Santarém: Where the Tapajós Meets the Amazon
Santarém sits at the confluence of the turquoise-green Tapajós River and the brown Amazon — the meeting of waters creates a dramatic colour boundary visible for kilometres; Santarém is the Amazon's third city and a crossroads of the world's greatest river system
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Meeting of the Waters (Encontro das Águas)
The Tapajós and Amazon rivers meet at Santarém in a dramatic meeting of waters — the turquoise Tapajós and the brown sediment-laden Amazon run side by side for kilometers before mixing; the color line, visible from boats and the water, is extraordinary
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The beach promenade
Santarém's beach - orla - faces the Amazon River and the meeting point of water; the promenade at sunset, with the river's vastness and color line visible, is among the Amazon's most spectacular urban vantage points
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Amazon River Traffic
The Amazonian traffic that passes through Santarém – the barges carrying soy, the regional passenger boats and the wooden canoes – represents the entire economic supply of the Amazon river system; the port is a hub for western Pará's economy
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Tapajós River Clarity
The Tapajós is one of the Amazon's clearest major tributaries — a blackwater river with exceptional transparency; the clarity of the water, which turns the river turquoise green, is the result of its passage through the ancient Guiana Shield
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Alter do Chão Gateway
Santarém is the base for visiting Alter do Chão — 30 km away — and Tapajós National Forest; the city's location at the Amazon-Tapajós confluence makes it the most important urban center on this stretch of the river
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Santarém History
Santarém was founded in 1661 on the site of an indigenous village in Tupaiú — one of the Amazon's oldest European settlements; the city's history of indigenous contact, Jesuit missions and trade from the rubber era is reflected in its colonial center