Alter has remained largely unknown to the international traveler, being a favorite spot among locals. As you might think for such a pristine spot, access is still difficult, and most people arrive there by boat. Now that traveling the Amazon River is becoming more popular among tourists, spots like this are becoming increasingly visited, and access has improved.

Still, if you are intent on a vacation and not a boat ride, you can access the village by one of the only roads in the Pará state from Santerem. Santerem is on the confluence of the Tapajós and Amazon rivers, and itself is accessible from the state capital of Belém by bus or by boat. A popular travel circuit is from Belém to Manaus, stopping at the Amazon villages along the way, which include Alter. There are a lot of interesting activities in Belém itself, and it’s served by an International airport, making access quite easy.

Now, just because it’s small, it doesn’t mean that Alter doesn’t have a good variety of accommodation and places to eat. The best places, naturally, are along the waterfront. There is a boardwalk to spend the evenings. You can also get tours to the Tapajó National Forest, a park that remains largely untouched, though there are visitor areas and great trekking opportunities.

For the beach, it’s a short canoe ride across the river to the sand bank that separates the Lago Verde. The attractions of the beach are the clear green waters flowing by lazily over the white sands. You’ll be forgiven for thinking that you are in the Caribbean. During the season, there is an ample collection of open-air bars along the beach, which sell all manner of refreshment.

By itself Alter do Chão probably doesn’t offer enough to cover an entire vacation (unless you plan to spend the whole time sitting on the beach), but the surrounding area certainly does. Especially if you can catch the Círo de Nazaré carnival in October.

]]> http://rediscoversouthamerica.com/caribbean-beaches-on-the-amazon/feed/ 0 http://rediscoversouthamerica.com/down-the-amazon-river/ http://rediscoversouthamerica.com/down-the-amazon-river/#respond Mon, 25 Jun 2012 23:55:42 +0000 http://rediscoversouthamerica.com/?p=268 The Amazon rainforest really needs no introduction. Hundreds of thousands of tourists each year go to visit. It has the title of biggest in a lot of things: biggest river, biggest rainforest, biggest wildlife diversity, and biggest piranhas. (Though that’s not a high bar, since all piranhas are in the Amazon). It’s also home to some of the very few remaining areas in the world which have been untouched by human intervention.

A somewhat unique way to see the Amazon is from the river itself. There are lots of resorts and tourist traps along the river, especially near the out-flow. But if you are particularly hardy, you could consider the trip down from the very beginning of the river in Perú, all the way down to the mouth, and visit places that you can’t access on foot, let alone by car.

There is a variety of options, from speedboats to large ships that practically drift with the river’s flow. The excursions offer some pretty spectacular sights, and stop along the way so you can hike into the nearby forest to visit even more places.

The journey starts in the hinterlands of Perú where the Amazon officially starts. You go through practically untouched rainforest, stopping at river-side indigenous villages along the way. One of them features floating islands where the natives have built their houses. Among the wildlife you can see are macaws and parrots flying over the ship, howler monkeys on the shores, pink dolphins cavorting near the boat, and if you are especially adventurous, you can fish for piranha in the river itself.

Depending on the trip, they can last between three days (two nights) up to eight days (and seven nights). Some of the expeditions offer berths on the ship, so you can actually sleep on the river, while other stop along the way to find lodging in the native villages. Some offer visits to lagoons to go swimming and canoeing along the sides of the river. The guides are very professional, and are almost all naturalists with encyclopedic knowledge of the area. All the tours have English speaking guides, and other languages are available.

To arrange tours, you can probably find bookings online. But most start from Iquitos in Perú, and it might be a good option to visit the area first. Some of the tour operators don’t have websites, or offer online booking (after all, this is a really remote area of the world). One note of caution, though: bring lots of mosquito repellant.

While the rest of South America was conquered by the Iberians (Portuguese and Spanish), the Guianas weren’t part of the party, and ended up being colonized by the British, Dutch and French. When the rest of the continent gained their independence, and continued to speak Spanish and Portuguese (which are easy to understand between them), these three territories remained colonies. It wasn’t until almost 150 years that two of them, Guyana and Surinam, became independent. The third, French Guiana remains an overseas department of France, and therefore administratively part of Europe.

Since then, the Guianas have had trouble integrating with the rest of the continent. For example, the most popular sport in Latin America is soccer, but they don’t participate in the South American Football Confederation, and instead play for the Caribbean. Since they aren’t seen participating in many South American activities, its lead to the myth in the rest of the continent that they don’t even exist. Or maybe they are islands off the coast of Venezuela.

It’s not just the language barrier: the majority of the population of the Guianas come from former slaves, and laborers brought to work the cane fields from Africa and India. The culture is distinctly Afroindian, quite different from the mix of Iberian and native that makes up the rest of South America.

Be that as it may, the Guianas are part of South America, and have a wonderful set of attractions to offer visitors. To the north of the Amazon and on the edge of the Caribbean, their biggest attractions are picture-perfect beaches, wondrous waterfalls and an impressive array of wildlife.

The countries themselves are small, both in land mass and population. In fact, they are the smallest on the continent. However, this makes them exceedingly convenient to explore, with everything a short ride away from everything else. And being on the northern edge of the continent, they afford easy access to North Americans and Europeans, and could be considered a gateway to the Americas if they had more flight options.

So please visit these countries; they have a lot to offer tourists, and they have exceptionally friendly people (in a continent that already stands out for friendliness).

In hotels, that’s where, like anywhere else. Accommodation is as varied as the continent is. Whatever your likes and needs, you certainly will find a good place to stay in South America. The issue is finding where that place is, and picking the right one.

Like the rest of the world, hotels are arranged by how much they cost. The more expensive, the more amenities. However, those prices vary from country to country; and some are quite cheap. For example, you might not consider staying in the Ritz-Carlton in your home country, but the price for the same services in, say, Buenos Aires are significantly lower, and it might just fit into your budget.

That’s to say that all the top hotel chains with a global presence, such as Hilton, Sheraton, Ritz, Radisson, all have hotels in virtually all the capitals of each of the countries. Some of them have locations in more touristy areas, such as Pucón, Punta del Este, Cusco, etc. So, if you are high-end traveler; or the point of having a vacation is to be pampered, rest assured you can get 5-star treatment in South America.

There is an extremely varied mid-market in accommodation. These are called “hotels” in South America, as well. There is a significant cross over in prices and services, so it’s very possible to find four star accommodation on a two-star budget. It’s good to ask around and do research. A good piece of advice for going to a strange country and city for the first time, is to spend the first night in a more up-scale hotel, so you can get your bearings in a more familiar environment.

Most travelers, however, seem to prefer the “budget” section. But that shouldn’t turn you off the idea: there are lots of premium locations that are firmly in this category. Depending on the country, they can be called “hostels”, “residenciales”, “hospedajes” or “alojamiento”. A lot of these places are boutique, with a wide variety of services. A good deal of them have English-speaking staff, and can arrange tours of the area.

Remember, everything is universally cheaper in South America, because of the exchange rate. So don’t turn your nose up at something because of the price before you’ve got a good look at it.

Coffee is an important crop in the area, but there are lots of other activities to keep you busy while you are in the area. There are glaciers to climb, revitalizing hot springs to swim in, ancestral art and culture to partake in, and ancient ruins to explore.

The actual Coffee Triangle is not very well defined geographically. Most of the coffee growing areas in Colobmia fall into a more or less triangle shape, running from the upper Caribbean foothills, almost to the Pacific coast and south east to the Amazonía. It’s a vast area, even by South American standards, so you shouldn’t form the impression that you can see all of it, even with the best tour. There are representative places and things that you must see, of course, and depending on how much time you have (and how much you love coffee), you should select from them.

The easiest way to get there is to go to Bogotá, the nation’s capital which is coincidently located in the centre of the triangle. From there you can explore by yourself the valleys, or arrange tours to visit them. A particularly rewarding experience for the coffee lover is a visit to one of the coffee farms spread across the Andes. Most of them are only accessible by tours, which you can book in Bogotá and other major cities in the area.

The farms are an experience in themselves. Not only do you get to try truly fresh coffee, but you get to take in the setting. The best place to grow coffee is on the sides of tropical volcanoes, so just walking through the fields offers some of the best views around.

Coffee trees have bright red fruits, and the seeds from them are made in to the coffee you drink. However, the fruit itself is also edible, and is sometimes made into jam. A lot of the Colombian farms still have the traditional drying, roasting processes and grinding by hand which offer a truly superior cup. It’s just the thing to wake you up in the morning and get you off to visiting museums, colonial houses and hiking through the tropical forests. But don’t worry; when it’s all done you can relax at a good hotspring.

Getting to Fernando de Noronha is from Recife, in north eastern Brazil, typically after a connection in Sao Paulo. Flying is the quickest option, but there are also cruises available that go to the island. But at 350 km offshore, the trip is rather long. Around-the-world cruises will also stop at the islands, but their short stay doesn’t give you a chance to explore them fully.

Most of the attractions are available on the main island which has the same name. There is a town called Villa dos Remedios, which has most of the basic services you need. The archipelago is not a place to go for your luxury vacation; it’s a place to get in touch with nature and enjoy the local hospitality. The best option for accommodation is one of the several bed and breakfasts that are in the main town.

The locals are particularly friendly, and while they all speak Portuguese, a good deal speak enough English to help you out on hiking trips. But the main island is only 10km by 3km, so not only is it hard to get lost, but everything is almost within walking distance.

The islands themselves have a rich history, with old pirate forts and even an abandoned, disused prison. However, the major attraction has to be the over twenty coves with spectacular secluded beaches. The water is warm and tropical, and is exceptionally pristine, allowing views of up to 50m underwater.

Equipment hire for any of your more adventurous activities, such as scuba and surfing is available in the town. However, due to the small size of the place, and conservation restrictions, it’s a good idea to book tickets to and accommodation well in advance. Not that the place is swamped with tourists: after all, the whole point is to get away from it all and relax on the beach. Or brave the rockeries and snorkel among the exotic fishes. The fishes are also available at several restaurants in the main town, though cooked.

Shell Beach offers a combination with one of the other major Guyanian attraction: varied wildlife, many of which is endangered and can’t be seen anywhere else. A surprising number of sea turtles and tortoises make Shell Beach their home, along with a varied assortment of parrots and macaws. By itself, the beach and surrounding areas form a unique ecosystem. A good deal of the coast is covered in mangrove forests which give way in the interior to native Savanah. The roots provide cover for a wonderful variety of fish, which attracted four endangered species of turtle, manatees and other sea and river animals. The beach is also crossed by several rivers along it’s rout.

Like most places that remain undisturbed, it’s still somewhat difficult to access. There are few if any settlements along the coast in this area, so accommodation is mostly camping. But camping on a tropical beach, with palm trees waving overhead miles from civilization really shouldn’t count as a hardship. Just be prepared.

To get there, you have to start from Georgetown, the capital of Guyana. There are several companies that can arrange tours to the area, and visit some of the protected areas that are administered by conservation initiatives. This is the best way to see the wild life and the ecological diversity of the area.

But if you are looking to really get away from it all, there is minimal transportation service in the area. However, Guyanas are extremely friendly, and it’s often easy to hitchhike to the more remote areas. Guyana is close to the equator, and this remains a tropical –and hot- area. Even there are cooling trade winds that come off the sea, it’s good to remember to carry lots of water when hiking, either on the beach or the roads.

The Guyana government is keen to promote the area, and help secure funding for conservation projects in the area. They are most helpful if you are looking for information on visiting the area.

The name, however, doesn’t have any religious overtones. It’s said that one of the first European explorers to reach the area was Felix Cardona, whose maps and drawings inspired an American Aviator by the name of Jimmy Angel to visit the area. Its remote location meant that it was completely inaccessible by foot, and so Angel flew over the as yet officially unnamed falls. The natural splendor of the location inspired him to land his plane on the Auyantepuy, whereupon he promptly crashed. No one was injured, but the accident gave the name to the place: Angel Falls. (In Spanish, salto means “jump”; where Angel jumped from his plane before it crashed.)

Despite being one of the major tourist attractions in Venezuela, it’s still very hard to get to the actual falls. This is because the rainforest surrounding the remote location has remained largely undisturbed. The only way to access the area is either by air (which is still dangerous) or boat. Most visitors prefer the more natural transportation, and opt for tours organized in either Ciudad Guyana or Santa Elena. Most excursions travel along an ancient footpath from Canaima, after a canoe trip down the abundant rivers. Access is only possible during the rainy months when the rivers are deep enough to accommodate the canoes.

The Falls are just one of the myriad of attractions in the Canaima National Park. The pristine nature surrounding the area remains untouched, with tall trees, parrots, macaws, and some more terrifying beasts such as jaguars. The idyllic setting was the inspiration for the fictional world Pandora, in James Cameron’s 2009 film, Avatar. Another film that was inspired by the location is the “heaven” scenes in What Dreams May Come, which actually featured the falls.

Excursions to the falls go through the park, and allow you to see most of the wildlife diversity that it contains. The trek, however, is not for the faint of heart. While there is no strenuous climbing, it is a tropical jungle with the accompanying heat and threat of exhaustion. The journey to the falls itself is about 13 hours, most of which is walking. Still, if you have the stamina, it’s well worth a visit.

San Rafael stands out because it’s the lowest latitude glacier that ends in the sea, making the weather fairly pleasant for visiting. Also, its sapphire-colored ice has made it a feature of many documentaries and brochures. Its terminus in a quiet inlet at the end of a fjord has some of the most beautiful views of Patagonia, and while the area around it remains pristinely uninhabited, it’s still fairly easy to get to.

There are several options, once you are in Chile. The fastest, and most expensive, is by small airplane from Coyhaique. The trip is little more than an hour over the Andes snow-capped peaks, and will give you about an hour to walk along the beach near the glacier.

The most popular route among locals and foreigners is by ship. They leave from Puerto Montt and stop in Puerto Chacabuco along the way, so you can get on in both ports. Puerto Chacabuco is about an hour’s bus ride or car drive from Coyhaique. From there, there is also a catamaran that takes the same route. It’s a lot faster, but you don’t spend as much time at the glacier.

The spectacle of the glacier is only compared to the trip there: sailing down glacier-carved fjords and archipelagos topped with snow-capped peaks and clothes in impenetrable Valdivian rainforest. By catamaran, the trip is around three hours; and by the larger ships it’s an overnight trip.

The ships will stay about six or seven hours in the deceptively named Laguna San Rafael, while the catamaran will stay around half that. They both offer small launches to go up to the glacier’s face, or dock along the beach for a walk. A tradition of these trips is to take off a small piece of the icebergs floating in the sea, and garnish them with the local spirit, Pisco, for a one-of-a-kind cocktail.

The more adventurous can get off here, and go hiking through the National Park, most of which remains practically untouched by humans. Otherwise, it’s a trip back through the fjords to Puerto Chacabuco. The route is so popular that in the summer you often have to book months in advance.

San Rafael Glacier is probably one of the most affected by global warming, and is receding. If you can, see this attraction before it literally melts away.

Getting there: Taking the Inca Trail is probably the most rewarding option; however that’s not always possible. The other way is to take the train from the San Pedro station in Cusco. This option offers spectacular views of the Urubamba valley as it slowly winds its way down to Aguas Calientes, a small town at the base of Machu Picchu named after the hotsprings a brief walk from the town. Alternatively you can take the bus from Cusco, or stop along the way to enjoy the sights and sites of the Urubamba Valley. From Aguas Calientes you can either walk up the steep stair, or take the bus that will leave you at new entrance.

The “new” entrance is where most visitors access it today, but originally the Inca would arrive through the Intipunko high above. However, this access gate puts you right in the complex, starting with the extensive terracing were the city’s crops were grown. (In other words, it’s what the Inca would consider the “service entrance.”) A few minutes walking and up to your left, you will come across what’s called the Watchman’s Hut, from where all the perfect views of the city that go on postcards are taken. You must take your picture there, too; or people won’t believe you were in Machu Picchu.

The city is then laid out before you and you can decide where to explore first. Be careful, however, that there is plenty to the city, and it can easily take several days to explore. To the left on top of their own hills you have the Principal Temples and the Temple of the Three Windows. Most of the constructions were are temples or houses to support the people who worked at them.

Across the city is Huayna Picchu, a large promontory with ruins of its own. To get to the ruins and scale the peak requires going up either of two very dangerous and often slippery trails. If you are good at climbing –and this can’t be stressed enough- NOT afraid of heights, Huayna Picchu has quite a few spectacular sites. If you’d rather not slip down the side of the mountain, you can still look across the divide down either side of the mountain, and admire the view.

Budget at least two days for Machu Picchu; it’s well worth it.