Brazilian Amazon Spices & Secrets

Regardless of your time of arrival in Belém, a private transfer will meet you at the airport and escort you to your charming hotel. Enjoy the day and evening at leisure to explore and enjoy Cidade de Mangeiras- our host and guide will happily provide recommendations to all guests for the best of what to do and see. At night, we will chat at the hotel to prepare ourselves for our upcoming Amazonian experiences.

After breakfast at the hotel, we will visit one of the most famous sights in Belém: the popular Ver-o-Peso Market; here one can find the largest varieties of regional products and the unique specialties of Pará state cuisine! In the afternoon, we will set out on a walking tour through the historic center of the city of Belém.

We will learn about the city’s colonial architecture and its regional culture, along with its important role in the occupation of the Amazonian region. To cap off this delightful afternoon we will enjoy the sunset at Estação das Docas, on the banks of the Guajará river bay.

After breakfast, we will head out to the Port of Icoaraci, from where we will embark via riverboat to the Island of Cotijuba. Upon arrival, we will be welcomed by our hosts from the local community and we will take part in various activities, including a delicious lunch at the headquarters of the MMIB (Belém Islands Women’s Movement) project.

In the afternoon, we will begin our dive into community life, checking in to one of the local guesthouses run by our hostesses and relaxing on the famous beach of Vai Quem Quer; this white-sand paradise looks like it’s on the sea when actually it is a fresh-water river beach! At the end of the day, we will enjoy home-cooked dinners prepared by each of our hostesses.

After a fantastic regional breakfast at your guesthouse, we will dive into the Amazon culture! Together with the women of the MMIB and our culinary specialist, we will learn how to make several local dishes and sit down to savor the fruits of our labor over a wonderful and delicious lunch.

In the afternoon, we will continue with a hands-on workshop learning about the various seeds and other natural materials of the Brazilian Amazon that can become beautiful bio-jewelry. After a full day of learning, we will have time to relax and interact with our surroundings and the welcoming community of the island.

Today we will venture out on an exciting interpretive trail through the Amazon rainforest, learning about local flora and fauna along the way. The trail ends with a splash in a welcomed and refreshing river bath. After lunch and a well-deserved rest, we set to work alongside our hostesses to prepare everything from the decorations to the food for our amazing beach luau this evening- an experience that will delight the senses with the rhythms, flavors, and warmth of Para state.

The last morning on the island, before we depart, we will learn about the community actions to keep the Amazon Forest thriving and the project that MMIB has with the elderly of Cotijuba. After a special farewell lunch and this cultural immersion, it is time to say good bye. We will board our riverboat back to Icoaraci. The transfer will take you to the airport, with the memories of all the unforgettable experiences in the Amazonian region.