BRAZIL - (Page 6)

Ecotourism & Adventure As one of the world’s five largest countries and, conversely, with one of the world’s most geographically diverse collection of environments and ecosystems within its massive borders, it’s almost a given that ecotourism and adventure travel become a major component in Brazil. Indeed, one of the most visible and noteworthy icons of international ecotourism is Brazil’s Amazon Basin, situated within the enormous state of Amazonas where approximately 20 percent of all living species are concentrated, including an army of birds, animals and fish, not to mention countless types of flora, many of which have been providing life-saving medicines for thousands of years. Manaus, sitting at the headwaters of the Rio Negro, is the gateway to this Eden-like ecotourism paradise. This is an enormous city, with a population closing in on the two million mark, and the capital city of the state of Amazonas. It is, in fact, a major commercial center in its own right. Virtually all tours and tourism programs to the Amazon initiate from here, including the popular river cruises. The Mamiraua Reserve of Sustainable Development is the most prominent ecotourism development in the region and can only be reached by boat—first, a whole day by speedboat from Manaus on the Solimoes River to Tefe, a journey of almost 470 miles, followed by another 6-hour journey by houseboat to the Mamiraua Lake in the midst of the preserve. From there, visitors go to a local lodge where they’ll stay in cabins that float on logs on the lake itself. From there, clients can enjoy jungle trips on the lakes and rivers with local guides where they’ll see red Amazonian porpoises, alligators and literally hundreds of white herons flying around the boat. Still another Amazon adventure can include a trip to Alter do Chao on the Tapajos River, a small island village with comfortable lodges and decent restaurants or stay aboard one of the houseboats that travel the river. Around Soure and Salvaterra—the two main towns in this region—there are a number of ranches that offer tourist accommodations and tourists can participate in the daily life of the cow- Pantanal, Mato Grosso. B6 june 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of BRAZIL

Sun & Beach
Ecotourism & Adventure
Sports
Culture, Brazilian-Style
Itineraries
Fast Facts/Getting There

BRAZIL