Ilha do Amor
White sand in the river.
Rômulo Ferreira — CC BY 2.0 · Rômulo Ferreira — CC BY 2.0 · Rômulo Ferreira — CC BY 2.0 · Arakin Monteiro from São Paulo, Brasil — CC BY 2.0
Alter do Chão is a village on the right bank of the Tapajós River, part of the city of Santarém and about 37 km from its centre along the PA-457, and it is Santarém's main tourist draw. The Portuguese Pedro Teixeira founded it on 6 March 1626, on land long home to the Borari people. Brazilians call it «the Brazilian Caribbean», and the British newspaper The Guardian called its beach the most beautiful freshwater beach in the world. Right in front of the village lies a white sandbar called Ilha do Amor («Love Island»). Small wooden rowing boats called catraias cross in a few minutes for about R$5 a person, or motorboats for about R$10. The Tapajós water is clear, green and warm, good for calm swimming. The river level rules everything: in the dry season from August to December the beaches are at their widest, and at its peak from September to November you can sometimes walk across to the island on the sand. From February to May the river rises and floods much of the island. The beach is free, with food kiosks and chairs.
White sand in the river.
A minutes-long crossing.
Clear and warm.
Right bank of the Tapajós, about 37 km from central Santarém, Pará
August to December, when the Tapajós drops and the beaches appear, widest from September to November; from February to May the water covers much of Ilha do Amor.