Until the 18th century, Alter do Chão was mostly inhabited by Borari indigenous communities. 
 

The Borari are one of the 180 indigenous peoples that live in the Brazilian Amazon, in the Baixo Tapajós region, on the banks of the Tapajós River. There are approximately 500 Borari families, around 2,000 people, who live in their original territory, Alter do Chão. 

In the discourse that “there are no indigenous peoples in Alter do Chão” there is an intention to make these peoples invisible, despite the fact that the Borari never left their villages, but were swallowed up by the urbanization of Alter. These false news show how the political and economic power, which is interested in their lands and waters in the region, spares no efforts to erase the existence of the Borari indigenous people in the region. 

The origin of the name of the Brazilian village is a tribute to the Portuguese village of Alter do Chão. At the beginning of the 20th century, Alter do Chão was one of the transport routes for latex extracted from rubber trees in Belterra and Fordlândia.

It is one of the administrative districts of the municipality of Santarém, in the state of Pará. Located on the right bank of the Tapajós River, about 37 kilometers from Santarém, being its main tourist point. It houses the most beautiful freshwater beach in the world, according to the English newspaper The Guardian. Popularly known as the Brazilian Caribbean.