Surely when thinking about that vacation trip so deserved, because you spend so many months of the year fulfilling the responsibilities of home, work, school of children, you come to mind South America, that part of the American continent located in the southern hemisphere of the planet, full of magic and natural resources in bulk, which not only has paradisiacal beaches and mountains, but an exuberant nature with an impressive biodiversity, where ecological and cultural tourism can be done through a unique contact that fills the mind of incredible experiences.
Well, if we are right, you have chosen the perfect article to read, because here we will summarize the most important aspects of that area of the planet that serves as a lung for the earth, “The Amazon”; also called Amazon, with an emphasis on ” í “, and that includes a region with an immense extension pertaining to the central and northern part of South America, where the tropical forest of the Amazon basin is included, in addition to the adjacent regions of the Guianas and the Gran Chaco.
When traveling to this Amazon rainforest, you will be embarking on a wonderful adventure that will take you into the most extensive tropical forest in the world, with an area of seven million square kilometres (7,000,000 km²), that is, 40% of the South American territory, which are located in nine countries.
Of course it is almost impossible to make a holiday trip that includes itineraries in many countries, since we are not in Europe where you can visit several countries in a matter of days, we are talking about a set of countries that have a biodiversity considered as one of the largest in the land, in a region where Brazil and Peru have the greatest extension.
After these countries are Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Guyana, French Guiana and Suriname, which share that wonderful gift of God, where life is expressed through various special fauna and flora, which fill with color and magic the landscapes, reason for which, on November 11, 2011 was declared as one of the seven natural wonders of the world.
This wonderful region gives the planet endless advantages, starting because it is the lung of the world, because in its vast area is more than half of tropical forests, being the habitat of millions of species of plants and animals, where about a quarter of all terrestrial species are included.
In this way, we will begin by describing aspects of the Amazon rainforest of Brazil, considered a wonder of nature, which is surrounded by many rivers, streams, waterfalls and waterfalls, which beautify an enormous forest that hosts more than 15,000 species and occupies almost half of the country, however, much of this mysterious and magical jungle has not been explored and continues to spread throughout the neighbouring countries.
The immense flow of its rivers are used as navigation routes to reach the ocean, and in its waters hide electric eels, piranhas and other rare species that make them say that special, some more exotic than others and in their forests can also be found practically extinct species such as jaguars, spider monkeys, river dolphins, tapirs, peccaries, armadillos, boa constrictors and even the famous anacondas.
An interesting fact is that there are more than 1800 species of butterflies, but there are also more than 200 species of mosquitoes, which does not sound very attractive to nature lovers, but they hate mosquitoes that desperate anyone, but There is nothing that a good repellent can solve.
In only two kilometres of this part of the Amazon in Brazil, with an annual average temperature of 31ºC, you can find about 300 different types of plant species, in addition to the great variety of birds, insects and mammals, and a thousand species of fish that have as habitat the Amazon River, which attests to the great biological richness of the area and the importance it has for the world, and that make a trip for its many square kilometres of extension of this wonderful jungle, an experience of unforgettable life.
If you consider starting the adventure through the Amazon in Brazil, then you should know that the excursions leave from the city of Manaus, where generally only takes the transport to go to the jungle, because this city has few tourist attractions, being one of the attractions interesting the Amazon Theatre, designed by Domenico de Angelis in 1896, which retains the Renaissance style.
Once you have reached this wonderful jungle, you can perform many activities, ranging from visits to large lotuses, walks to observe the majesty of the Amazonian flora and fauna, which are usually guided to avoid the risks inherent in the zone, tour some villages, interact with some indigenous people to learn about their culture and customs, climb trees, spend the night in a Ceiba’s glass, among other equally attractive activities.
It should be noted that in the Brazilian Amazon you can make very interesting trips for all those Eco tourists who are passionate about the cultural and anthropological aspects of any country, especially when you have the opportunity to interact and communicate with the natives of this impressive area of the world, which is why it is received during the month of June about one hundred thousand travellers who come to attend the “Folklore Parade”, which represents the largest sample of indigenous culture in Brazil, where it is possible to combine the different legends indigenous, in a natural setting full of magic and colour, where the cultural exchange reminds us how great we can be as spiritual entities that belong to this wonderful nature, as one of the thousands of species that inhabit the planet earth.
Among other services that the ecological tourism offers to visitors in this region are the wonderful jungle tours and boat trips, as well as stays in the jungle that can vary from one-day trips, short stays in one comfortable and natural refuge, until the trips with a duration of several weeks in rustic lodgings, aboard a boat or camping in the middle of the jungle, for which they must take the appropriate precautionary measures and let themselves be guided by the specialized guides, for avoid getting lost or being victims of an animal attack.
This area presents one of the most beautiful natural spectacles, in a place located about 10 kilometres from Manaus, where the so-called “Encuentro de las Aguas” takes place, which is a natural phenomenon that occurs between the brown waters of the Solimoes River and the black waters of the Negro River, in a distance of 6 kilometres, along which the waters of both rivers flow side by side without ever mixing, due to the difference of densities, speeds and temperatures of the waters of both rivers, until they reach the mouth where the Amazon River rises and form a single flow of water.
Now, we are going to move to the Amazon of Colombia, which covers the third part of the Colombian territory and is as magical and beautiful as that of Brazil, and in which you can enjoy a warm and humid tropical climate, with a average temperature of 25° C, with a minimum average of 22° C, which is reached between the months of December to January, and an average maximum of 30° C between the months of June to August.
Considering these ideal climatic conditions, the Colombian Amazon rain forest offers nature, culture and adventure lovers many opportunities to get to know cultures, interact with the environment, and experience unique experiences that combine the emotion, peace and tranquillity of the natural sanctuaries and the wisdom of the indigenous cultures.
In addition, in this incredible journey you can climb trees 35 meters high, like the lotus tree that is considered the largest in the Amazon, and its diameter reaches up to 1.50 meters in diameter; so to get it up requires special skills and great value, but whoever can do it will experience an indescribable and wonderful feeling as it slides between its branches to feel the force of the imposing nature.
You could also spend the night in the canopy of a Ceiba tree, to feel the sounds of the thick jungle, which mixes the voices of hundreds of animals that play to communicate in their own habitat, making this experience a spiritual journey that stands out the essence of the human being.
To know aspects of the culture of the region, you must visit the most important cities such as Florence and Leticia, where you can practice cultural tourism by visiting emblematic places, such as: the Cathedral of Lourdes, the Yai Pata Uinchi Ethnographic Museum, the Blue Hill Pictographs, the Santander Park, the Ethnographic Museum of the Amazonian Man, the Leticia Tourist Board, the Bell Tower of the Leticia Cathedral, the Felix Artunduaga Historical Museum and Path, the Natutama Interpretive Center, the Intercultural Park and the Petroglifos of “El Encanto”, among others.
To enjoy typical activities of Ecological Tourism in the Colombian Amazon rainforest, it is convenient to visit the Island of the Micos; the municipality of Puerto Nariño, where guided tours can be made on foot or in vehicles, depending on the tourist’s preference or preference, in order to immerse themselves in a world full of colour and magic.
Definitely, all the characteristics of the Amazonian forest mentioned above, make this region a potentially rich and suitable place to practice ecological and cultural tourism, considering that the main priority must be the preservation of the environment through a healthy coexistence with the nature and the awareness that it is a world heritage of the whole world and not only of Brazilians and Colombians.
ALFA