Lago Verde

Alter do Chão


This huge three-fingered lake is surrounded by forest and has places to swim, snorkel with fish and spot wildlife (including a resident family of monkeys). Tour agencies do good boat tours (per person R$50 to R$75, two to three hours, two to six people) or you can hire one of the yellow-shirted freelance boatmen on the waterfront; the latter are cheaper, but may not have the same service or equipment that agencies do.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Alter do Chão attractions

1. Ilha do Amor

0.19 MILES

A small slice of paradise just offshore from Alter do Chão, the 'Island of Love' is especially striking when the water is low (August to December) and…

2. Praia do Cajueiro

0.4 MILES

A few blocks west of the town center along the waterfront promenade is this pleasant beach, wrapping around to the Tapajós River.

3. Ponta do Cururú

2.9 MILES

Most afternoons, large numbers of pink and grey dolphins congregate just offshore from this sandy point near the mouth of the Rio Tapajós for an evening…

4. Belterra

9.89 MILES

Henry Ford briefly moved his Fordlândia operations to this tidy little town in the 1940s and this site, 40km from Santarém, makes for an easy day trip…

5. ZooFIT

15.29 MILES

Enclosures are rather desultory at this rehabilitation center, but the animals are not intended to stay for long. Affable guides lead interesting tours …

6. Igreja Matriz

17.21 MILES

Facing Praça da Matriz, the city's pretty blue-painted church dates from 1761. Its predecessor church, made of palm fronds in 1661, was Santarém's first…

7. Museu de História e Arte Sacra

17.22 MILES

This modest museum has exhibits on Santarém's history and several artifacts related to the Cirio de Nazaré, the massive religious celebration held every…

8. Museu Dica Frazão

17.45 MILES

Dona Dica Frazão spent three-quarters of a century making clothing and fabrics from natural fibers, including grasses and wood pulp. She died aged 96 in…