Rivers help reveal the diversity of natural landscapes across the country – 05/17/2023 – Tourism

Brazil holds 12% of all fresh water on the planet. It is the largest reserve of its kind in the world, which
makes the country a record holder for biodiversity — and, in terms of tourism, a natural water park of continental dimensions.

In the fifth chapter of the series of reports on one hundred unmissable places to visit in Brazil, Folha brings the diversity of landscapes provided by the country’s rivers, with transparent, turbid waters, for sailing, diving or bathing. Check out the destinations below.

Marajó Island (PA)

The waters of the Amazon and Tocantins rivers meet the Atlantic Ocean as they pass through the largest fluvio-maritime island in the world, also known for housing the largest herd of buffalo in the country. In the insular municipalities of Salvaterra and Soures, beaches surrounded by small rivers and creeks, such as Caju-una and Água Boa, provide good baths in both fresh and salt water. To absorb all the immensity of the place, it is also worth boarding the ships that connect Belém to Macapá, in Amapá, on a 24-hour trip that goes around the entire island.
The ferries and speedboats that arrive at Marajó Island depart from the waterway terminals of Belém and Icoaraci, both in the capital of Pará

Manaus (AM)

One of the most famous walks in the Amazonian capital goes down the Negro River to the point where its waters meet those of the Solimões River. The different temperatures and densities make both rivers run side by side without mixing for another 6 km, later forming the Amazon River, the largest in the world. Diving is not recommended for safety reasons, but it is possible to touch the waters and feel the difference between them.
The boat trips that take you to the waters depart mainly from Porto do Ceasa, 11 km from the center of Manaus

Alter do Chão (PA)

The Amazon River receives water from the Tapajós River, near Santarém, in Pará. Nearby is the village of Alter do Chão, which from August to December, when the river is low, has more than 100 km of freshwater beaches. A postcard of the village and with good infrastructure, Ilha do Amor beach surprises visitors, but it is worth extending the trip by a few days to also visit the beaches and riverside communities of the Arapiuns river, another tributary that also flows there.
The village is 36 km from Santarém, on the PA-457 highway.

Parnaiba (PI)

All the rain that falls in Piauí flows into the Parnaíba River, which rises in a national park created to protect its sources and reaches the sea more than 1,400 km later, forming the third largest oceanic delta in the Americas and the third largest in the world. There, 73 islands with dunes and mangroves form paradisiacal landscapes and are home to a rich biodiversity, including endangered species such as sea turtles and manatees.
340 km from Teresina, Parnaíba receives direct flights from the capital itself and from Belo Horizonte (MG)

Piranhas (AL)

From this little town on the banks of the São Francisco River, boat trips take you through the Xingó canyons, flooded by the construction of the homonymous plant in the 1990s. Bathing in the waters of Velho Chico, in itself, is worth the visit. But the place, visited by D. Pedro 2nd on his trip to discover the region, in 1859, and listed as Cultural Heritage, holds other attractions —among them, lookout points, the Sertão Museum and the Cangaço Route, which leads to where Lampião and Maria Bonita were killed in 1938.
The city is 270 km from Maceió and 207 km from Aracaju (SE)

Bananal Island (TO)

From May to October, the dry spells of the Araguaia and Javaés rivers reveal the largest river island in the world, almost the size of the state of Sergipe. In the transition between the cerrado and the Amazon, this ecological sanctuary is considered a Biosphere Reserve by Unesco and is home to dozens of indigenous peoples and endangered species. Precisely because of the protection of different demarcations and parks, the beauties of the island are accessible only by boat expeditions, which also include the neighboring Cantão State Park.
The tours that lead to the island depart from Caseara, 260 km from Palmas

Caraiva (BA)

No wonder this small village on the south coast of Bahia quickly became one of the most popular destinations in the country. The sandy streets closed to cars add to the charm of the place, which offers lovely (and sometimes even deserted) beaches just a few meters away. The main one is Barra de Caraíva, where the homonymous river meets the sea. For this reason, the water changes all the time: at low tide, the river darkens the sea water and, at high tide, the salt water makes the river clearer. At sunset, the landscape takes on cinematographic tones.
Leaving from Porto Seguro, the route with the best driving conditions is about 105 km, via BR-367 and Estrada de Trancoso (BA-001 and BA-283)

Capitol (MG)

In the early 1960s, the construction of the Furnas hydroelectric plant led the greenish waters of the Rio Grande to form a huge lake that transformed the municipality, 280 km from Belo Horizonte, into a disputed tourist spot. The speedboat rides through the flooded canyons, such as the Vale dos Tucanos, provide good moments of contemplation and refreshing baths—including in the various waterfalls, which are part of the itinerary. For a more relaxed experience, avoid the region on holidays and vacations.
Access to the city via the MG-050 highway

Sprouts (SP)

The main ecotourism destination in the interior of São Paulo, just 250 km from the capital, has attractions that do not even seem possible at this distance from the metropolis. From zip lines and waterfalls like Cassorova (the best for rappelling, with a 60-meter drop), to the famous rafting on the rapids of the Jacaré-Pepira river, the city offers a fun day trip, to do in a weekend.
Access to the city via the SP-225 highway

Bonito (MS)

The high concentrations of limestone in the rivers surrounding the city explain the absolutely crystalline waters that provide experiences of unique scenic beauty. Whether on the Prata River, the Formoso River or the Sucuri, considered a natural aquarium, it is possible to dive in the springs, swim among schools of different species or simply float around enjoying the incredible underwater biodiversity of the place.
Bonito is 300 km from Campo Grande, via BR-060, BR-419 and MS-382