Paddling near Codó, Maranhão

Codó sits in the cerrado-transition zone of eastern Maranhão, where the Rio Itapecuru runs close to the city. That river, along with the more distant Rio Mearim and Rio Tapuio, defines the paddling character of the region: broad, slow-moving Northeastern Brazilian waterways suited to flatwater kayaking and canoeing through gallery forest and open savanna landscapes.