Amazon Destinations

Destinations from Manaus

Destinations: Fordlandia

Fordlandia, the Amazon

We´ve been asked by several people about Fordlândia - what is it, where is it and how do I get there? It isn´t included in the original guide because it isn´t actually in the state of Amazonas, but here are some details on it and we will include it in the next edition of the Guide.

Fordlândia is a town originally built by Henry Ford in 1928, in a remote and fairly ludicrous location in the Amazon. His idea was to develop his own rubber plantations, Ford-style, and secure a cheap source of rubber for his automobile empire. Well, it didn´t quite work out like that, and it was first moved, then abandoned altogether (for details of the whole story, try Fordlândia, by Greg Grandin. But what´s left of it is all still there for anyone to see - the question is, where is it and how do you get there?

The original town lies on on the banks of the Rio Tapajós, at approximately 3° 48.000'S, 55° 29.000'W (for Google Earth users), which makes it over 500km from Manaus, as the crow flies. The most direct way to get there is by plane (1hr) or boat (2 days) to Santarem, at the mouth of the Rio Tapajós, and then by bus or riverboat the remaining 175km upstream from Santarem). I say bus - there is reportedly a bus service between Santarem and Itaituba - but I have no recent feedback on its existence or otherwise. Boats leave for Santarem regularly from Manaus port, and there are also regular flights to Santarem by Gol, TAM and Trip airlines.

Destinations: Velho Airão

Manaus and the Rio Negro upstream

Velho Airão is the old town of Airão, which was abandoned in alledgedly mysterious circumstances many years ago, and has never been re-settled. It is approximately 200km upstream the Rio Negro from Manaus at 1° 55.778'S 61° 22.300'W. Visitors often describe it as being "like something out of Raiders of the Lost Ark", with what were once large colonial style buildings now overgrown with tangled vines and trees. There is also a nearby site which boasts petroglyphs, and since it lies within the Anavilhanas archipelago reserve, is close to the Jaú National Reserve and is only reachable by boat, it is an interesting destination for those wanting to get into the 'real' amazon.

To get there, currently the only valid option is to travel first to Novo Airão, around 100km upstream of Manaus either by bus (from Manaus coach station) or by boat, and then hire a small speedboat to take you the rest of the way (this may involve camping out, depending on the boat, the skipper, and the time available). The best time to visit is probably when the river level is reasonably high - say between August and October and March to May (although you may miss some good beaches), and at very low water it is probably not worth the hassle, because of the myriad sandbanks en route.

Destinations: Rubber Museum (Museu do Seringal Vila Paraiso)

Rubber Museum, Manaus, Amazon

The Rubber Museum lies 20km to the northwest of Manaus (8km from the Ponta Negra), on the Rio Tarumã Mirim, and is accessible only from the river (3° 0.638'S 60° 10.568'W). It was originally built as a set in 2001 for the Brazilian film A Selva (The Jungle), based on a book by Ferreiro de Castro. It tells the story of the life of a rubber baron and his seringal at the turn of the century. The set is a reconstruction of a real plantation - Seringal Vila Paraiso - which existed near Humaitá at that time. The buildings are faithful replicas of what would have existed in and around 1912, and most of the artefacts are genuine, having been acquired from or donated by descendants of the rubber families who remain in the region to this day.

The Museum is part-funded by visitor fees and partly by the State. It is run by the Secretary for Culture, and the Museum Curator is Judith Guimarães Vieira. The museum provides an interesting insight into the almost bizarre lives of luxury of the rubber barons and highlights the contrast with the unimaginably hard existence of what was effectively a slave labour force. A tour takes around 40 minutes and the current charge (Sep 2010 2009) is R$5. The Museum is open 7 days a week during daylight hours, but you should note that at very low water it may not be reachable (October/November).

All the visitors we know, without exception, have enjoyed visiting the museum and considered it a worthwhile experience. Unless you are going with an organised tour, see the entry below on Local Travel: A cheap day out for details of how to get there.
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