Jardim Botânico Adolpho Ducke

Spanning over 100 sq km on the eastern edge of Manaus, this massive park and protected area is reportedly the world’s largest urban forest. Its namesake was an Italian-born botanist and entomologist who spent decades studying the Amazon rain forest, especially its complex tree systems. The park has long been used for ecological research, but the city is working hard to make it accessible to casual visitors too. There’s a network of eight short trails (3km in all) and plans to build a nature museum, observation tower, and canopy-level walkway – even an aquarium – are well underway. To get there and back, take bus 448 ‘Ciudad de Deus’ from Praça da Matriz; it’s a solid 90 minutes each way, though quite interesting, winding through neighborhoods that few travelers visit.