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Mercado Modelo de Santarém and around
A day in Alter do Chão · 9:30–11:30 · 3 stops
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mapvivid.com/alter-do-chao/itineraries/mercado-modelo-de-santarem-and-aroundA walking day around Mercado Modelo de Santarém and Catedral de Nossa Senhora da Conceição, with a lunch break nearby and Encontro das Águas to end the day.
Every stop on Google Maps: open the list
Morning
9:301Mercado Modelo de Santarém ↗30 minGo early
Riverside market with regional food and crafts
- Try Amazon fruits
- Bring cash
↓ 4 min walk
10:002Catedral de Nossa Senhora da Conceição ↗30 minDress code
Cathedral on the Santarém waterfront
- Check opening hours
- Combine with the market
↓ 23 min walk
11:003Encontro das Águas ↗30 min
Meeting of the dark Amazon and blue-green Tapajós rivers
- Boat tours from Santarém
- Best on sunny days
Lunch
11:30Lunch break nearby · Find restaurants nearby on Google Maps ↗
Good to know. Times are a guide for an unhurried pace. Check opening days before you go.
Alter do Chão tips
Transportation
- Fly into Santarém: Alter do Chão is a short drive from Santarém airport; taxis and local buses link the two.
- Take a boat to the Ilha do Amor: in the dry season small canoes ferry you across to the famous sandbar beach for a small fee.
- Hire a boat for the day: shared or private boats from the waterfront visit beaches, the Tapajós National Forest and floating restaurants.
Local Hacks
- Climb Serra da Piraoca: the short hike up this hill gives a panoramic view over the village and Ilha do Amor; go early to beat the heat.
- Visit FLONA Tapajós: a day trip to the Tapajós National Forest offers giant trees and community-run trails with local guides.
- Stay for sunset on the sandbar: the Ilha do Amor sunset over the Tapajós is a highlight; check the last boat back.
Saving
- Share boat trips: join group tours or split a boat with other travellers to cut the cost of river excursions.
- Eat at local spots: simple restaurants serve fish, rice, beans and farofa at much lower prices than beachfront stalls.
- Stay in a pousada: small guesthouses and hostels in the village are good value and often include breakfast.
Security
- Watch for stingrays: shuffle your feet when wading in the river to avoid stepping on freshwater stingrays.
- Carry cash: card machines and ATMs can be unreliable in the village, so bring enough reais from Santarém.
- Protect against mosquitoes: use repellent and long sleeves at dusk in this Amazon region, and check vaccination advice before travelling.
Cultural
- Experience the Çairé festival: held in September, this festival mixes indigenous and Catholic traditions with music and the famous boto dolphin contest.
- Try tacacá: this hot Amazonian soup with jambu leaves and tucupi leaves your lips tingling; try it from a street stall.
- Respect local communities: ask permission before photographing people in riverside and indigenous villages.
Weather/Clothing
- Visit in the dry season: from roughly August to December the river drops and reveals white sand beaches.
- Expect high water in the wet season: early in the year the river rises and covers many beaches, but flooded forests can be explored by canoe.
- Pack for heat and rain: it is hot and humid year round, so bring light clothes, a rain jacket, sun hat and water shoes.
Planned with MapVivid. Opening hours change, so check each place before you go. This day, with the map: mapvivid.com/alter-do-chao/itineraries/mercado-modelo-de-santarem-and-around
Day 2 of 29:30–11:303 stops
Mercado Modelo de Santarém and around
A walking day around Mercado Modelo de Santarém and Catedral de Nossa Senhora da Conceição, with a lunch break nearby and Encontro das Águas to end the day.
Opens Google Maps with every stop of the day, ready to save to your own list.
Morning
109:30 · 30 minRiverside market with regional food and crafts
- Tip: Go early
2 tips
- Try Amazon fruits
- Bring cash
📷 Photos
4 min walk
210:00 · 30 minCathedral on the Santarém waterfront
- Tip: Dress code
2 tips
- Check opening hours
- Combine with the market
📷 Photos
23 min walk
311:00 · 30 minMeeting of the dark Amazon and blue-green Tapajós rivers
3 tips
- Boat tours from Santarém
- Best on sunny days
- Combine with a city visit
📷 Photos
Lunch
Lunch break nearby · 11:30
Find restaurants nearby on Google Maps
Take this day with you
Add the stops to your calendar
Times are local time in Alter do Chão. Apple Calendar adds every stop at once (Outlook too). Google Calendar adds one event per link.
Times are a guide for an unhurried pace. Check opening days before you go.