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Major city · Brazil

Santarém

Give Santarém 2 nights as an Amazon stopover: 1 day for Alter do Chão's river beach, 1 for the meeting of the waters and the waterfront market.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
BRL
Best months
Aug–Nov (dry, river beaches exposed)
avoid Feb–May (heavy rain, high water covers the beaches)
Airport
STM
Nights
2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7Above 2,500 m (Bogotá, Quito, Cusco, La Paz) keep the fir…
  • South America ↗Above 2,500 m (Bogotá, Quito, Cusco, La Paz) keep the first day light; sleep lower where you can (Sacred Valley before Cusco) and descend if headache comes with vomiting or confusion.
  • South America ↗A yellow fever certificate is required on arrival in French Guiana, and asked for on some routes into Bolivia, Paraguay, Suriname and Guyana, or when arriving from Amazon areas — vaccinate at least 10 days before travel and carry the card.
  • South America ↗Overnight buses are the norm in Argentina, Chile and Peru, but pick top-tier companies and keep valuables on your body; on-board thefts from overhead racks are the common loss.
  • Brazil ↗US, Canadian and Australian citizens need an e-visa (about US$81 — check) applied for online at the official VFS portal before travel; EU and UK citizens do not. Check your passport with Brazil's Ministry of Foreign Affairs before booking.
  • Brazil ↗Yellow fever vaccination is recommended for many areas, including the Amazon and Pantanal; check with a travel clinic at least 10 days before travel.
  • Brazil ↗Keep your phone out of sight in the street and on beaches; phone theft is the most common crime against visitors in big cities.
  • Brazil ↗Carnival 2027 runs about 5–10 February (Tuesday 9 February; Salvador from 4 February): book Rio, Salvador and Recife/Olinda months ahead or avoid those dates.

Santarém sits where the clear Tapajós meets the muddy Amazon, midway between Manaus and Belém, so it works as a river-boat stopover or a short flight-in break. The city itself is a working port with a small colonial centre; the reason to come is Alter do Chão, about an hour south, and the river. Two nights covers it; three if you add a boat day.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Santarém, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee or a fruit juice (açaí, cupuaçu)R$8–20 (≈ US$2–4)
  • Sit-down mealRiver fish dinner (pirarucu or tambaqui)R$50–90 (≈ US$10–17)
  • BeerBeer in a barR$8–15 (≈ US$2–3)
  • Taxi, about 5 kmTaxi across the centreR$15–30 (≈ US$3–6)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a weekR$40–80 (≈ US$8–15)
  • Budget bedFamily room (up to 4), a night, per roomR$220 (≈ US$45)
  • Mid-range bedDouble room with air-con, a night, per roomR$200 (≈ US$40)
  • High-end bedDouble room with air-con, a night, per roomR$380 (≈ US$75)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget R$180 (≈ US$35) · Mid R$320 (≈ US$60) · High R$600 (≈ US$120)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Meeting of the Tapajós and Amazon riversAlter do Chão river beachMercado Modelo waterfront marketRiver fish: pirarucu, tambaqui, tucunaré
Airports
STM Santarém–Maestro Wilson Fonseca Airport (About 13 km west of the centre; domestic flights with Gol, LATAM, Azul and Trip to Manaus, Belém, Fortaleza, Recife and Rio.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Santarém: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

31°C

23°C

20 rd

Feb

30°C

23°C

21 rd

Mar

30°C

23°C

23 rd

Apr

30°C

23°C

22 rd

May

31°C

23°C

20 rd

Jun

31°C

23°C

15 rd

Jul

32°C

23°C

12 rd

Aug

33°C

23°C

8 rd

Sep

33°C

24°C

6 rd

Oct

33°C

24°C

6 rd

Nov

33°C

24°C

8 rd

Dec

32°C

23°C

14 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The centre is walkable and flat; taxis and app rides cover the airport and outlying areas. Buses run to Alter do Chão from the centre (check times locally). Boats leave from two ports: Docas do Pará for Manaus and Belém, and a smaller dock near Praça Tiradentes for Tapajós River destinations.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Alter do Chão

go

Door to door: About 1–1.5 h

Bus or taxi from Santarém, about 1 h

River beach and the Sairé festival grounds; go early and check the water level.

Fordlândia

overnight

Door to door: Half a day or more each way

Boat on the Tapajós River

The old rubber-town ruins; too far for a comfortable same-day return.

Itaituba

overnight

Door to door: 8–15 h

About 15 h by boat or 8 h by bus along the Tapajós

Gateway to Amazônia National Park; plan at least one night each way.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Centro / Beira Rio waterfront

Walk to Mercado Modelo, the museums and the boat docks; most budget and mid-range hotels are here.

Alter do Chão

About 1 h south by road; stay here instead if the river beach is your main reason to come.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
R$150–250 (≈ US$30–50) excl. bed
Mid
R$250–450 (≈ US$50–85) excl. bed
High
R$450 (≈ US$85)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Double room with air-con1 × 2 nights × R$200R$400
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × R$320R$1,280
Airport taxi, both ways2 × R$80R$160
Day trip to Alter do Chão by taxi1 × R$200R$200
eSIM, about a week of data2 × R$60R$120
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeR$216
Trip total≈ R$594 per person per day, bed includedR$2,376≈ US$450

2026 estimate in reais; flights and long-distance boat fares excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee or a fruit juice (açaí, cupuaçu)R$8–20 (≈ US$2–4)
Regional lunch plate (fish, rice, farofa)R$25–50 (≈ US$5–10)
River fish dinner (pirarucu or tambaqui)R$50–90 (≈ US$10–17)
Beer in a barR$8–15 (≈ US$2–3)
Taxi across the centreR$15–30 (≈ US$3–6)
eSIM or data SIM, about a weekR$40–80 (≈ US$8–15)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Santarém is a working river city, not a resort: use normal Brazilian city care after dark, keep to lit streets in the centre, and carry little on the waterfront at night.
  • River-boat classes differ: hammock deck is cheapest, cabins cost more; confirm the fare and departure at the dock before paying.
  • Boats advertised for Macapá dock at Santana, not Macapá; you then need a bus or taxi.
  • The bus station is on the Santarém–Cuiabá highway, well outside the centre; allow time and take a taxi.
  • High water (roughly Feb–May) covers the Alter do Chão sandbanks; check before booking a beach day.

Emergency numbers

Police
190
Ambulance
192
Fire
193

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

SantarémSantarém

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

Para este endereço, por favorTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police190
  • Ambulance192
  • Fire193

Embassy

No embassies in Santarém; the US, UK and other consulates are in Rio de Janeiro or São Paulo, embassies in Brasília.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Airport → centre, taxi: about R$40–60 (≈ US$8–12), 20–30 min
  • Centre → Alter do Chão, taxi: about R$150–250 (≈ US$30–50) each way
  • Manaus → Santarém, river boat, hammock deck: about R$150–200 (≈ US$30–40), roughly 36 h

Say or show

  • Bom dia — Good morning (bong DEE-ah)
  • Obrigado / Obrigada — Thank you (oh-bree-GAH-doo / oh-bree-GAH-dah)
  • Quanto custa? — How much is it? (KWAN-too KOOS-tah)
  • A conta, por favor — The bill, please (ah KON-tah por fah-VOR)
  • Onde fica o barco? — Where is the boat? (ON-jee FEE-kah oo BAR-koo)
  • Não falo português — I don't speak Portuguese (nowng FAH-loo por-too-GAYS)

River-boat fares and schedules change with the season; confirm at the dock.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Santarém. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Aug–Nov (dry, river beaches exposed) · avoid Feb–May (heavy rain, high water covers the beaches) · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 2 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 3 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. An airport-to-bed path that says whether a late landing still works
  2. Walking clusters with bag rules
  3. Day plans checked against opening hours
  4. Field-verified times and fares

Meanwhile

Back to Brazil

Sources