Brazil is home to approximately one-third of the world’s tropical rainforests. The rainforests cover huge amounts of territory in the Amazon Basin and are home to thousands of animal and plant species. The rainforests are also home to many tribes of indigenous peoples.

Unfortunately, the rainforests of Brazil are being destroyed at an alarming rate. Since 1970, over 15% of the country’s rainforests had been deforested, and each year, another 8,000 square miles are destroyed. The rainforests are being destroyed for cattle ranching, logging, and infrastructure projects.

General Information about Visiting Brazil

Brazil is in the Southern Hemisphere, so the summer months are December through March. The language of Brazil is Portuguese, although those who work in tourism, including the rainforest tours, speak English. Americans visiting Brazil will need a passport and a visa.

Going to the Rainforests

Ecotourism is big business in Brazil. Brazil is a country with incredible beaches, mountains, waterfalls, and white-water rapids, as well as the rainforests.

Most of the transportation in the rainforests, which make up the northern part of the country, is done by boat along the Amazon River. There are tours available that allow for rafting and canoeing trips. The rainforests are encompassed within a National Park System that has 50 parks, overall.

The best way to see the rainforests is through an organized tour. These tours keep visitors from getting lost in the jungles and are the best way to protect the rainforests from destruction that too many people can cause. One such guided tour takes tourists to the rainforest at Mamiraua.

Mamiraua is Brazil’s first sustainable development reserve and the location of a protected flooded forest. Here, tourists will get to enjoy wildlife such as river dolphins, squirrel monkeys, and sloths. In the dry season, they may even get to see jaguars and other elusive animals. Birdwatchers will be able to search out over 400 species of birds, including the harpy eagle, the world’s largest bird of prey.

One of the highlights of a visit to Mamiraua is spending the night in the Uakari floating lodge. This “hotel” on the water uses solar energy and other green-building technologies. Brazil is just beginning to take advantage of the idea behind ecotourism, which makes Mamiraua more accessible to the public.