One Of South America's Most Notorious Routes Is A Wild Brazilian Adventure Into The Heart Of The Amazon Jungle

When it comes to the Amazon, travelers typically expect to travel by river cruise or airplane. Many communities in this region of the world are completely jungle-locked, meaning they're inaccessible by road. However, this is not the case for the region's capital of Manaus, which is home to over 2 million people and is connected to the vast and far-reaching Brazilian highway system by one of the wildest roads the country has to offer, the BR-319, also known as the Road of Ghosts.

Built in the 1970s during a migration boom to the Brazilian interior, this road is over 550 miles long and connects the city of Porto Velho, the capital of the state of Rondônia, to Manaus, the capital of Amazonas. It was designed to help facilitate the transportation of materials from the Amazon and support a growing population that never was fully realized. This left the road to fall into a state of disrepair, which has been seen by travelers as an opportunity to take on one of Latin America's most thrilling driving challenges.

With political discussions about potentially rebuilding the road currently underway, time may be running out to experience this epic overland adventure in the heart of the Amazon rainforest. Here's everything you need to know if you're keen to conquer this notorious Brazilian road trip.

The best way to drive the BR-319 is to start in Porto Velho and plan for multiple stops along the way in towns like Humaitá, Realidade, Igapó-Açu Reserve Area, and Careiro Castanho. Many people choose to make this trip by car, ideally a four-by-four that can handle off-road conditions, but it can also be traversed by motorcycle. Spreading your itinerary over two or three days will give you time to spare so you can take it all in and handle any challenges that are likely to come up. One of the biggest rewards of the trip is arriving at the final ferry dock; the ferry will take you the rest of the way to Manaus, which will surely feel like an urban respite and a satisfying return to the world of convenience.

There are many cities in the Amazon worth seeing, like the gastronomically creative city of Belém, but the end of the road on BR-319 is Manaus, which is a fascinating destination in itself. Once you arrive there, you can look forward to checking out the Teatro Amazonas, a regal opera house that harkens back to the day's golden days of the wealthy robber barons, or try indigenous cuisines at restaurants like the elegant Caxiri or the authentic Biatuwi.

It's true that the Amazon rainforest is filled with dangerous animals, but on the BR-319, your biggest concern should be the potholes. During the rainy season, the road is sometimes completely impassable in some areas, as many sections can become very muddy, causing major road blockages. The rainy season is the absolute worst time to attempt traveling on this road, not only for those reasons but also because many bridges have been washed away completely in the past.

If you don't stop or get stuck, it takes about 16 hours to drive the entire length of the road from Porto Velho to Manaus. There are sometimes segments that are over 300 miles long without a gas station in sight, so you should always carry extra fuel. You could rent a sturdy car in Porto Velho and attempt the journey on your own, but you will have a much easier time with a professional tour company that specializes in overland off-road adventures like MotoDreamer. It offers an 11-day motorcycle trip that starts on the BR-319 and continues deeper into the Amazon.

You can get to Porto Velho via a four-hour connecting flight from São Paulo–Guarulhos International Airport and pick up a car by the airport from a rental agency like Localiza. It's a small city, but there are some nice hotels there; one of the top-rated is the two-star Richard Hotel. Get a good night's rest, and then you can get straight on the BR-319 and head out to your one-of-a-kind adventure.