The Tumucumaque Mountains National Park (Portuguese: Parque Nacional Montanhas do Tumucumaque; Portuguese pronunciation: [tumukuˈmaki]) is located in the Amazon rainforest in the Brazilian states of Amapá and Pará. It is next to the north of French Guiana and Suriname.
History
Tumucumaque became a national park on August 23, 2002, when the Government of Brazil worked with the WWF. It is part of the Amapá Biodiversity Corridor, which was started in 2003. The protected area is supported by the Amazon Region Protected Areas Program. The plan for managing the park was published on March 10, 2010.
Geography
Tumucumaque Mountains National Park covers more than 38,800 square kilometers (14,980 square miles), making it the largest tropical forest national park in the world. This area is larger than the country of Belgium. When including the nearby Guiana Amazonian Park in French Guiana, the total protected area reaches 59,000 square kilometers (22,780 square miles). Together, these two parks are still smaller than the combined area of three national parks along the Brazil-Venezuelan border: Parima-Tapirapeco, Serranía de la Neblina, and Pico da Neblina. These three parks cover more than 73,000 square kilometers (28,190 square miles).
However, when Tumucumaque Mountains National Park and the Guiana Amazonian Park are combined with other large protected areas in northern Pará, Brazil, such as the Grão-Pará Ecological Station and the Maicuru Biological Reserve, the total area becomes much larger. This combination helps protect the Guiana Shield, one of the world’s largest and best-preserved tropical rainforest corridors. This region is uninhabited and has high ecological value. Many of its animal species, such as certain types of fish and aquatic birds, are found nowhere else on Earth. It is home to jaguars, primates, aquatic turtles, and harpy eagles.
The highest point in the Brazilian state of Amapá is located in this area, reaching 701 meters above sea level.
The climate is tropical monsoon (Köppen: Am), a type of climate common in northern Brazil near the Amazon Forest. The average temperature is 25°C (77°F), and yearly rainfall ranges from 2,000 to 3,250 millimeters (78.84 to 127.95 inches).
Tourism
Tourism in the Park occurs in two areas: the Amapari Sector and the Oiapoque Sector.
The Amapari Sector can be reached by traveling from Serra do Navio city (the most common route) or from a community in Pedra Branca do Amapari (usually during the summer). Travelers take aluminum boats along the Amapari River for 90 kilometers from Serra do Navio to the park's basic campsite. The campsite has hammocks and offers activities like walking on trails, swimming in rivers, and observing animals and plants.
The Oiapoque Sector includes camping at Cachoeira do Anotaie, a waterfall on the Anotaie River, which flows into the Oiapoque River. This location is 40 kilometers from Oiapoque city, reached by boat. Visitors can also explore Vila Brasil, a community on the right side of the Oiapoque River, facing the Camopi indigenous community in French Guiana. This area has small hotels, and visitors can learn about the cultural background of the community. Most residents are traders who provide services to the indigenous people of the neighboring country.