Text : Nelissa Peralta, Photos Luis Claudio Marigo and Marcos Amend
The Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve is located in the heart of the Brazilian Amazon. It is the largest protected area of flooded forest (“várzea”) in the Amazon offering unique scenery and experiences. It has an abundance and variety of wildlife (the Amazonas river is much richer than the Rio Negro) and endemic charismatic species like the white Uakari monkey. It is the first sustainable development reserve, where the communities actively participate in its management.
Mamirauá is a protected area that since 1990 works with local communities to promote the conservation of the area and higher standards of living for the population who lives inside the Reserve. In order to achieve these goals, the NGO that co-manages the area has tried to implement sustainable economic activities with local villages, such as fisheries and forest management as well as ecotourism.
Ecotourism has been developed since 1998. The Uakari Floating Lodge has ten apartments with solar power, sewage filtration and rainwater collection system. With an incredible biodiversity, and endemic species, the flooded forests of the Mamirauá Reserve have attracted hundreds of visitors each year. They visit the area to view the wildlife that 15 years of conservation have helped to protect ; in addition they help local scientists in their research, and visit local villages to learn about sustainable development. The local peasant population have long lived in the area ; their culture is still quite similar to the Amerindian culture, from whom they are descendants. A total of seven local communities (ribeirinhos) work with ecotourism selling produce, working and managing the lodge, selling handicrafts, hosting guests in the villages.
All profits are destined to the local villages, half of it is invested in a community-based surveillance system, and half is invested in local community projects that are elaborated, evaluated and approved by a local council with representatives from each community. The Mamirauá reserve has won two international prizes : the best ecotourism destination award granted by Conde Nast Traveler Magazine and the Sustainable Tourism award granted by the Conservation Traveller Foundation (USTOA) and Smithsonian Magazine, both in 2003.
Location
The Mamiraua Reserve is located in the Central Amazon Basin, near Tefé, a town 500 km from Manaus. Gateway Tefé is one-hour flight from Manaus and served by Rico Airlines -http://www.voerico.com.br/
Reservation calls to +55 92 4009 8300.
For those with more time it is also possible to travel to Tefé by boat from Manaus (regional “recreios”). The journey takes up to two days and prices vary by boat and level of comfort. Information call to the Port in Manaus phone number is +55 92 3621 4316.
The Uakari Floating Lodge is at 1 ½ hour by speed boat(motorized canoe) and 3 ½ hour by regional boat from Tefe.
Contact
Nelissa Peralta/ Monique Vasconcelos
Av. Brasil, 197. Bairro Juruá.
Phone. : 55 97 3343 41 60
Fax : 55 97 3343 2967
E-Mail : nelissa@mamiraua.org.br or ecoturismo@mamiraua.org.br
Web : www.uakarilodge.com.br or www.mamiraua.org.br
Language : Portugese or English