Delicacies of the Amazonian culture and cuisine are mysteries and flavours still unknown by Brazilian and foreign tourists in the state of Pará. In the itinerary Secrets and Spices of the Amazon, tour operator Vivejar invites travellers to immerse themselves in the multisensory universe of the Amazon, with significant encounters with the local community and an inspiring approach to the region's gastronomy and crafts.
The 6-day trip takes travellers on a cultural and community-based journey, where local communities are responsible for tourism activities and get from them their sources of income, development and cultural preservation. It is also the opportunity for an incredible exchange of experiences with strong and empowered women who have transformed their opportunities and realities through tourism, handicrafts and gastronomy.
The journey begins in the historic capital of Belém, with the first food immersion in the popular Ver-o-Peso market and its variety of unique regional products. The group also takes a cultural tour through the capital, that still preserves patrimonies and stories from the beginning of its foundation by the Portuguese, 400 years ago.
The trip follows to Cotijuba Island, the main of the 42 islands that are part of the Belém archipelago, and an Environmental Preservation Area with 15 kilometers of fresh and warm water beaches bathed by Marajó and Guajará rivers. In Cotijuba, the local community, organised by MMIB – Belém Islands Women's Movement, is responsible for receiving the visitors, presenting some of the island's traditions, crafts and its reality.
For 4 days, travellers have the opportunity to live close together with strong and leader women, artisans and cooks, farmers and tour guides. The transformative experience and the connection and the bonds created during the journey inspire profound and enduring changes in the travellers.
Through hands on cooking and handicraft workshops, tourists discover how to make bio jewellery with typical seeds of the region. To get even closer to the culture of Pará, activities include a scented bath ceremony and a lot of Carimbó dancing. MMIB guides also take visitors through a trail in the middle of the incredible Amazon Forest and free time can be spent on a river beach bath.
