A Pousada Vila de Alter
In my limited time in the Amazon, from Manaus to Tefe to Santarem to Alter do Chao, there are not many places to stay at that I would call 'amazing'. The Vila de Alter pousada however, is.
From the moment the gate opens and you enter the relatively small property, you are engulfed in a sense of relaxamento, paz e tranquilidade. The pousada is stunningly beautiful. Regina and Andrea have created something very special here in just six months - it is that new - and the result is perfect.
Each and every corner, everywhere you look, has been carefully crafted to blend into one seamless and harmonious experience that will not only please your senses, but will restore your faith in humanity. If I sound like I am waxing poetic, it is only because I have been in many beautiful places in this area and have seen the wanton destruction of nature, the indiscriminate building of soul-killing pousadas and tourist 'attractions' that display a total disdain for aesthetics. The emphasis is on price, always it seems. The cheaper the better; the more beds you can squeeze into a squalid concrete rectangle with only the most primitive amenities, the better.
The price of a night's stay at Pousada Vila de Alter is not cheap; it is probably not in a backpackers budget and will not appeal to those whose sensibilities are firmly rooted in their pocketbooks.
This is what a tourism attraction can and should look like. This is what a beautiful place like Alter de Chao (and the rest of the area for that matter) can and should have to offer visitors. Those responsible for tourism development - if they have any respect fotr the environment or promoting the destination with cariño - should come and learn from Andrea and Regina and apply their knowledge and obvious love for the area and it's enormous potential to any and all future projects.
Even the howler monkeys like it here!
Breakfasts are a multisensorial treat. Details abound.