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Voykit pocket guide · Brazil
Tonantins
Stop 1 night on a Solimões boat run, not as a destination: no roads in, no sights, hotels fill weeks before the late-November Pirarucu Festival.
Tonantins is a river town on the north bank of the Solimões (upper Amazon), about 867 km west of Manaus by water and reachable only by boat. It is a working Amazon town, not a resort: a port, a church square, an open-air market, a handful of restaurants and three hotels. Its value to a traveller is as a break in a multi-day boat trip between Manaus, Tefé and Tabatinga, or as a base for the Pirarucu Festival in late November and early December.
- Country
- Brazil
- Best months
- Jun–Nov (drier, easier river travel)
- Avoid
- Feb–May (heaviest rain); late Nov–early Dec unless you want the Pirarucu Festival and book weeks ahead
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- BRL
- Money
- Currency is the Brazilian real (BRL, R$). About R$5–5.8 per US dollar in 2026 — check. Cards and tap-to-pay are accepted almost everywhere, even at beach kiosks.
- Daily spend
- Budget R$150–250 excl. bed · Mid R$250–450 excl. bed · High R$450+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Vivo, Claro and TIM cover the country; buying a prepaid SIM needs a passport and sometimes a CPF — an eSIM before you fly is easier.
- Emergency
- Police 190 · Ambulance 192 · Fire 193
- Plugs
- Types N, C · 127 V (Rio, São Paulo) or 220 V (Brasília, much of the Northeast) · Check the voltage on the socket; most chargers are dual-voltage.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: 10% service (serviço) usually on the bill; optional but normal.; Beach kiosk / bar: Often included; round up.; Taxi / Uber: Not expected; round up.; Guide: US$5–15 per person per day.; Hotel staff: Small tip for porters.
- Water
- Do not drink tap water; filtered water is provided in most homes and hotels.
- Toilets
- Put toilet paper in the bin, not the toilet, in most places.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Snack or lanche at a market stall | R$10–25 |
| Plate of regional fish (pirarucu or tambaqui) with rice and farofa | R$30–60 |
| Beer at a bar | R$8–15 |
| Moto-taxi across town | R$5–15 |
| Simple hotel double room, one night | R$120–280 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- MAO · Manaus – Eduardo Gomes International
- No airport at Tonantins; fly to Manaus, Tefé or Tabatinga, then take a boat.
- TFF · Tefé
- Closest practical air gateway; fast boat from Tefé about R$200–240.
- TBT · Tabatinga
- Upstream gateway; fast boat to Tonantins about R$170–200.
Typical fares
- Fast boat Manaus → Tonantins
- about R$230–380, about 24 h
- Fast boat Tabatinga → Tonantins
- R$170–200
- Fast boat Tefé → Tonantins
- R$200–240
- Slow boat Manaus → Tonantins
- about R$275, about 4 days
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walk. The main district around the port and town hall takes about 30 min to cross; the west district is under an hour on foot. Taxis and many moto-taxis cover longer hops.
See and do
Known for
- Solimões River boat stop between Manaus and Tabatinga
- Pirarucu Festival (late Nov–early Dec)
- Folkloric Festival (July)
- Igreja de São Pedro Apóstolo and its square
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Manaus | Fast boat from the port, about 24 h; slow boat about 4 days | 24 h fast / 4 days slow |
| Tabatinga | Fast boat upstream, about 12 h from Tonantins | About 12 h |
| Tefé | Fast boat downstream, several hours | Half a day |
| São Gabriel da Cachoeira | Fly from Manaus or Tefé, then boat legs | 1–2 days |
Sleep
- Centro (near the port)
- Hotel Rei Davi sits here with a rear entrance at the port; walkable to the church square, market and most restaurants.
- West district
- Quieter, with river swimming spots and snack bars; 30–60 min on foot from the port, or a moto-taxi.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Good morning | Bom diabong DEE-ah |
| Thank you | Obrigado / Obrigadaoh-bree-GAH-doo / oh-bree-GAH-dah |
| How much is it? | Quanto custa?KWAN-too KOOS-tah |
| Where is the port? | Onde fica o porto?ON-jee FEE-kah oo POR-too |
| I would like a boat ticket to Manaus | Quero uma passagem de barco para ManausKEH-roo OO-mah pah-SAH-jeng jee BAR-koo pah-rah mah-NOWS |
| Is there a room available? | Tem quarto disponível?teng KWAR-too jees-po-NEE-vel |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake, hug or cheek kiss (one in São Paulo, two in Rio); avoid: Being stiff with new acquaintances
- Gestures: Use thumbs-up freely; avoid: The OK hand sign (it is rude)
- Language: Try Portuguese; say obrigado/obrigada; avoid: Defaulting to Spanish
- Time: Expect relaxed social punctuality; avoid: Being late for tours and flights
- Beach: Bring only a towel, cash and a copy of your ID; avoid: Leaving things unattended
Scams and watch-outs
- No roads in: the only access is by river boat, and schedules change with the water level.
- Fast-boat timetables and fares quoted here come from older listings: confirm departure day and price at the Manaus or Tabatinga terminal before you commit.
- Hotels fill weeks before the Pirarucu Festival (late Nov–early Dec).
- Bring cash: card and Pix coverage in a town this size is patchy.
- River swimming is a local habit, not a supervised activity: currents and boat traffic are real.
A small, quiet river town; the practical risks are river currents, unlit streets at night and boat schedules that shift without notice. Use the same caution you would in any Amazon town after dark.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Tonantins yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Solimões River boat stop between Manaus and Tabatinga
- Pirarucu Festival (late Nov–early Dec)
- Folkloric Festival (July)
- Igreja de São Pedro Apóstolo and its square
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Amazonas state tourism (Amazonastur): www.amazonastur.am.gov.br/
- Terminal Ajato (Manaus fast boats): www.terminalajato.com.br/
- Wikivoyage: Tonantins, revision 5126719 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5126719
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Tonantins
Para este endereço, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Tonantins; the US, UK and other consulates are in Manaus, embassies in Brasília.
Cash is king here; ATMs are scarce, so withdraw in Manaus, Tefé or Tabatinga before you board.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/tonantins). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.