RouteBelém

Belém Port: Gateway to the Amazon's River World

Belém's port is the gateway to the Amazon's river civilisation — the boats that depart from here carry passengers, goods, and culture to Santarém, Manaus, and hundreds of communities along the world's greatest river system

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1
Porto de Belém at dawn
Belém's port at dawn – with regional boats (barcos regionais) loading hammocks, chickens and passengers for multi-day journeys upriver – is the living theater of Amazon river civilization; the scale, noise and life are extraordinary
2
Hammock culture on riverboats
Amazonian regional boats transport passengers in hammocks strung across multiple decks — the colorful hammocks for hundreds of travelers, the communal meals and the slow rhythm of the river journey are the basis of Amazonian social life
3
Guajará Bay Ferries
The network of small ferries that cross the Gulf of Guajará to the islands surrounding Belém - Ilha do Mosqueiro, Cotijuba and others - is the daily transport of island communities; the ferry terminals and the island life they connect are part of Belém's soul
4
River Trade Economy
The river trade that passes through Belém - açaí, timber, fish, rubber and brazil nuts - is the economic basis of the Amazon interior; Ver-o-Peso is where this trade becomes visible, but the port is where its magnitude is felt
5
Ilha do Mosqueiro
Ilha do Mosqueiro — 70 km from Belém by road — is the city's beach island; the freshwater beaches (Amazon influence when here), the colonial holiday homes and the relaxed atmosphere make it Belém's favorite weekend destination
6
Cotijuba Island
Cotijuba - which can only be reached by boat from Belém - has no paved roads, white-sand river beaches and the ruins of a children's reformatory in the forest; the island's combination of beach paradise and strange history make it one of Belém's most interesting day trips