Amazon Crossings

The Canto dos Solimões lodge will be our base for accommodations. Some parts of the itinerary include accommodations in the homes of local people in river communities. The cost starting at $100 per person, per day includes all accommodations, meals, and transportation. It does not include airfare.

Day 1: Arrival in Manaus – transport from the airport to the Canto do Solimões lodge in Iranduba which will serve as our home base. After dinner, we will have a general orientation with opportunities for Q & A and get to know our hosts and guides for the week’s activities.

Day 2: We will trek to a typical small Amazonian stream or “igarapé”. On the way we will identify several important tree species and plants of the region.  We will also have an opportunity to visit with some of the families who live along the waterway. We will learn about the programs for environmental education and training for eco-tourism of a local NGO — the Associação para o Avanço da Cidadania no Campo (AACC) — one of WCDS partners. We will help in the preparation of an ecological camp for pre-youth on the following day.

Day 3: We will participate in a field trip planned by AACC for local school children who are learning to explore all the potentialities of man for the preservation of nature, including their vast spiritual potentialities as indicated by Agenda 21.

Day 4: On our way to the low-lands and the Island of Paciência we will visit the village of Iranduba, a typical seat of a municipality in the Amazon. We will cross the Solimões River towards the Island. The low-lands are one of the richest ecosystems in the Amazon river basin. We will learn why this is so through the local inhabitants. We will stay overnight on the island and go alligator spotting.

Day 5: Still at the Island we will learn with the “ribeirinhos” how to maneuver canoes in the river and lakes and catch and prepare fish like the local people. We will visit a SAT group (System of Tutorial Learning) which is a unique educational experience that is trying to take science and technology to the rural areas so as to galvanize the effective participation of local population in sustainable development.

Day 6: We will visit another typical low-land community on the Island of Maria Antônia which is about an hour down the Solimões River. After lunch at the Island, we will travel to the meeting of the waters, then on to the igapós and igarapés of Janauarí where we will see the famous giant Amazon lily pads. After this, we will go up the Negro River passing by Manaus (delete the comma) on our way to the Anavilhanas archipelago and the community of Acajatuba. This community also has a SAT group and is currently engaged in tourism, production and sale of local artifacts.

Day 7: Açatuba will be the last community we will visit and is the second one on the high-lands. Activities in Açatuba include the picking and processing of manioc roots, which is a staple food of the Amazon people, hiking with community members who will help us learn about medicinal plants and fruit trees of the region. At night we will have a story telling session, including legends of the Amazon, around an open fire and the next day we will learn a bit about the spiritual life of the community by visiting the local chapel and cemetery.

Day 8: Manaus – We will visit the Amazon Opera House, the Free Zone and the slum neighborhoods occupied by “ribeirinhos” who migrated to the city. We will visit the ADCAM campus (Association for the Cohesive Development of the Amazon) which, in addition to the SAT program for rural communities, also facilitates the integration of rural populations in urban areas with different educational programs in the periphery of Manaus. Following this visit there will be a short evaluation of the trip.

Day 9: We will visit the Sunday arts and crafts market in Manaus, and will taste different regional foods and beverages before heading to the Eduardo Gomes International Airport for the return flight.
Please note that the itinerary is subject to changes without notice depending on seasonal conditions. Passengers must be able to get in and out of small boats and walk comfortably for up to two hours at a time in the forest.