Ilha do Marajó

I’m a little behind on the things that I want to blog about. I visited Marajó for the second time in mid-August shortly after arriving in Belém when a friend from the Corps came up from São Paulo. The first was when I was in Brazil in 2003.

Marajó is a three hour ferry ride north of Belém. The fluvial island is the size of Switzerland and is bathed by the Amazon River and the Atlantic Ocean. The island has been inhabited for thousands of years, and descendants of the indigenous marajoarans still produce ceramics whose style and production method haven’t changed for 3,000 years. Most of the terrain is flat and about half the island is submerged during parts of the year. The island has beautiful river beaches with white or yellow sand, like Praia do Pesquiro:

The staples of marajoaran cuisine are river fish, crabs, shrimp, and buffalo. Islanders also produce a cheese made from buffalo milk that is often served with meals.

Buffalo getting a bath on Praia Grande

Simply said, I love Marajó. The exotic environment makes it unique among places I’ve visited. There is very little to do except go to the beach and eat, but what else do you need?