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Marimarituba

Filed under: Ask Us - January 7th, 2006

Your Question

For a couple of weeks during the Brazilian winter I will be going to the island of Marimarituba. Can you give me a bit of info on the island?

Our Reply

The island of Marimarituba (mah-de-mah-de-TU-ba) is located along the Amazon River and takes approximately 4 hours to get there by boat if leaving from Santarem, Brazil. The island consists of 4 small villages named Vila Amazonias, Bom Jesus, Marimarituba Costa, and Guajara.

As in all of Brazil, the language spoken is Portuguese. There will most likely be few if any who speak English due to the size of the villages, and the lack of technology. You may want to bring a pocket translator, or a pocket translator book.

Since you will be going in the Brazilian winter, don’t be fooled in thinking that it will be cold. Since you are so close to the equator, you will most likely never feel cold, especially if you are used to winters with snow, or cooler temperatures. I would estimate that the temperature will never fall below 15 degrees Celsius in Marimarituba. Be prepared for tropical rain as well.

Seeing as how the village is in the Amazon State, I would suggest going to the clinic and asking what sort of shots you may need to get, for example: typhoid fever, yellow fever, malaria, etc. There will be many bugs, so I suggest bringing some bug sprays, as well as a mosquito net to put over your bed when sleeping.

The village of Marimarituba will most likely be quite poor seeing as how it is quite a distance to larger more advanced cities. I would be very cautious with my cameras, and things of value. Most of the time, people are not out to steal from you, but it is always good to be cautious.

You may also want to bring little gifts for some of the children you will meet while there. I am not sure how long you are staying, but a favorite for young Brazilian children is always a soccer ball. They could play all day if they could.

Well, I hope this helps you, and if you have any more questions, or if there is more you would like to know don’t hesitate to write again.