The Amazon
This small but intriguing museum tells how Xapuri, located at the confluence of two rivers, was once a major transport hub for rubber, nuts, wood and…
Must-see attractions in The Amazon
Pará
Enclosures are rather desultory at this rehabilitation center, but the animals are not intended to stay for long. Affable guides lead interesting tours …
Pará
Dona Dica Frazão spent three-quarters of a century making clothing and fabrics from natural fibers, including grasses and wood pulp. She died aged 96 in…
Amazonas
This is Barcelos' biggest and most accessible beach. It's on an island directly opposite town and is a short boat ride (R$4) from the main dock. Shacks…
Centro Cultural dos Povos da Amazônia
Manaus
At the heart of this massive cultural complex is the excellent Museu do Homem do Norte (Museum of Northern Man), which contains an incredible array of…
Amazonas
Hostel Manaus arranges engaging tours of various lengths to this massive collection of islands, the largest river archipelago in the world, southeast of…
Alter do Chão
Most afternoons, large numbers of pink and grey dolphins congregate just offshore from this sandy point near the mouth of the Rio Tapajós for an evening…
The Amazon
This appealing museum consists of traditional indigenous dwellings and cultural artifacts from communities across the Amazon. There are other exhibits,…
Manaus
Also known as the Museu dos Cinco Sentidos (Museum of the Five Senses), this innovative museum uses the five senses to evoke and illustrate indigenous and…
Pará
Praia Garrote is a completely undeveloped beach at the mouth of the Rio Paracauari. To get there, follow Travessa 9 east out of town; the road makes a…
The Amazon
Acre’s first capitol building, the imposing Palacio Rio Branco, is now mostly a tourist attraction. A maze of interconnected rooms contain informative,…
The Amazon
Built as Macapá's defense against a river attack in 1764, the star-shaped Fortaleza de São José is one of Amazon's most remarkable structures. Filled with…
Pará
This pleasant oval-shaped plaza and viewpoint has two open-air food stalls and good river views. An observation tower affords an even better view,…
Centro de Interpretación Natütama
Amazonas
The Centro de Interpretación Natütama has a fascinating museum with nearly 100 life-sized wood carvings of Amazonian flora and fauna. There’s also a small…
Pará
Praia Barra Velha is edged by thick mangrove stands and several small restaurants. To get there, follow Travessa 14 east of town for about 4.5km to a fork…
Manaus
Housed in a converted mansion, the Museu Amazônico has a small but excellent collection of indigenous items and artifacts from around the Amazon, many…
Amazonas
Tefé has a small Encontro das Aguas, where an offshoot of the creamy-brown Solimões merges with the red-black water pouring out of Lago de Tefé. It's an…
Amazonas
In town, Seminario San José is a striking structure that occupies the entire northern side of Praça Tulio Avevêdo. It was once a seminary and is now used…
Catedral Metropolitana de Manaus
Manaus
Manaus' main cathedral has twin bell towers and a warm yellow interior. It makes for a welcome respite from the busy streets just outside.
Alter do Chão
A few blocks west of the town center along the waterfront promenade is this pleasant beach, wrapping around to the Tapajós River.
The Amazon
Parque Nacional Montanhas do Tumucumaque (Tumucumaque National Park) is Brazil’s largest national park, spanning nearly 39,000 sq km. It borders the…
Reserva Extrativista Pedras Negras
The Amazon
About 240km upstream from Costa Marques, the Reserva Extrativista Pedras Negras has good opportunities for hiking, canoeing, and spotting rare orchids,…
Centro Cultural Palácio Rio Negro
Manaus
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…
Parque Nacional de Pacaás Novos
The Amazon
This rugged, 7648-sq-km national park includes Rondônia’s highest peak, Pico do Tracoá (1230m), and some spectacular waterfalls. Fauna includes rarely…
Estrada de Ferro Madeira–Mamoré
The Amazon
Right on prime waterfront, the massive warehouses and rusting trains at this historic railyard would make an ideal home for hip bars and restaurants,…
Museu Emílio Goeldi & Parque Zoobotánico
Belém
This museum and zoo contains Amazonian species, from anacondas and white-whiskered squirrel monkeys to jaguars and giant river otters, plus an aviary,…
The Amazon
A tawny sandbar beach emerges on the far bank of the Rio Branco during low water, roughly December to April. Known as Praia Grande, it is indeed big and…
Amazonas
Craft beer has been slow in coming to the Amazon, but this small-scale operation fills a niche with its excellent Sarapo beer, made with hops imported…
Belém
Closed indefinitely for renovations when we last passed by, this museum, once it reopens, has two parts: the impressive Igreja do Santo Alexandre and the…
Belém
The State Museum of Pará is housed in the grand Palácio Lauro Sodré, originally the residence of Portugal’s royal representatives in Belém and later home…
The Amazon
In its spiffy home on the main plaza, the Memorial dos Autonomistas has a permanent display on Acre’s battle for statehood, plus space for rotating art…
Belém
Bosque Rodrigues Alves' aging but well-maintained animal enclosures (which harbor tapir, bird, feline and primate species) and wide, tree-shaded paths are…
Museu de História e Arte Sacra
Pará
This modest museum has exhibits on Santarém's history and several artifacts related to the Cirio de Nazaré, the massive religious celebration held every…
The Amazon
Housed in a curious white tubular structure near Palacio Araguaia, the Memorial Coluna Prestes tells the life story of Captain Luis Carlos Prestes, who…
Belém
Once the home of a sugar baron, then a military hospital, the Casa das Onze Janelas now houses an excellent gallery of modern art. The first and second…
The Amazon
Built on the only hill in town, the state capitol building looks over the plaza and Palmas itself. The lobby has huge colorful mosaics and, in one corner,…
Amazonas
As Misões was founded in 1897 and has a huge church and a cemetery full of former missionaries. It has also served as a vocational training center, and…
Manaus
Inaugurated in 1902, Manaus' 'floating port' was a technical marvel of its day, able to adjust 15m or more to seasonal water levels. (Look for high water…
Pará
Facing Praça da Matriz, the city's pretty blue-painted church dates from 1761. Its predecessor church, made of palm fronds in 1661, was Santarém's first…
The Amazon
Palmas' main cathedral has a modern look, with a low sloping exterior and a long interior nave. It lacks the gravitas of Brazil's older houses of worship,…
