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. Basílica de Nossa Senhora de Nazaré

    Nazaré

    It's hard to miss this opulent Roman-style basilica—not only does it stand out visually, but there's an enormous samauma tree (kapok variety) filled with screeching white-winged parakeets in the plaza out front. The basilica was built in 1908 as an addition to a 1774 chapel, on the site where a caboclo (rural, riverside dweller) named Placido is said to have seen a vision of the Virgin in the early 1700s. The basilica's ornate interior is constructed entirely of European marble and contains elaborate mosaics, detailed stained-glass windows, and intricate bronze doors.

    Belém, Pará, 66035-140, Brazil
    091-4009–8436

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: Free, Weekdays 6 am–8 pm, weekends 6–noon and 3–9
  • 2. Casa das Onze Janelas

    Cidade Velha

    At the end of the 18th century, sugar baron Domingos da Costa Barcelar built the neoclassical House of Eleven Windows as his private mansion. Today Barcelar's mansion is a gallery for contemporary arts, including photography and visiting expositions. The view from the balcony is impressive. Take a walk through the courtyard and imagine scenes of the past. This is where the aristocracy took tea and watched over the docks as slaves unloaded ships from Europe and filled them with sugar and rum.

    Praça Frei Caetana Brandão, Belém, Pará, 66010-320, Brazil
    091-4009–8821

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: R$2, free Tues., Tues.–Fri. 10–6, weekends 9–1
  • 3. INPA–Bosque da Ciência

    Petropolis

    Used 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, Brazil
    092-3643–3192

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: R$5, Weekdays 9–noon and 2–5, weekends 9–4
  • 4. 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
  • 5. 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.

    Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
    097-3343-4160
  • Recommended Fodor’s Video

  • 6. Mangal das Garças

    Cidade Velha

    City 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, Brazil
    091-3242–5052

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: R$3 each or R$9 for all, Tues. free, Weekdays 9–6
  • 7. 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
  • 8. Museu do Seringal Vila Paraiso

    Originally constructed as part of a film set, this rubber museum is in a 19th-century mansion on the banks of the Rio Negro, a 25-minute boat trip from Ponta Negra. Here, visitors can witness the extraction of latex from the rubber trees that surround the house, as well as learn about what life was like for the rubber gatherers. Elaborate European antiques and a grand piano allude to the owners' wealth. To visit the museum, head to the Marina do David in Ponta Negra and give the name of museum to the boatmen (round-trip approximately R$15), or have a tour operator in town take you there.

    Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
    092-3631–3632
  • 9. 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.

    Brazil
  • 10. Teatro Amazonas

    Centro

    Built 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.

    Av. Eduardo Ribeiro 659, Manaus, Amazonas, 69025-140, Brazil
    092-3622–1880

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: Tours R$10, Mon.–Sat. 9–5
    View Tours and Activities
  • 11. Ver-o-Peso

    Comércio

    Its name literally meaning "see the weight" (a throwback to the time when the Portuguese weighed everything entering or leaving the region), this market is a hypnotic confusion of colors and voices. Vendors hawk tropical fruits, regional wares, and an assortment of tourist kitsch. Most interesting are the mandingueiras, women who claim they can solve any problem with "miracle" jungle roots and charms for the body and soul. They sell jars filled with animal eyes, tails, and even heads, as well as herbs, each with its own legendary power. The sex organs of the pink river dolphin are a supposedly unrivaled cure for romantic problems. In the fish market you get an up-close look at pirarucu, the Amazon's most colorful fish and the world's second-largest freshwater species. Look for bizarre armored catfish species, such as the tamuatá and the huge piraiba. Across the street is a small arched entrance to the municipal meat market. Duck in and glance at the French-style pink-and-green-painted ironwork, imported from Britain. Be sure to visit Ver-o-Peso before noon, when most vendors leave. It opens around 6 am. Leave your jewelry at home and beware of pickpockets.

    Av. Castilhos França s/n, Belém, Pará, Brazil
  • 12. Bosque Rodrigues Alves

    Marco

    In 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, Brazil
    091-3277–1112

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: R$2 for adults, R$1 for students and children, Tues.–Sun. 8–5
  • 13. Caju Una

    Tricky access has ensured that this breathtaking beach and its associated self-sustaining fishing village have remained remote. The village and its neighbor, Vila do Céu, are about a 45-minute drive (19 km/11 miles) north of Soure. You can also access both communities by boat, crossing the river that rounds Praia Pesqueiro by canoe and then walking the remaining distance.

    Brazil
  • 14. Camará

    One of the island's most important ports, Camará is where many boats from Belém dock. Buses to Camará pass by the riverside in Soure regularly.

    Brazil
  • 15. Capela de São João Batista

    Cidade Velha

    Prodigious architect Antônio Landi finished this small octagonal church in 1777. It was completely restored in 2013 and is considered the city's purest example of baroque architecture and the country's first octagonal church.

    Passagem de São João 366, Belém, Pará, 66015-160, Brazil
    091-3255–2015

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: Free, Mon.–Sat. 6:30 am–9 am
  • 16. Catedral da Nossa Senhora da Conceição

    Centro

    Built originally in 1695 by Carmelite missionaries, the Cathedral of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception (also called Igreja Matriz) burned down in 1850 and was reconstructed in 1878. It's a simple, predominantly neoclassical structure with a bright, colorful interior.

    Praça Osvaldo Cruz 1, Manaus, Amazonas, 69005-390, Brazil
    092-3234–7821

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: Free, Mon.–Sat. 9–5. Hours sometimes vary
  • 17. Catedral da Sé

    Cidade Velha

    In 1755 Bolognese architect Antônio José Landi, whose work can be seen throughout the city, completed this cathedral's construction on the foundations of an older church. Carrara marble adorns the rich interior, which is an interesting mix of baroque, colonial, and neoclassical styles. The high altar was a gift from Pope Pius IX.

    Praça Dom Frei Caetano Brandão s/n, Belém, Pará, 660020-310, Brazil
    091-3223–2362

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: Free, Mon. 2–8:30, Tues.–Fri. 8–noon and 2–8:30, Sat. 7–10 am and 4–8, Sun. 6:30-noon and 4–8
  • 18. Cave Paintings

    One of the largest sites for cave paintings dating 10,000–12,000 years ago is in Monte Alegre. Thousands of cave paintings can be seen in the hills behind town in the area called Serra da Lua. Hire a cab or a mototaxi to take you to the closest ones, about an hour away.

    Monte Alegre, Pará, Brazil
  • 19. Centro Cultural João Fona

    To learn more about Santarém's culture and history, head for the Centro Cultural João Fona. This small museum has a hodgepodge of ancient ceramics, indigenous art, and colonial-period paintings and a library for more in-depth studies. It also houses the Secretary of Tourism.

    Santarém, Pará, 68005-260, Brazil
    093-3523–2934

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: Free, Weekdays 8–5
  • 20. Estação das Docas

    Cidade Velha

    Next to Ver-o-Peso market on the river, three former warehouses have been artfully converted into a commercial–tourist area. All have one wall of floor-to-ceiling glass that provides a full river view when dining or shopping. The first is a convention center with a cinema and art exhibits. The second has shops and kiosks selling crafts and snacks, and the third has a variety of restaurants and bars. Live-music performances take place regularly. The buildings are air-conditioned and connected by glass-covered walkways and contain photos and artifacts from the port's heyday. A stroll outside along the docks provides a grand view of the bay. Tourist boats arrive and depart at the dock, making it a good place to relax both day and night.

    Av. Boulevard Castilho França s/n, Belém, Pará, 66010-020, Brazil
    091-3212–5660

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: Free

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