Serra do Pardo National Park
Straddling the municipalities of Altamira and São Félix do Xingu, Serra do Pardo National Park is one of the Amazon's most pristine and least-visited protected areas — a 445,000-hectare fortress of rainforest, rivers and mountain ridges rising to nearly 550 metres. For travellers who want the real, unfiltered Amazon, this is it.
Mountains Inside the Rainforest
Most people picture the Amazon as flat and featureless, but Serra do Pardo gives the lie to that idea. The park takes its name from the Pardo River mountain range, whose ridges average 400 metres and peak at 546 metres — high enough to lift you above the canopy and deliver views of unbroken forest stretching to every horizon.
The park is bounded to the northwest by the Pardo River and to the north by the Rio Xingu Extractive Reserve, placing it within one of the largest continuous blocks of protected Amazonian territory on Earth. Jaguars, giant otters, harpy eagles and more than 400 bird species have been recorded here.
How to Explore It
Access is by boat along the Xingu and its tributaries, making the journey itself part of the adventure. Guided expeditions departing from Altamira typically combine river travel with jungle trekking and wildlife spotting; local operators such as Viverde Amazônia and Xingu Adventure can arrange logistics.
Visits require advance planning and coordination with ICMBio, the Brazilian conservation authority that administers the park. The dry season (July–November) offers the most navigable river conditions and the best wildlife sightings at water holes and exposed riverbanks.
Serra do Pardo National Park on video
More of Altamira
Discover where to stay, what to do and the best deals for your trip.
Explore Altamira →
