Santarem, Brazil

Santarém is a city in the state of Pará in Brazil. It's the second-largest city in Pará, and located just about midway between Manaus and Belém. Santarem offers an excellent marketplace and some colorful sights and is surrounded by tropical rain forest.

Santarém is bordered by the Amazon and the Tapajós rivers. Both run along many kilometers in the front of the city, side by side, without mixing. The Amazon's milky colored water carries sediment from the Andes in the East, while the Tapajós's water is somewhat warmer and has a deep-blue tone. This phenomenon is called "The meeting of the waters" by the locals.

Things to see and do

* City Market
* History Museum
* The river beach of Alter do Chão
* Floating Market
* "Wedding of the Waters" - merging of the Rio Tapajos and Rio Amazonas.

Cruise Season - Jan - Dec
Currency - Real (R$) (BRL)
Language - Portuguese
Population -150,000 approx
Land Area - 1,362.880 km²
Electricity - 2 perpendicular flat pins USA style
Time - GMT minus three hours
International Country Telephone Code - + 55

Port Location - Ships dock at the new Docas de Santarem cruise ship dock. It is an easy 15 minute walk to the downtown area from the entrance to the port. Taxis are readily available to take you into town or on a tour

Transport Links - Santarém is about three days by river boat from Manaus and Belém, making it an ideal place for a few days' stopover on a trip along the Amazon. All boats stop here.

There's a domestic 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.