Marajó island, located in the state of Pará, Northern Brazil, is part of the world’s largest fluviomarine archipelago, bathed by rivers and the Atlantic Ocean. With 16 municipalities and an area of approximately 50,000 km², the region is larger than Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo territories. The place’s stunning natural beauty attracts the attention of tourists from the country and abroad, who experience unique contact with the Amazonian nature.
Marajó has three major attractions: its paradisiacal beaches, the remarkable presence of buffaloes, and rich handicraft production. In contrast to its abundance, the place is one of the poorest in the country, and tourism is seen as one of the most viable alternatives to promote development and generate prosperity for its population.
One of the symbols of Marajoara culture, the buffaloes arrived in the region in the 17th century. Currently, Marajó is home to the largest buffalo herd in Brazil, with more than 600,000 head of cattle, equivalent to 40% of the national total, according to data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). During the 1990s, the number of buffaloes surpassed that of oxen, becoming one of the main economic bases of Marajó. Starting with the production of milk, this product is used to manufacture the traditional cheese that has become a regional trademark.
Cheese
The production of cheese is different during the harvest and off-season periods, explains Eduardo Portal, 32, manager of Fazenda Portal, a producer of fresh Marajoara cheese, in Soure, one of the most sought-after municipalities in Marajó. The cheese harvest begins in June and lasts until November, while the off-season runs from December to May, says Eduardo. He states that, during the harvest, the company usually has from ten to twelve employees, and throughout the off-season, it has about five employees. The manager points out that, since the end of 2023 and the beginning of 2024, the archipelago has been suffering the impacts of climate change, causing river droughts to aggravate and reduced the milk’s quality. In the region, there were records of buffalo casualties and the natural burning of pasture.
"It was all very new for us because Portal Farm has only been around for four years, so this was the first summer we felt it so intense. We got ready for this; we thought we had got properly ready, but in fact, we weren’t prepared at all. It drastically decreased the amount of cheese. We had to reduce the number of employees, with our hearts sank. We had to change our production schedule so that it would at least accommodate sales here in the city. We expect things can improve from June onwards", hopes Eduardo Portal.
Living and working in Marajó
At the age of 64, Sandra Cruz was born in the Marajoara city of Cachoeira do Arari. Now she lives in Soure, where she owns a restaurant on Pesqueiro beach, one of the most stunning in Marajó. Mother of two "already grown-up boys”, and grandmother of a 4-year-old girl, she considers herself privileged to live and even work in a coastal region. "I was born on Arari beach but, because of erosion, it disappeared. I am privileged to live here in Soure. If you arrive, for example, at 6 a.m., I'm here. If you come at 8 p.m., I'm here to serve you too. Last June, we received many foreigners, and we never had any difficulties in serving them because they usually come with tour guides. And we also risk a little bit of English," she comments.
The busiest and most lucrative periods of the year for bar and restaurant owners in Soure are January and July. Long holidays also attract a lot of visitors. The high demand from day-trippers requires entrepreneurs in the field to increase stocks of some non-perishable products, such as beverages in general, and expand the number of employees as well.
For Sandra, the access structure to Marajó still needs to improve to attract more tourists to the municipality. Yet, the entrepreneur assures Marajó is an indispensable place to visit:
“Marajó is an excellent place, Soure is the pearl of Marajó, and the Pesqueiro beach is our postcard. You arrive at the beach; you try that fresh turu, a mollusk that is the Viagra of Marajó. You will taste our fish; it is not that frozen fish, it is fresh fish. And you can order a fish fillet with shrimp sauce, all freshly made, and the fish will be very well done.”
Hotel
Another favored sector in July is the hotel industry. Reginaldo Barros, 73 years old, was born in Soure and owns a hotel in the city with about 30 years of existence. "We have maintained this enterprise with great difficulty because we have seasonal tourism here. There are times when we have a lot of people, but also times when we don't have many tourists. In July, for example, we have school holidays here, and we even have problems with overcrowding. After this time, throughout the year, there comes Carnival and New Year's Eve. Here at the hotel we have 14 suites available to guests with air conditioning, minibar and private bathroom, and we always try to treat visitors in the best possible way so that they feel very comfortable here on the Marajó island," he states.
To facilitate lodging, the hotel is registered on websites where visitors can book accommodations. He says that people who leave their reservations to the last minute, near to or in the month of July, end up not being able to find a place to stay in the main tourist regions for the Marajoara people, like Soure and Salvaterra, due to the lack of rooms. Like Sandra Cruz, the businessman’s opinion is that, for Marajó to consolidate as a national and international tourist route, it is essential that there are improvements in the transport flow so that people can peacefully enjoy their stay while visiting Marajó. Consequently, tourism can concretely become the main activity on the island.”
Extraordinary nature seduces tourists
The Amazonian Ellen Melo, 28 years old, was enchanted by the Barra Velha beach, a marine extractive reserve in Soure. It was the tourist’s and her family’s first time in the Marajoara archipelago. She comments that, on their trip to Pará, her initial destination was Alter do Chão beach, in Santarém, in the Lower Amazon area, but due to the little time available this became unfeasible. She, then, decided to go to Soure and was taken aback by the city’s natural beauty. Ellen lives in Manaus, the capital of Amazonas state, but born in the Autazes municipality, which, according to her, has one thing in common with Marajoara cities: buffalo farming.
"We had already heard about Soure, in Marajó, because of the fame of buffaloes. There are also buffaloes in our municipality. Autazes is the largest producer of buffalo milk in Amazonas, so we knew Soure was “the buffalo capital”, but we didn't know the beaches were so beautiful. Everything is very beautiful, we were quite surprised. I came here with my mom and dad. We are already planning for the whole family to come and visit. I want to bring my husband too, bring my sister, my brother and my friends. I will definitely recommend Marajó to everyone who is looking for a beautiful place to visit", states Ellen Melo.
Peace
Pesqueiro beach has become the Costa Family's corner, mainly because of its tranquility, stated Rafael Costa, 55. Accompanied by his son Francisco, 10, and his wife Andreia Ferreira, 39, the civil servant said he came from Belém intending to spend four days in Soure. "I feel safe visiting Marajó. We can go out at night, go cycling, because Soure city is calm, cozy, without noise pollution. Here, at Pesqueiro beach, for example, there are no cars. Barra Velha beach is the same. My son can play in the sand lightheartedly, ride a buffalo, we can do things that we can't do elsewhere," declared Rafael. Andreia, on the other hand, commented on the family's tour around Grande de Joanes beach, in Salvaterra: “We went to Joanes beach, it's very good! The beach is very good for taking a bath, and the fish there is very good!”
Marajoara art mobilizes women
Marajoara souvenirs are a way to take a bit of Marajó along with you when your trip is over. Born in Soure, ceramic sculptor and art designer Tifany Macedo, 24, has been selling eco-jewelry with Marajoara graphics for three years. The entrepreneur says that her accessories’ commercialization adds to the region through women’s beautification and empowerment. The artist also promotes workshops on the manufacture of bio-jewelry and Marajoara graphics so that women can guarantee income based on her shared knowledge. "I own a store called Jandira. We do weekly workshops, not with many women, because we don't have a structure yet, but we try to pass on what we already know about the issue of modeling, assembling and selling", explains the entrepreneur.
Marajoara culture has everything to conquer the world, believes fashion designer Rosilda Angelim, 53. Born in Salvaterra, she has been working in the market for about 30 years. For two years now, she’s been running a business where she sells Marajoara clothes and accessories: the Cañybo store. "I want Marajoara culture to conquer the world. It's our ancestry, it's our people, it's in our blood. So, if people from here, the 'earthly', don't make this happen, our grandchildren, great-grandchildren, won't have any Marajoara culture to see. Let alone the fact this is worth a fortune for us, it’s from where we make a living. This won’t ever stop because Marajó ain’t disappear from the map. So, if we don't promote our ancestry, we who live here, we who are this land’s children, it will be hard for us. So, this is of a gigantic importance, and I feel very grateful for that", said Rosilda.
Professor sees tourism as a solution
Professor Silvio Figueiredo, educator and researcher at the Center for Advanced Amazonian Studies at the Federal University of Pará (Naea/UFPA), advocates that tourism in Marajó can be one of the most tangible solutions to foster progress and unleash prosperity for the people who inhabit the archipelago, as long as the government treats it responsibly. The researcher points out that the region’s municipalities have the lowest Human Development Indexes (HDI) in the country.
"There is no seriousness in dealing with tourism in the region, and this influences Marajó's HDI. I have a lot of work about the region, and most recently, I was there during the years 2020 and 2021. We noticed the lack of new programs and activities to do in Marajó. In Soure, Vila do Pesqueiro develops community-based tourism. And it would be interesting if communities’ potential could be further explored. For example, tourists could stay in the houses of fishermen who live near the beach and learn about their routine, their practices, such as fishing and catching crustaceans, and do activities in the mangroves. This is an important distinctive feature to attract tourists to Marajó. There are a lot of people who want to participate in these tourist itineraries," comments the researcher.
Qualification
The president of the Association of Municipalities of the Marajó Archipelago (AMAM) and mayor of Soure, Carlos Augusto de Lima Gouvêa, known in the region as Guto Gouvêa, disagrees that informal agriculture has grown in the archipelago, and says that these data are not recorded by the IBGE. However, he argues that the island's inhabitants should be qualified: "First, within the official IBGE data we have the lowest HDI, we have poverty on the island; yet, much of what Marajó produces is not recorded. There is an informal life, for example, the Marajó of the forests, I think not even 10% of its açaí production is reported, so there is growth in this production, but this is not done with the correct entrepreneurship. We need to turn Marajoara peoples into vendors. Once they know how to sell our product, we will have many micro and medium-sized entrepreneurs, and the currency will start to turn over".
Geographical Indication (GI) of Marajó’s cheese
Recognized: 2021
It covers: Arari Waterfall, Chaves, Muaná, Ponta de Pedras, Santa Cruz do Arari and Soure.
Four Marajoara cities are among the ten lowest HDI in Brazil
Melgaço (1st) – HDI: 0.418
Chaves (6th) – HDI: 0.453
Catfish (8th) – HDI: 0.471
Piriá Waterfall (9th) – HDI: 0.473
Source: IBGE/UNDP, 2013
