Santarém is located at the joining of the Tapajos and Amazon rivers. Formally a village of the indigenous Tapajos Indians, it was later colonised by the Portuguese and today is the second largest town in the state of Pará. Just outside the city, the turquoise waters of the Tapajos meet the ochre-coloured waters of the Amazon, which flow alongside each other without mixing. In this area are flooded forests, swamps and savannas.