Parque Nacional do Jaú
Located on the west bank of the Rio Negro, just below the confluence with the Rio
Branco, is Brazil's largest national park - the 23,000-square-kilometre
Parque Nacional
do Jaú
, which cannot be entered alone or without o
cial permission; it is always best
to do this through a local tour operator (see p.374) who has the necessary contacts with
IBAMA and the national-park o
ces. It takes time and money to visit the park, but
this is exceptionally remote forest and well conserved.
São Gabriel da Cachoeira and around
The town of
SÃO GABRIEL DA CACHOEIRA
has the largest indigenous population of the
country, and is a beautiful place where the jungle is punctuated by volcanic cones, one
with a Christ figure standing high on its flank. It's a laidback town, with a surprisingly
good choice of accommodation and dining options, mainly because of its strong
military presence (near the Colombian and Venezuelan borders). The area surrounding
São Gabriel is entirely home to indigenous peoples, and while this means it's a hassle
FROM TOP
AMAZONIAN CUISINE
P.343
; ARQUIPELAGO ANAVILHANAS, RIO NEGRO
P.376
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