Guajara, Brazil Cruises

Guajara, Brazil Cruise Port

With a population slightly below 50,000, Guajara is a municipality in Rondonia, a northern Brazilian state. The popular state shares borders with Acre to the west, Amazonas to the north, Bolivia to the southwest, and Mato Grosso to the east. Despite rapid deforestation—some of the worst in the Amazon—Rondonia still contains more than 100 thousand square miles of rainforest. Guajara was once the terminus for the historic Madeira-Mamore Railway. Built between 1907 and 1912, the railway linked the cities of Porto Velho and Guajara-Mirim and offered trans-Amazonia access to the Amazon River, and eventually the Atlantic Ocean. The railway acted as a major source of transit for many decades until the early-1970s when the Trans-Amazonian highway was completed, at which point the railway was quickly abandoned. In the early 1990s, the municipality obtained protective status for much of their land, including the Guajara-Mirim National Park, Tracadal Biological Reserve and various other reserves.

• The Cathedral of Nossa Senhora do Seringueira in an impressive architectural achievement with its 30-meter towers and 17,000 tiles in the roof.
   
• For a great selection of historic paraphernalia and a look into the mighty railroad, visit the always informative Guajara-Mirim Municipal Museum.
   
• The most thrilling way to cross the border between Brazil and Bolivia is by boat, utilizing the Rio Mamore’s healthy fleet of barges. Once aboard, the entire trip takes fewer than fifteen minutes.
   
• Cachoeira dos Parecis is a stunning place to hike, explore and view many of its beautiful waterfalls. There are trails for all levels of hiker and the scenery is second to none.