Max, the founder of the lodge, lived all his childhood in this region, grew up contemplating the beauties of the Amazon, listening to birds singing, learning from the beginning the importance of living in community and producing sustenance from daily activities common to the people that lives around the rivers such as: hunting, fishing, planting and harvesting.
It was the continuous observation of the customs of his family that helped him to create the sustainable projects, and activities that today are selected to compose the ecotourism packages of the lodge, inserting the knowledge of the communities around and the expertise of them in agreement to our projects, giving them and empowering them to do so, was rewarding. Revealed talents and brightened the services provided by the team.
Our team is formed by people from the communities and families that work in tourism. You can meet them as reception, cooks, waiters and room maid, all of them have an effective contract and are residents of nearby communities.
Our visitors leave the lodge, happy out and delighted with the simplicity and promptness with which they are served and received during the experience in our lodge.
All activities are conducted by our specialized guides, but our “mateiro” jungle guides from the communities around the lodge, is always together, guiding, helping, collaborating with the experience and taking care that everything is presented naturally, because one of our mission is that our guests have the most authentic amazonian experience.
We are located in a privileged area of primary jungle with a rich biodiversity and vast options for ecotourism, bird watching, adventure and leisure. The trip from Manaus to the lodge is the first part of the adventure, you will see different ecosystems, natural beauty and encounters with the routine of the local natives, cattle flocks and stilt houses that adorn the “sides” of the roads, families that move in small boats along of the rivers and the fisherman in his stillness and calm waiting for a good day of fishing.
The total journey time is 03h30min between land and river navigation, with a strategic stop at the famous meeting of the Negro and Solimões rivers. The journey continues to Careiro da Várzea port, where the route by land begins, via the famous highway BR-319 – until the dirt road km 14, a 17 km ride on unpaved road, total of 57 km. The trip ends on the shores of river Mamorí, where another boat awaits the visiting travellers to proceed to their final destination to the Lodge.
The state of Amazonas is home to a large part of the forest and its most important rivers. From the junction of the most famous rivers, Negro and Solimões, the Amazon River is formed. And, on the banks of the Negro River, a few kilometers from the meeting of the rivers, is the city of Manaus, capital of the state of Amazonas. We are located in Lago do Tracajá, fed by the Mamori River, in the southeast region of Manaus, in an area of primary forest.
Flood season | Period: March to August – Due to the rainy season, the water levels increase ranging from 10 to 15 meters. This is the ideal period for tours in the igapós (flooded forest), carried out in motorized canoes. The tours are stunning and ideal for the contemplation of the Amazonian Fauna and Flora evident in this environment.
Dry season (ebb) | Period: September to February – It is the period in which the region presents greater intensity of heat, the level of the rivers reaches its lowest point, generally the igapós dry up and we start to use the terrestrial paths (ecological trails) to carry out walks on land, as well as exploring the paths of the igarapés (small arms of rivers).
Max Maia created movements with the communities that favored the local economy, it was the continuous observation of the customs of his roots that helped him create sustainable projects, and activities that today are selected to compose the lodge’s ecotourism packages. Inserting the resident of the community into the lodge project, and training them to do so, was gratifying. He revealed talents and enhanced the services provided by the team.
From the reception, cooks, waiters and maids, all have an effective contract, and are residents of nearby communities.
The tours involve visiting local communities and, due to the distance from the lodge to Manaus, our involvement with each family goes beyond working with tourism, we have contributed to the local economy, as this partnership allows us to purchase fresh products, vegetables and fruits from from the plantations of neighboring communities, as well as fresh fish that, for the most part, are ordered directly from the fishermen in the region.
All activities are conducted by our specialized guides, however, our “woodsman” resident of the community is always together, guiding, helping, collaborating so that everything is being presented in a natural way, and that the experience of our visitors is authentic.
We are committed to social actions that benefit the residents of the Lago do Tracajá Community, and the development of tourism in the Mamori River region.
Families living in the surroundings of the lodge are included in social inclusion projects and participate in training courses, professional training, ideas for the reuse of solid waste, entertainment and health. With this, residents add new options for family subsistence to their daily lives, conscious of environmental sustainability.
We want to continue projects that value locals, and give young people the opportunity to learn a second language, and practice with foreign visitors staying at the Amazon Turtle Lodge.
We aim to help schools in the communities we visit, teaching children the importance of preserving the environment, teaching the importance of communication, organization, cleaning, etc…
To recognize the forest, cultural exchange, practices of empirical knowledge, such as receiving our visitors and motivating the practice of ecological tourism in the region.
We will create spaces with gardens in the backyard, to produce organic foods typical of the region, teaching planting techniques without harming nature.
