Trip to the Amazon

Hey, I know Manaus and Presidente Figueiredo well since I lived there for several months. First off, forget the idea of a "trek" in the Amazon... The best option is to go straight to Pres. Figueiredo and stay there. The waterfalls are easily accessible, and you can sleep at many sites, usually in a hammock. As for animals, well, you gotta get up early :) and paradoxically, the place where you’ll see the most animals like monkeys, parrots, toucans... is at Urubui Park, the most visited spot in Pres. Figueiredo. For waterfalls, the most spectacular ones are Mutum, Iraceima, Santuário, Orquídeas, and Natal. There are a lot of them... one week is really short for this kind of place. As for Manaus, apart from MUSA, the theater (there are usually small free performances to see in the theater on Fridays around 7 PM), and Ponta Negra, you can stop by the CIGS zoo on the way to Ponta Negra. (MUSA and Ponta Negra are pretty far from the city center.) Manaus is a good city for shopping. You can access several beaches on the Rio Negro from Ponta Negra. For hotels, I always stay at Hotel 10 de Julho, which is right next to the opera house and is basic but cheap. If you want more info on hotels, I wrote a post about it here:

https://voyageforum.com/forum/retour-hotels-manaus-d8308177/

For getting to Figueiredo, you can take a bus or a shared taxi. In either case, it’ll take about 1.5 hours. Pousada da Wal in Figueiredo is the only hotel I’ve tried, and it’s great. If you need more info, don’t hesitate to ask.

Thanks Djackx67 for giving me so much info about Manaus and the surrounding area. Do you know Belém? From what I’ve heard, it’s also a good spot to visit the Amazon.

Yeah, Belém is nice too, but you’ll have more to see and do from Manaus. Otherwise, there’s another option: Alter do Chão, between Belém and Manaus. It’s also super nice—you’ll feel like you’re in the Caribbean. You can get there by boat from both cities; I think it’s about a day or a day and a half from Manaus (double-check that).

Or, for a quicker trip, you can fly to Santarém and then take a taxi or bus to Alter do Chão—it’s about 40 minutes to an hour, depending on the transport.

Thanks again for your tips! Here’s how I’m planning my stay in the Amazon. I’ll arrive in Manaus for 2/3 days, then head to Presidente Figueiredo for another 2/3 days. After that, I’m thinking of taking a boat to Santarém to visit Alter do Chão for 2/3 days, then another boat to Belém for 2/3 days. How long should I budget for the trips between Manaus and Santarém, and between Santarém and Belém? I’m planning to travel between April and May 2025 during the rainy season—are the beaches in Alter do Chão still accessible and visible at that time? One last question: in Presidente Figueiredo, how do you get around between the different waterfalls? I couldn’t find any motorbikes or scooters in Brazil, and even bikes can be tricky to rent. What do you think of the number of days in each city? Have a great day!

So 2/3 days per city works well. After that, you might feel like staying longer depending on how you're feeling. Otherwise, for boats: Manaus to Santarém takes a day and a half at most. Santarém to Belém takes 2 days max. To book, you have to go directly to the port—you’ll see the sellers out front.

For the waterfalls in Figueiredo, there are motorcycle taxis everywhere, or you can go to the Figueiredo bus terminal where they gather. Normally, they’ll take you to almost all the waterfalls. Otherwise, the cheaper option is to take the bus to Balbina. It passes by several waterfalls—just ask the driver where you want to stop. But make sure to check the schedules carefully because there aren’t many buses per day. Still, motorcycle taxis are the easiest option. For Alter do Chão, unless the rainy season is exceptional, yes, you’ll have access to the beaches. There’s a spot called the Enchanted River in Alter—it’s worth going. In Alter do Chão, I recommend Pousada Tupailandia.

Thanks so much 😊 for all the details you’re giving me to help prep for my trip. Do you still live out there?

No, I don't live there anymore.