Jaú National Park, National park in Amazonas, Brazil
Jaú National Park is a vast protected rainforest area in Amazonas, Brazil, situated between the Unini and Carabinani rivers. The landscape features permanent lakes and waterways throughout, creating an intricate network of black water systems that support the forest ecosystem.
The park was established in 1980 to protect the black water ecosystem and support the communities living there. This protected status has safeguarded one of South America's largest remaining intact rainforest areas from outside development.
Indigenous groups including the Sateré-Mawé, Tucano, and Kambeba live within the park and continue their ancestral traditions and languages. Visitors walking along riverside communities can observe traditional fishing practices and ways of life that have changed little over generations.
Getting there requires taking a boat from Manaus to Novo Airão, which serves as the starting point for entering the park. The driest months from July through November offer the most comfortable conditions for navigation and exploration.
The name comes from the gilded catfish, a species native to the river systems here that gave the region its name. It contains the complete basin of the Jaú River, making it one of the world's largest intact tropical rainforest reserves.
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