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mircaskirca Says: Far the most interesting place in Santarem, at any hour of the day or night, is the waterfront.You can watch the boat traffic, check out some of the shops along the way and try one of the delicious local ice creams at Nido (look for the direction on Restaurants Tips) or...
Alter do Chao - A Little Piece of Heaven
mircaskirca Says: A great place to visit while you're in Santarem is the village of Alter do Chao which lies along the bank of the green-blue river Tapajos. It's home to some of the pretiest fresh-water beaches in the Amazon. One of the most popular is Ilha do Amor (Island of Love), a sandbar...
mircaskirca Says: The meeting of the green-blue Tapajos river with the ochre-coloured waters of the Amazon, which flow alongside each other for many kilometres without mixing, is worth a boat excursion. It is even more spectacular than at Manaus. In Santarem it is best viewed from Praca...
melosh Says: I like small museums, especially when they contain a qualify collection and a very friendly staff. The Museum de Santarem is in a building labelled Central Cultural de Joao Fona. It is open week days with no entrance charge. (Donations are accepted.) The collection included...
K1W1 Says: Alto do Chao is just 45 mins by bus from Santarem and is a hidden paradise enjoyed largely by the locals. The fresh water is very inviting in the hot and humid temperature and it comes as a welcome relief after a few days on an Amazon ferry.
Hotel Alvorada: A View to the River Tapajos
mircaskirca Says: This little hotel thet I could better describe it as a family-run guesthouse, is centrally located. Some rooms come with fan and others air-conditioned. The airy front rooms have river view and I was lucky to get one of them. All kinds of people were staying there, from...
Mascote: A Long-standing Tradition
mircaskirca Says: Over 50 years it has been one of the most popular and famous restaurants in town. The palm-lined outside seating next to Praca do Pescador has a good view of the river Tapajos. The menu includes everything from sandwiches, pizzas, chicken, steaks and fish (tucunare and...
Nido: Delicious Home Made Ice Cream
mircaskirca Says: For delicious home made ice cream using regional fruit, go to Nido! Try the castanha, the best brazil nut ice cream you'll ever have! Tapioca, graviola, acai and bacuri are also excellent!
I am sure it has a name, but I don't know it.: Looking for a Brazilian steak house
melosh Says: Imagine my disappointment when I found that the churrscaria listed in Lonely Planet was closed. I was in the mood to pig out on Brazilian beef. I had been thinking about doing this during my boat trip to Santerem as I saw cattle feeding along the river. Even seeing this...
mircaskirca Says: After dinner you can take a long walk along river Tapajos. It's perfect for people watching. There are many bars on the way where you can stop to have a drink. Every night locals are also coming to a promenade offering coconut water, brazil nuts, home made chocolates...
Entretantos: Thursday for Pagode
mircaskirca Says: Thanks to some local people I got to know some days before I spent a long night dancing in the nightclub in the middle of the Amazon... Without them I would never found this place as it is not really centrally located. But if you are going to ask some young locals about it...
mircaskirca Says: Mascote is one of the city's most popular waterfront places and a restaurant with a long tradition. At weekends (which to my surprise in Brazil begins allready on Thursday!) there is a regular live music and the place becomes a spot for a late night drink.
Overnight on the boat in port at Santarem
melosh Says: I was told that the boat I took from Manaus to Santarem which arrives in Santarem early in the morning would stay in port until the next day. I was invited to leave my things on the boat and return to sleep there rather than going into town for a hotel. I turned down the...
mircaskirca Says: There are two ways of getting to Santarem, by plane or by boat. The fastest and far more comfortable is by plane. Differents air companies have flights to Santarem and most go through Manaus or Belem. I found the cheapest at Gol although TAM has sometimes good options too,...
melosh Says: The port (Docas da Para) for the main transport boats to Manaus and Belem is a little ways out of town. It is within walking distance, but if you have heavy luggage or want to save your energy you would do better to take the bus or a taxi. The ticket booths for the boats are...
Loja Muiraquita and Casa de Artesenato: Finding local arts and crafts
melosh Says: These are the two artisan craft shops in Santarem. There are also several shops around the plaza in Alter Do Chao. There is little difference in the pricing between these shops and compared to the shops in Manaus and Belem. One of the shops in Altar do Chao claims to be a...
When the river is high there are no beaches
melosh Says: Santarem seems famous for its river beaches. In particular, Alter do Chao was described to me as a little piece of heaven. The sandbar between the Rio Tapajos and Lago Verde has been the subject to many postcards and travel pictures but none I suspect like the one attached....
Plan a Santarém vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Santarém locals
For delicious home made ice cream using regional fruit, go to Nido! Try the castanha, the best brazil nut ice cream you'll ever have! Tapioca, graviola, acai...
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Santarem - Pearl of River Tapajos
Santarem, the third largest city of the Brazilian strech of the Amazon river, is located in the center, halfway between Manaus and Belem. The city is at the confluence of the aquamarine river Tapajos...
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Santarem is appoximately half way between Belem and Manaus on the Amazon River. The river serves as the main transportation route for Santarem and the trip is popular for locals and backpackers. All...
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I will admit that when I first arrived in Santarem I was not particularly impressed. There was a very long river front with many transport boats, but not much in the way of architecture. It seemed...
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