Caxiuanã National Forest, National forest in Pará, Brazil

Caxiuanã National Forest lies in the municipalities of Portel and Melgaço, Pará, on the west bank of Caxiuanã Bay, an enlargement of the lower Anapu River. Terra firme forest covers 85% of the area, with a canopy averaging 35 metres, while várzea and igapó floodplain forests make up 12%. The Ferreira Penna Scientific Station, opened in 1993, occupies 330 square kilometres with laboratories and housing.

Caxiuanã National Forest was created on 28 November 1961 by federal decree No. 239, making it the oldest national forest in Amazônia Legal and the second oldest in Brazil. It is managed by ICMBio, which keeps two bases inside the forest. The Ferreira Penna Scientific Station, run by the Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi and IBAMA, opened in 1993 on a 330 km² site with laboratories and housing. In 2014 hearings began on a proposal to log 1,800 km² in three areas.

Local families living within the forest have maintained ways of life that depend directly on the land for generations. Their daily work centers on farming, harvesting nuts and fruits, and processing cassava into flour, which shapes the rhythm of the community.

Getting to this forest requires careful planning since it is far from major cities and accessible only by boat or airplane. Visitors should expect long travel times and should arrange transportation in advance through local guides or tour operators.

The Ferreira Penna Scientific Station, opened in 1993, covers 330 square kilometres and is run by the Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi with IBAMA. It provides laboratories and housing for researchers, and hosts projects such as TEAM, PPBio and ESECAFLOR/LBA, studying fauna, flora and abiotic data.