In 1668, Brazilian Jesuits founded a settlement at the mouth of the Jaú River named Santo Elias de Jau.

In 1759, the village was elevated to a town with the name Airão by Joaquim de Melo Póvoas, the first governor of the captaincy of São José do Rio Negro [pt].

It is possible to hire some boatmen at the port for trips to Anavilhanas archipelago, Velho Airão (the ruins of the old town, and nearby petroglyphs), and occasionally the Jaú River.

The boatmen perform sightseeing tours focused on alligators, bird watching, conduct aquatic trails, piranha fishing, wildlife observation, and visits to native communities.

Due to current bus and boat schedules, making a day trip to Novo Airão is difficult- most spend at least a night in the town.