Brazil
Novo Airão
Wild pink river dolphins nudging your hands in the tea-dark water of the Rio Negro.
The water is the colour of strong tea, and from the dock a pink shape surfaces, exhales, and nudges your outstretched hand. Novo Airão in Amazonas sits on the Rio Negro where wild boto dolphins come to the shallows of their own accord, rolling belly-up in the tannin-dark water as if they've been waiting for you. The jungle presses close behind the town, and the Anavilhanas archipelago begins right at the waterfront.
Novo Airão is the gateway to the Anavilhanas archipelago — the world's largest freshwater island archipelago — and home to the only legally sanctioned boto dolphin interaction site in the Amazon. The contact is initiated by the dolphins, who enter the shallow water at the river dock voluntarily. The town's morning fish market sells pirarucu — the world's largest freshwater scaled fish — cut into slabs and prepared by restaurants the same day. Canoe rentals are available for independent exploration of the nearest Anavilhanas island channels, and community guides organise piranha fishing from the riverbanks. Despite its proximity to Manaus (three hours by road), Novo Airão retains a village pace that the capital lost long ago.
Couple
Touching wild pink dolphins together, paddling a canoe through the Anavilhanas channels at sunset, and eating tambaqui at floating restaurants on the Rio Negro. The intimacy of the encounters here is not manufactured — it's the real thing.
Family
Children meeting wild pink dolphins in waist-deep water is a core memory waiting to happen. The piranha fishing, the canoe trips, and the novelty of floating restaurants keep every age engaged.
Friends
The dolphin encounter anchors the visit, but the Anavilhanas exploration, piranha fishing, and riverside dining extend it into a full Amazonian experience accessible without a multi-day expedition.
- The boto sanctuary at the river dock is the only legally sanctioned place in the Amazon where wild pink dolphins enter shallow water to interact — the contact is initiated by the dolphins.
- The Anavilhanas archipelago begins directly at the town waterfront — canoe rentals are available for independent exploration of the nearest island channels.
- The morning fish market sells pirarucu — the world's largest freshwater fish — cut into slabs at the waterfront and prepared by restaurants the same day.
- Piranha fishing from river banks is organised through community guides — the fish are released after the catch.
Tambaqui costela grilled over charcoal at floating restaurants on the Rio Negro.
Tacacá and tucumã sandwiches from riverside vendors after the dolphin encounters.
Cupuaçu mousse and açaí from the Amazonas fruit stalls in the village centre.
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