Tonantins

Tonantins is a town on the north bank of the Solimões River (the upper Amazon) in Amazonas, Brazil, 867 km by river to the west of Manaus. It has a population of 18,755. Tonantins is not a common tourist destination but is a convenient stopping point for trips along the Amazon River and provide a look at a typical town of the region.

Understand
This part of South America was actually contested between the Portuguese and Spanish empires in the 18th century. The permanent settlement dates to 1814, when a church was established on the bank of the river. The settlement was originally part of Tefé. On December 1, 1938, Tonantins was made a part of São Paulo de Olivença. On December 19, 1955, Tonantins was made a part of Santo Antônio do Içá. On December 10, 1981, it was separated to form its own jurisdiction. Tonantins was incorporated on July 2, 1985.

The municipality is directly east of and overlaps parts of the ESEC (Ecological Station) Jutaí-Solimões. It is only accessible via boat.

By boat
There are no roads into Tonantins and the only access is by river boat. You can fly into Manaus, Tefé, or Tabatinga and from those cities take a boat to Tonantins. Below are some of the boats the definitely stop in Tonantins. Check also the boats from Manaus to Tabatinga as they might also stop in Tonantins. Likewise, boats from Tabatinga to Tefé or Manaus may also stop in Tonantins.



Slow boat
From Manaus, departing from Porto de Manaus - Estação Hidroviária do Amazonas (rua Taqueirinha nr. 25), boats cost approximately 275 R$. The trip by slow boat takes about 4 days.

Fast boats
From Manaus, departing from Manaus Moderna - Terminal Ajato - Balsa Laranja (Av. Beira Rio). The trip from Manaus to Tonantins takes about 24 hours. (The trip to Tabatinga is about 36 hours, and Tonantins is about 3/4 of the way.) Fast boats cost up to R$ 380.
 * Madame Crys. Departs Manaus Thursdays at 06:00. Departs Tabatinga (returns to Manaus) Saturdays (from schedules a few years ago, this might have changed - verify). This boat is headed for Tabatinga (with stops in Codajás, Coari, Tefé, Fonte Boa, Jutaí, Tonantins, Santo Antônio do Içá, Amaturá, São Paulo de Olivença, and Benjamin Constant). Costs about R$ 230.
 * Glória de Deus III. Departs Manaus Fridays at 06:00. Departs Tabatinga (returns to Manaus) Sundays (from schedules a few years ago, this might have changed - verify). This boat is headed for Tabatinga (with stops in Codajás, Coari, Tefé, Alvarães, Fonte Boa, Jutaí, Tonantins, Santo Antonio do Içá, Amaturá, São Paulo de Olivença, and Benjamin Constant). Costs about R$ 280.
 * Sagrado Coração de Jesu. Departs Manaus Fridays at 06:00. Departs Tabatinga (returns to Manaus) Sundays (from schedules a few years ago, this might have changed - verify). This boat is headed for Tabatinga (with stops in Codajás, Coari, Tefé, Alvarães, Fonte Boa, Jutaí, Tonantins, Santo Antonio do Içá, Amaturá, São Paulo de Olivença, and Benjamin Constant). Costs about R$ 280. Tel.: 9122-1692, 9975-7422, 9985-8412
 * Crystal I. Departs Manaus Tuesdays at 06:00. Departs Tabatinga (returns to Manaus) Thursdays (from schedules a few years ago, this might have changed - verify). This boat is headed for Tabatinga (with stops). Costs about R$ 300.

From Tabatinga to Tonantins, fast boats cost R$ 170-200. From Tefé, R$ 200-240.

On foot
This is a small town and you can probably walk across the main district (where are the main port and town hall) in half an hour, or from the port to the western district in under an hour.

By taxi
There are taxis and many moto-taxis.

Do
Tonantins is not a common tourist destination, but it does attract tourists from other parts of the state for a few annual festivals and celebrations. The most popular are the Pirarucu Festival and the Folkloric Festival.
 * Pirarucu Festival. Late November to early December. It celebrates the pirarucu (Arapaima gigas) harvesting festival. The pirarucu is among the largest known freshwater fish, commonly more than long and  of weight, important to the local economy and popular in local cuisine. It is a good time to experience local music, food, and dance. The festival attracts several thousand visitors, most from within the state of Amazonas. Hotels are often booked up a few weeks before the event.
 * Folkloric Festival. July. This is a smaller festival but is also a good opportunity to experience local culture. Events include concerts and dance performances by groups from towns in the surrounding areas.
 * Nossa Senhora do Guadalupe (patron saint of the city) - December
 * Nossa Senhora das Dores (Our Lady of Sorrows) - 15 September
 * Nossa Senhora de Lurdes (Our Lady of Lourdes) - 11 February

Go next
Boats and speed boats head downstream to Manaus. Boats head upstream to Tabatinga, from where you can enter Peru and continue on to Iquitos.

For detailed information visit the Voyaging along the Amazon River article.