The Amazon coast is characterized by a heterogeneous landscape, ranging from zones of intense urban development to sparsely-populated areas with little or no infrastructure or public services (Szlafstein, 2012). The most popular beaches are subject to unplanned development, which has created a range of natural and anthropogenic hazards, related primarily to the erosion provoked by inadequate constructions, bacteriological contamination from sewage outfalls, litter pollution, and oil spills (Andrade et al., 2010; Pereira et al., 2014; Sousa et al., 2017). As these processes can affect the development of the tourism industry, effective regulation and planning is urgently required for the
whole Amazon coast, in order to guarantee the establishment of a secure
and sustainable tourist industry, with a minimum of hazards and risks for beach users. In this context, the principal objective of the present study was to describe the natural and social characteristics of sandy Amazon beaches, evaluating their recreational potential and the challenges for the development of the recreational use of those beaches. The following description outlines the environmental and social features of these sandy beaches that determine their potential for recreational and leisure activities, and the challenges for the development of the local tourism industry. Finally, a number of recommendations are presented for the improvement of the recreational use of coastal. Amazon beaches.
