Pousada Boto

Start stays with explores of the small city of Salvaterra. Its restaurants, shops and craft markets (be sure to pick up some of the famed marajoara pottery) are all handily nearby – about 10 minutes’ easy walking will take guests to the centre, and there’s a dance club within 25 minutes. More rural wanders can be had too with saunters along the banks of the Paracauari river. Excursions outside of Salvaterra come highly recommended, and the on-site team will be happy to help organise jaunts to the city of Soure (a short ferry ride away, across the Paracauari), or to the stunningly scenic village and beach of Joanes. On the Soure side of the river, travel on to the spectacular Praia do Pesqueiro (about half an hour’s cycle from the city) for sandy strolls, dips in warm water and a gastro exploration of its food huts. The mangrove-studded stretch of Praia de Barra Velha (10 minutes' cycle) is a must too, for a slightly different style of sandy beach. While exploring the island, be sure to keep eyes peeled for alligators, sloths, scarlet ibises, capybaras and buffalo. The latter at least should be easy to spot – buffalo are the symbol of the island, even serving in many cases as police mounts.