Santarém (Brazil)

Santarém is located on the southern bank of the Tapajós River (a tributary of the Amazon), in northern Brazil. It's the second-largest city in Pará, and located just about midway between Manaus and Belém. Get in By boat Santarém is about 36 hours by river boat from Manaus and a couple of days from Belem, making it an ideal place for a few days' stopover on a trip along the Amazon. Boats leave Manaus every day besides Sunday. There are usually 3 boats leaving from Manaus, however on Wednesdays only one boat leaves and costs R10 more than usual for first class. Usual cost is about R110-120 for first class (top deck with a hammock.) By plane There's a domestic airport(Santarém-Maestro Wilson Fonseca Airport), but few foreign travelers use it to get in. It's handy if the Amazon gets to you and you need a quick ride out, though. Get around See Mercado Modelo -- the city market. History Museum João Fona , on the eastern end of the waterfront. Good for a half-hour's worth of learning about the city, and attended by a helpful staff. Between the millennia-old pottery shards and the portraits of every single mayor of Santarem, there should be something to hold your attention. Museum do Índio; Museum de Arte Sacra; Museum Dica Frazão. Do The nearby river beach of Alter do Chão is the city's biggest attraction. Buy Eat Mascote, Pça. do Pescador, 10, (93)3523-2844. A popular restaurant located on the waterfront. Peixaria Piracatu, Av. Mendonça Furtado, 174, (93)3522-7580. Excellently prepared river fish such as Surubim, Tambaqui, Tucunaré, Pirarucu. Drink A few bar-come restaurants along the Beira Rio, particularly downstream from the center. For a happening Wednesday, pay 10 R$ for a cab to Vila Arigó where there is live open air pagode with dozens of plastic tables and chairs around. Sleep Budget Gram Rio, (Overlooking the Mercado Municipal). Single with fan R$ 30, with air con R$ 50.  edit Hotel Equatorial, Av. Rui Barbosa and Silvino Pinto Mid-range Santarem Palace Hotel, Av. Rui Barbosa 726 Contact There is free wifi available at Praça da Matriz. Get out Santarém has two ports: Docas do Pará serves farther destination like Manaus and Belém while a smaller port near Praça Tiradentes serves destinations on the Tapajós river and other local destinations like Monte Alegre and Alenquer. Alenquer is a small town on the north bank of the river. From there, it's about two hours by taxi to Vale do Paraíso, an eco-resort built around the Viuva da Noiva waterfalls. This article is an outline and needs more content. It has a template, but there is not enough information present. Please plunge forward and help it grow!