This newly minted extractive reserve is an outstanding place to immerse yourself in the best the Amazon has to offer, with excellent wildlife-watching – if you're here to see the Amazon in its pristine state, this place should be high on your list. The reserve extends north from the Rio Negro and is most easily reached from Novo Airão.
The forest here is immaculate, and teeming with birds and animals. Monkeys commonly seen include howler, capuchin, squirrel and saki, as well as marmosets and tamarins. Macaws and toucans also lead a star-studded cast of birdlife.
On June 5, 2018, after a long and difficult battle, the area was granted status as an 'extractive reserve' (reserva extratavista or RESEX). Extractive reserves, first imagined by Chico Mendes, allow locals to live inside the reserve and take what they need (wood, rubber, fish) for subsistence, but not for commercial purposes. No more than 500 people live here, and it remains one of the most pristine corners of the Amazon.
Most tours here are handled by the excellent Visit Amazonia, based in Novo Airão. A week is the recommended minimum stay.
Other groups offering tours here include Expedição Katerre and Amazonia Expeditions.