Sea Kayak the Brazilian Amazon with Rumo Norte

Rumo Norte Expeditions, out of Belem, Brazil, has a truly unusual way to experience the grandeur of the Amazon, with minimal impact: by sea kayak.

Rumo Norte owner Gelderson Pinheiro’s favorite kayak trip begins in the town of Alter do Chão, “Altar of the Earth,” where a white sand island known as the Island of Love glows in the clear waters of the Tapajos River (which feeds into the Amazon River 30km to the northeast.)

Paddling a sea kayak south along Green Lake, where the Borari Indians extract stones for auspicious frog amulets, Gelderson says, “The sky is more blue, the suns

et is more expressive, the water is warm and has a special blue-green color, and the local communities come to you with friendship and great hospitality.” If the wind permits, add a sail to your boat to get you to Belterra for lunch, then Maguari, where you’ll have dinner with the local community.

You’ll hike through the forest and experience the Sumaúma tree, the Amazon’s largest, and known as the “the telephone of the Amazon,” because the echo from a knock on its base announces your presence to the forest.  The Sumaúma’s oil is used in foods, soaps, and as a cleaner; the bark is used as a diuretic; even the waterproof seeds and their fluffy wool are used for pillows or life vests!  Most people spend their last night camping in the middle of the river on a white sand island before returning by boat to Alter do Chão.

Start your trip August 29th or September 4th. Check out their site for more details.