Voyage to the Heart of the Amazon

Board the motor yacht Tucano in the early morning and depart upstream on the Rio Negro. Through the morning cruise to the world’s largest river island system, the Anavilhanas Archipelago. Scan the magnificent tangle of vegetation at the water’s edge from the observation deck. By mid-afternoon the vessel has gone beyond the frontier of settlement and entered a wilderness area. Both shores are covered by dense rainforest. Though there is no way to predict what you can see, there is a good chance of observing pink river dolphins and a large collection of exotic birds. Most certainly you are going to be treated to magnificent forest vistas and the spectacular trees themselves. In the late afternoon embark on the launches and search for wildlife.

In the early morning explore the rainforest along the water's edge in launches or kayaks, each group with a naturalist guide. Hear and perhaps see howler monkeys and a morning serenade of toucans. After breakfast go for a walk in the forest where you can get a good start on understanding Amazon ecology. Around midday return for lunch as the vessel gets underway, perhaps stopping at a place to swim. In the late afternoon explore the forest in launches and listen to the sunset chorus of birds and frogs. If the weather allows, join a night excursion in the launches to observe the nocturnal wildlife of the Amazon.

This morning join an early exploration of the waking forest. Keep your eyes open for monkeys. Return for breakfast followed by either a walk in the forest or an excursion in the launches. M/Y Tucano travels during the middle of the day and stops in the afternoon for an excursion. Tonight the vessel may travel a bit more as you marvel at the night sky crowded with stars.

After your morning excursions, the M/Y Tucano navigates along the heavily forested shore, scouting for wildlife. Stop for a visit at a settler’s home carved out of the forest. In the early afternoon sail near an extraordinary river called the Rio Jaueperi. Here you can see a kind of forest known as the varzea. Scout along the shoreline for some of the extraordinary creatures found only in this unique environment. Weather permitting, have a night excursion to observe nocturnal creatures.

Today you will turn the vessel to the Southeast and begin your course to the Amazon River. Continue to scout in our launches and walk in the forest. Weather and water depth permitting, explore areas rarely visited by anyone else. Tonight the M/Y Tucano goes downstream and will explore deep into the rainforest on this magnificent river.

Begin the day with a dawn excursion hunting for wakening wildlife followed by a full Brazilian breakfast. Conditions and navigation permitting, you will then go one last time into the forest. In the mid-afternoon,  begin to journey downstream. You should arrive late in the day at the “Encontro das Aguas” - a stark, several-mile-long line where two of the world’s largest rivers, the Amazon and the Rio Negro, join in a turbulent maelstrom. Here the dark water of the Negro runs beside the opaque brown water of the Amazon. This is often a good place to fish for the legendary scourge of the Amazon, Piranhas, which might just become hors d’oeuvres.

At sunset, the M/Y Tucano will once again turn her bows upstream on the Rio Negro and journey to your overnight anchorage. As you pass in front of Manaus, marvel at the scale of one of the world’s largest and most vibrant port cities, over a thousand miles from the sea. As you pass the glittering lights on shore, there would be a small party, called in Brasil, a festazinha, a “Caipirinha Night”. Tonight will be a farewell dinner and prepare for an early departure in the morning.

Early this morning, after a hearty breakfast, disembark from the M/Y Tucano.

Optional City Tour of Manaus: This three-hour tour of Manaus includes the boisterous Mercado Municipal of Manaus, the Teatro Amazonas - the famed opera house of the Amazon, and the historical starting point of Manaus, the Praça Dom Pedro II. Included are the services of a bilingual guide, entrance fees, and transportation to and from the Hotel Tropical. Please inquire for rates.