This is our last port of call in Brazil. It is a tender port which means that the cruise ship is too large or the port is too small to allow us to pull up to the port directly. We use one or more of the ship’s lifeboats to travel to and from the port.

We landed on a small beach and had to cross about 30 feet of sand to reach a dock where we were met by a couple of vendors and a couple of great photo opportunities. To get into town we had to cross the blue and yellow bridge with the intriguing arch wrapped with colored cloth strips.

Alter do Chão is a pleasant town that caters to visitors, especially when the water level in the river is low. We are visiting in the wet season so the higher water level has almost submerged the beaches that gave Alter do Chão its nickname of “the Brazilian Caribbean”.

Walking through the town gave us opportunities to see several of the quaint and inviting hotels. I liked the upper deck with its hammock and promise of cool breezes, the colorful chairs of the cafes, and the collection of rental boats that can be hired to take you to the beaches of “Love Island” (Ilha do Amor), the strip of nearly submerged beach we can see across the water. I thought the fish made from an old tire was particularly clever.

The weather was hot and extremely humid so we stopped for a couple of beers in a local bar/restaurant (to prevent heat stroke) then headed back to the ship and the air conditioning. This was a quiet day and a pleasant visit to Alter do Chão.