Sights in The North
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Museu do Seringal Vila Paraíso
The Museu do Seringal Vila Paraíso is a 25-minute boat ride from Ponta Negra, which is itself a 20-minute bus ride from the center. Fortunately, the trip there is part of the fun, and can be combined with a stop at Praia da Lua, Manaus's best beach. Guided tours include an opulent rubber baron's townhouse and a replica rubber tapper shack, and walking a short trail to see how rubber trees are tapped, and the latex processed in a thatch smoke house.
A bit gimmicky but still interesting, and the only place in Manaus to learn about this all-important history. Boats to the museum (25 minutes) leave frequently from Marina Davi, just past Ponta Negra. Take Bus 011, 012, or 120…
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Casa das Onze Janelas
Once the home of a sugar baron, then a military hospital, the Casa das Onze Janelas now houses an excellent art gallery and one of Belém’s finest restaurants, Boteco das Onze. The medium-sized gallery contains a mix of classical and modern artwork, plus a good photography exhibit upstairs. The café in back has a view of the mouth of the Amazon.
reviewed
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Lago Verde
This huge three-fingered lake is surrounded by forest, and has places to swim, snorkel, and spot birds and animals (including a resident family of monkeys). Tour operators offer enjoyable boat tours; if you go in the afternoon, the tour usually ends at Ponta de Cururú, a good spot to see the sunset and river dolphins. Freelance boatmen on the waterfront do the same for cheaper, but typically don't have the same service or equipment that agencies do.
You can also rent a kayak at the waterfront and explore the lagoon on your own; just be alert to for strong waves and currents. Stingrays are a concern in shallow areas of Ilha do Amor, Lago Verde and in the river. One of the…
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Parque do Mindú
Believe it or not, Manaus has its own endemic primate: the tiny Sanguinus bicolor, better known as the pied bare-faced tamarin. The species is critically endangered, with no known groups in the open forest – they seem to have evolved to thrive only in areas of secondary growth – yet notoriously difficult to breed in captivity. The best place to observe this curious and vanishing creature is Parque do Mindú, a 33-hectare park in a residential area of Manaus about 6km from the center. The park has a system of eight intersecting trails, including sections of elevated walkways and an orchid house. Volunteer guides can help visitors locate the tamarins (early morning and …
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Beaches
A good sandy beach, Praia do Cajuiero, faces the Rio Tapajós on the west side of the village. Beaches further afield are best reached in a car, including Pindobal (8km), Cajutuba (16km), Aramanai (26km) and Ponta de Pedras (28km). Tour operators in town also offer day trips that include stopping at isolated no-name beaches along the main channel.
Stingrays are a concern in shallow areas of Ilha do Amor, Lago Verde and in the river. One of their nicknames is 'Wish-You-Were-Dead Fish' if that's any indication of the painfulness of their sting. Fortunately, rays are very skittish and prefer muddy areas over sandy ones, which means they're fairly uncommon in busy areas of Il…
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Mercado Ver-o-Peso
A symbol of the city, this waterfront market's name comes from colonial times, when the Portuguese would ver o peso (check the weight) of merchandise in order to impose taxes. The market's four-turreted iron structure is known, aptly enough, as the Mercado do Ferro. It was brought over in parts from Britain, and assembled and inaugurated in 1901. A profile of the turrets is commonly used as a symbol of Belém.
The four-turreted iron structure inside the market (visible from well outside of it) is known as the Mercado do Ferro. It was brought over in parts from Britain, and assembled and inaugurated in 1901. A profile of the turrets is commonly used as a symbol of Belém.
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Encontro das Águas
Downriver from Manaus, the 'black' (actually reddish-brown) water of the Rio Negro meets the 'white' (light brown) water of the Rio Solimões, but owing to differences in speed, density and temperature, the waters don't immediately mix. Instead, they flow side by side for several kilometers, an occurrence known as the Encontro das Águas.
The phenomenon, which occurs in several places along the river, was the inspiration for the wavy black-and-white tile work in front of the Opera House, and borrowed again for Rio de Janeiro's famous beach promenade. Boat trips to see the meeting of the waters are typically combined with a highly packaged tour of Parque Ecológico Janauar…
reviewed
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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 m…
reviewed
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Praia Grande
A tawny sandbar beach emerges on the far bank of the Rio Branco, opposite Boa Vista, during low water, roughly December to April. Known as Praia Grande, it is indeed big and beachy, and makes for a pleasant afternoon visit. Its transitory existence means there is no shade - bring an umbrella or consider waiting until the afternoon. Porto do Babazinho offers ferry service for R$4 roundtrip, and can provide food and drinks.
Be careful of stingrays, especially in low-water season. The sting hurts like a mother; fortunately, rays are quite skittish and you have to actually step on one for it to sting you. Shuffle your feet when entering or exiting the water - the cloud of san…
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Praia da Lua
Manaus's best beach is a short boat ride up the Rio Negro and can be coupled with a visit to the Museu do Seringal for a nice city escape. The sand is surprisingly fine and the water good for swimming, despite the tea-color. Like all river beaches, Lua is biggest when the water is low (November and December) and smallest when it's high (June and July). Trees provide some shade, but the midday sun can be intense. Semi-permanent eateries serve fish and beer at tables set up along the water.
The big drawback: no toilets. Catch a boat to Praia da Lua (10 minutes) from Marina Davi. just past Ponta Negra. Take Bus 011, 012, or 120 (20 minutes) to the turnaround and wait for the…
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Porto Flutuante
Officially called the Estação Hidroviária de Manaus, the Porto Flutuante is where you'll disembark if you come to Manaus by boat. Inaugurated in 1902 and designed by the British, it was considered a technical marvel because it rises and falls with seasonal water levels, which can vary as much as 14m (annual high-water points are marked on the wall beside the bridge leading to the dock). It's quite a scene, with cargo and passengers being loaded and unloaded.
You used to be able to just wander around, but it is now restricted to passengers only. A bridge just to the right of the port entrance leads to a very pleasant shopping and eating area with good views of the docks…
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Teatro Amazonas
Manaus’s famous opera house, the Teatro Amazonas, was designed in eclectic neo-classical style by engineers from Lisbon and a team of interior designers at the height of the rubber boom. Opened in 1896, this beautiful theater symbolizes the opulence that once was Manaus. The artists and most of the materials (Italian marble and glass, Scottish cast iron) were imported from Europe. The wood is Brazilian, but even some of that was sent to Europe to be carved. One truly homespun feature is the roadway outside the entrance; it is made of rubber, so that late-arriving carriages wouldn’t create too much noise. The theater has been restored four times (most recently in 1990).…
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Estação das Docas
An ambitious renovation project converted three down-at-heel riverfront warehouses into a terrific commercial and gathering center. Estação das Docas has restaurants, artsy shops, a small theater, plus a post office and ATMs. There are also interesting displays, in Portuguese and English, about the founding of Belém and the growth and importance of the shipping trade here. The waterfront promenade is lined with attractive yellow cranes, further reminders of Belém’s port-town roots, and outdoor tables with great lunchtime views. There’s live music most nights, performed from a moving platform up in the rafters, slowly rolling the length of the dining area.
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Museo do Círio
From the discovery of a tiny statue of Mary in a riverbank in 1700, to idiosyncrasies of the massive procession of today, the handsome new Círio Museum breaks down Belém’s famous religious festival, the Círio de Nazaré. There’s the story of how, in 1855, a rope was used to steady the statue’s carriage, and has since become an integral part of the march, with the faithful jostling for a chance to pull or touch it. The rope was banned by the church for being ‘unsanctified,’ then brought back by public demand. It’s grown along with the festival – at last measure, it was 400m long and weighed over a thousand pounds. Explanations are in Portuguese only.
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Palácio Antonio Lemos & MABE
This rubber-boom palace served as the city hall between 1860 and 1883. By the early 1990s the palace was virtually abandoned, with animals roaming around inside, but it underwent renovation and once again houses the municipal government headquarters as well as the Museo de Arte de Belém (MABE).
Constructed in the Brazilian imperial style, the building has a grand central staircase of Portuguese marble. The museum upstairs has gorgeous wood floors - cloth slippers are provided at the entrance - and a fine collection of Brazilian 20th-century paintings, including Cândido Portinari's 1957 oil Seringal.
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Centro Cultural Palácio Rio Negro
The former home of eccentric German rubber baron Waldemar Scholz, the Centro Cultural Palácio Rio Negro was built in the early 1900s, and served for many years as the state capital and governor's residence. Converted into a cultural center in 1997, it now hosts temporary art exhibits and occasional concerts and performances in the eclectic main house. Other buildings contain a fine art gallery, a ho-hum coin museum, and a sound-and-image museum.
Free guided tours are available, usually in Portuguese, though you may get lucky and find an English-speaking docent.
reviewed
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Museu do Seringal Vila Paraíso
This museum is a 25-minute boat ride from Ponta Negra, which is itself a 20-minute bus ride from the center. Fortunately, the trip there is part of the fun, and can be combined with a stop at Praia da Lua, Manaus’ best beach. Guided tours include an opulent rubber baron’s townhouse and a replica rubber-tapper shack, and walking a short trail to see how rubber trees are tapped, and the latex processed in a thatched smokehouse. It’s a bit gimmicky but still interesting, and is the only place in Manaus to learn about this all-important history.
reviewed
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Museu de Santarém
Housed in a large yellow waterfront mansion, the Museu de Santarém is also known as the Centro Cultural João Fona, after the Pará artist who painted the frescoes on its interior walls. The building dates from 1867 and has been a jail, city hall and courthouse. In addition to several paintings and documents related to the city’s founding, the museum features a small but excellent collection of stone pieces and pottery, including burial urns and ceremonial figurines, from the Tapajoara culture that flourished locally more than 6000 years ago.
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Museu de Arte Sacra
The Museu de Arte Sacra consists of the impressive Igreja do Santo Alexandre and the adjoining Palâcio Episcopal (Bishop’s Palace). Santo Alexandre was Belém’s first church, founded by Jesuits in the early 17th century. Impressive in size alone, the church nave also contains brilliant sculpture and detailing, virtually all done by indentured índios using plaster and local red cedar. The rambling Bishop’s Palace has a decent collection of modern art and installation pieces, plus a café and gift shop.
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Igreja São Sebastião
Although it’s by no means Manaus’ largest or oldest church – the cement block exterior belies as much – Igreja São Sebastião has a beautifully restored interior (completed to mark the 100-year anniversary of the arrival of the Capuchin Franciscan order) that is well worth a peek. A short nave gives way to the church’s opulent altar, with surprisingly dramatic paintings of saints and priests presiding over earthly battles. The handy location doesn’t hurt; it’s opposite the Teatro Amazonas facing the plaza.
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Museu de Ciências Naturais da Amazônia
Known by many locals as the Museu Japonesa (Japanese Museum), because it is run by Japanese-Brazilians and located in a predominately Japanese-Brazilian area, this museum has an extensive exhibit of stuffed fish, preserved butterflies and some unnervingly large beetles and spiders from the region, with descriptions in English, Portuguese and Japanese. A modest aquarium contains live Amazon fish, including the impressive 2m-long pirarucú.
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Museu do Índio
Sandwiched between two churches and run by Salesian nuns, the Museu do Índio displays artwork, musical instruments, fishing and hunting tools and ritual objects of indigenous groups from mostly Amazonas and Pará states. The collection is large and quite good, but the displays are artless and explanations seriously lacking. You’ll find similar pieces but a more modern and engaging presentation – and free admission! – at the Museu Amazônico.
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Parque Senador Jéfferson Péres
Known as Parque Jéfferson, this new Y-shaped city park has grass, benches, and a small orchid house, plus food stands in colonial-style gazebos and ample night-time lighting. This area was once a gritty favela (slum), and the park’s creation was not without controversy, requiring scores of homes to be torn down, and hundreds of residents relocated. A rotten smell wafting up from the creek running through the park is the main drawback.
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Museu Dica Frazão
Nonagenarian Dona Dica Frazão (b 1920) is the creator, namesake, tour guide and main advocate of the Museu Dica Frazão. Slight and cheerful, Dona Dica has spent more than 50 years making women’s clothing and fabrics from natural fibers, including grasses and wood pulp. Pieces on display include reproductions of a dress made for a Belgian queen, a tablecloth for Pope John Paul II and costumes for the Boi-Bumbá festival at Parintins.
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Teatro da Paz
One of Belém’s finest buildings, the Teatro da Paz was built between 1869 and 1874 overlooking Praça da República. Built in neoclassical style, the architecture has all the sumptuous trappings of the rubber-boom era: columns, busts, crystal mirrors and an interior decorated in Italian theatrical style. Half-hour guided tours (R$4, free on Wednesday) are offered hourly from 9am to 1pm Tuesday to Friday, and 9am to noon on Saturday.
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