Santarém, Brazil is a relatively large city in the Amazon that lies on the point where the Tapajos River meets the Amazon River. It serves as an important commercial hub for exports leaving the region as well as an important hub for travelers entering the Amazon.
It is a popular stop for cruise ships that are venturing into the Amazon, and it was my first Amazonian port of call on the Zaandam.
Here’s a little history, my impressions, and the details on a spontaneous tour I took in Santarém, Brazil.
A Brief History:
The region was once inhabited by indigenous tribes who established communities thousands of years ago. Archeologists have found crafted pottery and signs of agriculture, indicating fairly advanced, fairly settled societies.
The area was stumbled upon in 1542 by Francisco de Orellana on his famous mission to discover El Dorado, the legendary city of gold. Santarém itself was officially founded in 1661 by Captain Manual Preto, a Portuguese explorer. The colonizers discovered the abundance of rubber trees, and Santarém blossomed into a center for the collection and trade of rubber.
Things took a turn in the 1900s as rubber production popped up across the world. (The tale of the grand rubber seed theft is quite dramatic. You can check out THIS book to learn more!)
The people pivoted accordingly to agriculture, fishing, and lodging. Today, Santarém serves as an important industrial, agricultural, and commercial hub for the greater region.
My First Impression of Santarém Brazil
Hot humid air engulfed every exposed inch of skin as I stepped off the shuttle bus. A waterfront promenade was on my left. A small cohort of souvenir stalls on my right. I cruised along the waterfront to take in the views and catch some breeze. Huge industrial ships lumbered along far off shore, and the coast line was splattered with small canoe-like boats.
One thing was blazingly clear—the waterline was distressingly low.
You see, the Amazon is experiencing a historic draught. El Nino weather patterns, rising temperatures, deforestation, and climate change have all compounded, resulting in the lowest recorded water levels in over a century. Fishing, agriculture, tourism, and shipments down the river have all been disrupted. In fact, the Zaandam almost wasn’t able to enter the Amazon, and at one point the water levels between the river floor and ship’s bottom was a mere 1.8 meters.
“How did I not know about this?!?!”
If you’re like me and had no idea about the draught, HERE’s a Bloomberg article that describes the impact and causes.
I swerved into the heart of Santarém and was struck by the busyness. Impossibly narrow sidewalks were lined with an absurd amount of stores selling clothes, shoes, gizmos, make up, and everything in between. A handful of shops had AC with H & M vibes. Most were market style—open air with items piled and jammed into every corner. Plenty of people were shopping. I got the impression that Santarém is where everyone in the wider area goes to get supplies.
My sweat sizzled under the baking sun, and my ability to explore waned. I circled back to a tourist center at the waterfront where a wiry man was selling boat tours.
“Hi my name is Patrick!” He whipped up his forearm to show me a foot long tattoo of “Patrick” in cursive. “I once forgot my name for 3 years… this is so I never forget.” Amnesia or an existential crisis? Hard to say.
The deal was a 2 hour boat ride for 144 Brazilian reals (around $30 usd). After ascertaining that that was the price everyone else was paying with a few failed negotiation tips, I said, “Sign me up Patrick!”
Tip: If you find yourself at the tourist center in Santarém Brazil wanting to go on this boat ride, I recommend asking for a clear price and how many people you need to gather. Patrick kept changing the story of how many people we needed to finally go, which delayed the process.
The Tour:
Part 1: The Meeting of the Rivers
Myself along with 11 other people (who just so happened to be Zaandam passengers) piled into the little covered canoe as our driver, Elvis, sped off. Stop one was the “meeting of the waters”, which is where the brown, muddy Amazon merges with the dark, almost black Tapajos River. The color differentiation wasn’t noticeable given the light and vantage point. But we did see a boat gas station, which was neat.
Part 2: The Journey to the Jungle:
The boat changed course into a narrower tributary. We spotted a few grey dolphins, a herd of water buffalo, and a handful of interesting birds. Lush trees spewed out of the dry ground. The line of where the water should be was noticeable.
Part 3: A Short Hike
I’ve always envisioned the Amazon rainforest as lush, verdant and colorful. Monkeys swinging in the treetops. Brightly colored toucans singing away. Hundreds of bugs of all shapes, colors, and poison levels minding their own business. Snakes slithering about.
This section of the jungle was dry, brown, and relatively lifeless compared to the vision I created in the 2nd grade. We spotted a couple sloths, and there were some interesting vines and unique spikey trees. I suspect that there were actually thousands of little critters who have mastered the art of disguise moseying around the jungle floor. But I didn’t see any.
Part 4: The Journey Back to Santarém Brazil
On the boat ride back to the pier, I reveled in the little snapshots of life we passed by. A herd of pigs filing into the river for respite from the heat. Two shirtless kids playing with sticks as their father set up a fishing net. Huge shipping centers preparing cargo to go down the river. Little fishing boats bobbing off the shore. Construction equipment moving sand and gravel. The occasional river dolphin popping up for air.
And just like that, the tour was over and it was time to head back to the Zaandam.
Final Thoughts on Santarém, Brazil.
My vision of wild jungle with dancing tree top canopies and vibrant life proved to be wrong. In hindsight, it’s quite naive to expect to see the likes of anacondas and tree frogs so close to a big city in the middle of the day along a commonly trodded path. I did see, however, a glimpse at the industrial side of the Amazon. The waterways were jammed with big ships, and huge plots of land along the shore were clearly being used for commercial purposes.
I got the sense that the locales were resourceful, shrewd, and deeply connected with the land. There was a strong sense of destitution (when compared to Western standards), but not desperation.
This experience was an impossibly minuscule glimpse at what the Amazon has to offer. Stay tuned for more journeys to come!
