The Amazon
We’ve compiled the best of the best in The Amazon - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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1. INPA–Bosque da Ciência
PetropolisUsed as a research station for the INPA (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisa da Amazônia), the 13 hectares of tropical forest here are home to a great diversity of flora and fauna. Highlights include manatee tanks, caiman ponds, turtles, a museum, a botanical garden with an orchidarium, and nature trails where you can spot monkeys. It's a great place for a walk in the shade and as an Amazonian introduction for kids.
Rua Otávio Cabral s/n, Manaus, Amazonas, 69011-970, Brazil092-3643–3192Sight Details
Rate Includes: R$5, Weekdays 9–noon and 2–5, weekends 9–4 -
2. Jamaraquá
A 40-minute speedboat trip south of Alter do Chão is the community of Jamaraquá, which has developed a strong cultural identity. Here you can head into the forest for a three-hour hike to see a 500-year-old Samuama tree, or visit the rubber factory, where local artisans will explain how they extract rubber from the seringuero tree. Around the community there are numerous streams to explore by canoe and paddleboard. Many travelers end up spending a night or two in the community's small pousada, where both hammocks and private rooms are available. Prices start at R$20 per night. Jamaraquá is also accessible by road (R$15 one-way, three hours)
52 km (32 miles) south of Alter do Chão, Alter do Chão, Pará, 68109000, Brazil -
3. Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve
The largest freshwater tropical reserve in the world, Mamirauá is about 1,050 km (650 miles) west of Manaus on the Rio Solimões. The reserve is known for its abundant wildlife, including the endangered red-faced uakari monkey. It is also a pioneer at successfully integrating sustainable tourism into a protected nature area. The reserve and its associated projects are managed by the renowned Mamirauá Institute, which is dedicated to furthering biodiversity preservation and monitoring humans’ impact on the Amazon. Research stations are set up throughout the reserve. For visitors, a trip to Mamirauá is a rare opportunity to participate firsthand in an organization that is making a difference in the preservation of the world’s greatest natural resource. To get to the reserve, you'll need to fly to Tefé (a one-hour flight from Manaus) and take Mamirauá's boat one hour up the river to Pousada Uacari. It's a bit of an effort, but well worth it.
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4. Mangal das Garças
Cidade VelhaCity beautification efforts to increase tourism and encourage environmental conservation led to the creation of the Mangrove of the Egrets, a verdant park that lines the Rio Guamá. It's a great place for a short stroll. There is an aviary, a lookout tower with a view of Belém, a navigation museum, a boardwalk leading to a lookout over the Rio Guamá, a live butterfly museum, ponds with aquatic plants, food vendors, a gift shop, and an excellent restaurant. Entrance to the park is free, although each attraction costs R$3.
Praça Carneiro da Rocha, Belém, Pará, 66020-160, Brazil091-3242–5052Sight Details
Rate Includes: R$3 each or R$9 for all, Tues. free, Weekdays 9–6 -
5. Meeting of the Waters
Outside Manaus, the slow-moving, muddy Amazon and the darker, quicker Rio Negro flow side by side for 6 km (4 miles) without mixing. If you run your foot in the water at the meeting place, you can feel the difference in temperature—the Amazon is warm and the Negro is cold, the consistencies of the rivers are different, and the experience is magical. The most comfortable way to experience this phenomenen is to book a day trip organized by a recommended tour operator, departing from Porto de Manaus. However, if you are short on time or want to skip the additional activities, head to the CEASA port, where you can rent a boat, or go with a tour company. It takes about an hour to go from CEASA to the Meeting of the Waters, spend some time there, and return. A taxi to CEASA from downtown is about R$30.
Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil -
Recommended Fodor’s Video
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6. Praia do Pesqueiro
Thirteen km (8 miles) north of Soure, Praia do Pesqueiro is the island's most popular beach. When you stand on the white-sand expanse looking out at the watery horizon, the waves lapping at your feet, it's hard to believe you're not on the ocean. The beach has several thatch-roof restaurant-bars, making this an ideal place to spend an afternoon. You can travel here from Soure by taxi, by mototaxi (for one passenger), or by bike. Ask locals or hotel staff about bike rentals when you arrive in Soure. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: swimming; walking.
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7. Teatro Amazonas
CentroBuilt during the rubber boom of the late 1800s, the grandiose Teatro Amazonas was financed by wealthy Brazilian rubber barons who wanted a cultural gem rivaling those in Europe. All the bricks for the building were brought over in ships as ballast from England, and the crystal chandeliers and mirrors were imported from France and Italy. Don't miss the impressive ceiling murals in the main hall, painted by renowned European artists of the time.
View Tours and ActivitiesAv. Eduardo Ribeiro 659, Manaus, Amazonas, 69025-140, Brazil092-3622–1880Sight Details
Rate Includes: Tours R$10, Mon.–Sat. 9–5 -
8. Bosque Rodrigues Alves
MarcoIn 1883 this 40-acre plot of rain forest was designated an ecological reserve. Nowadays it has an aquarium and two amusement parks as well as natural caverns, a variety of animals (some in the wild), and mammoth trees.
Av. Almirante Barroso 2453, Belém, Pará, 66095-000, Brazil091-3277–1112Sight Details
Rate Includes: R$2 for adults, R$1 for students and children, Tues.–Sun. 8–5 -
9. Forte do Presépio
Cidade VelhaFounded January 12, 1616, this fort is considered Belém's birthplace. From here the Portuguese launched conquests of the Amazon and watched over the bay. The fort's role in the region's defense is evidenced by massive English- and Portuguese-made cannons pointing out over the water. They are poised atop fort walls that are three yards thick in places. Recent renovations unearthed more than two-dozen cannons, extensive military middens from the moat, and native Tupi artifacts. A small museum of prefort indigenous cultures is at the entrance. Just outside the fort, cobblestone walkways hug the breezy waterfront.
Praça Frei Caetano Brandão, Belém, Pará, 66020-210, Brazil091-4009–8828Sight Details
Rate Includes: R$2, Tues. free, Tues.–Fri. 10–6, weekends 9–1 -
10. Ilha do Amor
Jutting out into the river across from the main square, this fat finger of golden sand is one of Alter's picture-perfect postcard shots and a great place to spend a day basking in the sun, swimming, and paddleboarding. Rowboats transfer you across (R$10 return), as you will only be able to walk when the waters are at their lowest. Straw cabanas serving fresh grilled fish set out chairs and sun-loungers on the edge of the water. Paddleboards are available for rent for R$50 an hour. Amenities: food and drinks; toilets; water sports. Best for: sunset; swimming.
Alter do Chão, Pará, 68109000, Brazil -
11. Museu Emílio Goeldi
São BrásFounded by a naturalist and a group of intellectuals in 1866, this complex contains one of the Amazon's most important research facilities. Its museum has an extensive collection of indigenous artifacts, including the distinctive and beautiful pottery of the Marajó tribes, known as marajoara. A small forest has reflecting pools with giant water lilies. But the highlight is the botanical zoo, where you can visit a variety of Amazon wildlife, including jaguars, panthers, manatees, anacondas, macaws, sloths, and monkeys. As of this writing, the aquarium is closed for renovation.
Av. Magalhães Barata 376, Belém, Pará, 66040-170, Brazil091-3219–3342Sight Details
Rate Includes: Park R$2 or R$4,50 for the park, aquarium, and museum together, Park: Tues.–Sun. 9–5. Museum and aquarium: Tues.–Sun. 9–noon and 2–5 -
12. Praia do Tupé
This lovely, clean beach on the Rio Negro is popular with locals and tends to fill up on Sunday and holidays. Calm waters make it a good choice for children. Visitors will sometimes be greeted by members of a local tribe dancing, but beware that you will be charged for taking part in the festivities (around R$10 per person). A selection of simple beach kiosks serves fresh grilled fish, rice, and salad for lunch. Expect to pay around R$25–30 per person round-trip to get here from Manaus (30 minutes each way). You can hire boats either from the main port in Manaus or from Ponta Negra. Amenities: food and drink; toilets. Best for: swimming.
Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil -
13. Usina Chaminé
CentroIn an early-20th-century sewage-treatment plant that never functioned, this cultural center on the banks of the Rio Negro features interesting permanent exhibitions that explore Amazonian tribes, the illegal exploitation of the Amazon's flora and fauna, and the essence of famous fragrances such as Chanel No. 5. English-speaking guides are available and there are interactive sections for kids. Its elegant neo-Renaissance–style interior, with hardwood floors and massive wood beams, is reason enough to visit.
Av. Lourenço da Silva Braga, Manaus, Amazonas, 69005-015, Brazil092-3633–3026Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Tues.–Fri. 9–6, Sat. 5–8
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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