Climate: From December to May it rains a lot, embellishing the city’s waterfalls. For the rest of the year, when there is less rain, fluvial beaches are formed on the Negro River.

The capital of the Amazonas State was founded in the second half of the XVII century, with the construction of the Forte de São José da Barra do Rio Negro (São José da Barra do Rio Negro Fort), created to protect the region against the invasion of foreigners. The name Manaus is a reference to the Indian manaós, who lived there.
During so many years, the city lived almost isolated. However, from the XIX century, the growth of the international commerce of rubber, whose raw material was extracted from native rubber trees of the forest, Manaus start to be attractive to the businessmen from all over the world.

On the end of the XIX century, the wealth produced by the exportation of rubber financed the construction, in the middle of the tropical forest, of luxurious buildings that reproduced the architectonic styles that were in the high European fashion. On one of the major symbol of the economic development from that period, the Teatro Amazonas (Amazonas Theater), there were exhibitions of famous European opera companies.

Currently, Manaus receives tourists from all over the world attracted by the Amazon Forest, whose ecosystem has one of the major biodiversities on the planet. The hotels on the jungle on that region make possible to know the exuberance of the untouched tropical forest. The city offers a lot of strolls, as one that takes the tourists to see the junction of the rivers Negro and Solimões.

Teatro Amazonas (Amazon Theater)
Inaugurated in 1896, the major part of the material utilized on its construction was imported from Europe. Pieces of cast iron and the glass roof from the cupola were imported from France, and the mirrors from Italy. The Italian Domenico de Angelis painted the beautiful panels that decorate the ceilings of the auditorium and of the audience chamber. The capacity of the theater is 700 people, 450 in staterooms and 250 on the audience.

Strolls
There are interesting strolls to the rivers on the region, like one that takes the visitor to the confluence of the rivers Solimões and Negro, that form the Amazon river. The different colors of the water on each river makes you believe they don’t mix up, causing an interesting effect. During the stroll, it’s possible to know the environment of the Amazon Forest, navigation through igarapés, small rivers that come into the forest. Another attraction is excursions that take several days on board, on embarkations equipped with cabins.

Parks and museums The Museu do Índio (Indian Museum) shows objects from tribes on the region, as utensils in ceramics and ceremonial adornments. The Museu de Ciências Naturais da Amazônia (Natural Sciences Museum of Amazon) has a collection of covered with hay animals, mainly the great diversity of insects springs. On the aquarium of the museum, it’s possible to see samples of pirarucu, the biggest fish on the region. Urban parks, like Bosque da Ciência, the Zoo and the Botanical Garden offer good samples of the Amazon fauna and flora.

Hotels on the jungle
Visited by foreign tourists, these hotels are the best option to those who want to feel the sensation of spending some days on the Amazon forest. Constructed on the sides of rivers or on floating bases, they offer rustic installations integrated to the nature. The daily rates use to include strolls through the forest and rivers to the observation of the fauna and flora. The major part of the hotels on the jungle are on the region of the Negro river. Boats depart from Manaus, on trips that take an average of 4 hours.

Typical food
Many restaurants on the city serve specialties of the regional cookery, prepared with fishes from the region. The most appreciated dishes include the fish stew (stews) of tucunaré or tambaqui.

Ponta Negra Cultural, Sport and Leisure Park
Ponta Negra beach, located 13 km from downtown Manaus, is one of the city’s most important tourist attractions. The complex has beach volleyball courts, cycle way, a belvedere, playground, a medical center and a large sidewalk with bars, restaurants and snack bars. The sunset seen is extraordinary. It also has a modern amphitheater with capacity for 15 thousand people, dressing room, and all the infrastructure for shows, where many popular spectacles are constantly being held.

Public Swimming Areas
The Tarumã, Tarumãzinho and Cachoeira das Almas bayous (branches of rivers), located near the city, are places of leisure for the population on weekends. Manaus has several public swimming areas that are being remodeled and urbanized lately. There are also many private clubs that can be visited.

Beaches and Ecological Parks
For outings to beaches and parks situated near the city, many times it is necessary to use boats. The beaches are formed right after the river water level starts dropping, which lasts from August to November. Starting in December, as the river rises, the waters invade the sand and the woods on the banks.

Paricatuba Waterfall
This waterfall, located on the right bank of the Negro River, along a small tributary, is formed by sedimentary rocks, surrounded by abundant vegetation. Access is by boat. The best time to visit is from August to February.

Love Cascade
This cascade, located in the Guedes bayou, with cold and crystal clear water, is accessible only by boat and, then, hiking through the Forest.

Tupé Beach
Approximately 34 km from Manaus, this beach is well frequented by bathers on holidays and weekends. It is accessible only by boat. When the Negro River waters rise, the beach is restricted to a 20 m width and when they recede, it can reach 80m.

Moon Beach
It is located on the left bank of the Negro River, 23 km from Manaus. It is accessed only by boat. The beach is shaped like a crescent moon and has rare vegetation of natural beauty, with a great stretch of sand and clear, cold water.

Lion Waterfall
Located on Km 34 of the AM 010 highway (Manaus-Itacoatiara), this is a pleasant place to spend the day. Bathing in the waterfall is allowed. The water is clear and very cold.

Anavilhanas
Approximately 100 km above Manaus, near the Township of Novo Airão, on the Negro River, there is Anavilhanas, the world’s largest archipelago of fluvial islands. There are about 400 islands covered with native forest, forming a real natural labyrinth. During the dry season, the receding waters reveal several white sand beaches and interesting natural formations of roots and trunks.

Meeting of the Rivers
This natural phenomenon is caused by the confluence of the Negro River’s dark water and the Solimões River’s muddy brown water that come together to form the Amazonas River. For 6 km, both rivers waters run side by side, without mixing. This phenomenon is caused by the great difference between the water temperatures and current speeds. The Negro River flows approximately 2km/h at 22ºC, while the Solimões River flows 4 to 6 km/h at 28ºC.

Adolpho Ducke Botanical Garden
The Adolpho Ducke Botanical Garden, inside a 100 km ecological reserve, is the world’s largest, with an infinite number of vegetal and animal species.

Municipal Park of Mindú
It is located in an urban area, in the November 10 Park district. It was created in 1992 to be an area of ecological interest. It covers an area of 330.000 m2 (33 ha) of forest remaining from the Township, used for scientific, educational, cultural and tourist activities. It is one of the last habitats for the sauim-de-coleira, a species of monkey that only exists in the Manaus region and is threatened with extinction. It is possible to walk safely through four distinct ecosystems in the park: land covered by secondary growth, firm ground brush, sandbanks and degraded areas that were illegally cleared in 1989. The Park also has a Library, with an information center on the environment connected to the Internet. It also has a parking area, amphitheater for 600 people, gardens planted with medical and aromatic herbs, orchid nursery, above ground trail and signs aiming to develop environmental education programs.

The Science Grove
The Grove is located in the INPA’s – Amazonas National Institute for Research – area. A visit to the grove provides better knowledge of the Amazonas environment, while it permits pleasant moments walking through its trails and paths. The Grove’s main attractions are: otter vivarium, manatee hatchery, bee hives, Science House, educational trails, alligator’s vivarium, botanical garden, above ground trail, free fauna, orchid nursery and bromeliad nursery.

Zoo
The zoo is open to the public. It is managed by the Brazilian Army and has approximately 300 species of animals from Amazonas fauna, including monkeys, wildcats, otters, snakes, alligators, macaws, tapir, and turtles.

Tropical Manaus Eco Resort
It is Brazil’s most luxurious hotel, located in the heart of the Amazon Forest, on the banks of the Negro River. It has 588 apartments and the largest complex of hotel, events, sports, and tourism and leisure services. It is only 10 km from the Brigadeiro Eduardo Gomes International Airport and 16 km from downtown Manaus.

Cruises - Iberostar Gran Amazon
A luxurious boat, with capacity for 150 people, will take tourists on a cruise over the Negro and Amazon Rivers, offering comfort and the excellent Iberostar service. The trip starts in Manaus, stopping at several locations in the Amazon jungle to take tourists on small boat excursions that will explore the thick native vegetation. Ideal for those who like adventure, but want the comfort of a five star hotel.

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The city has hotels with different levels of comfort, including international ones. It offers receptive tourism agencies, car rental agencies and branches from the main banks.

Manaus is on the northern region, 2150 km far from Brasilia. The airport Eduardo Gomes, 15 km far from the city center, receives flights from Brazilian cities and from South America. There are road connections only to Boa Vista (capital of the Roraima State, to the north of Manaus) and some places on the Amazonas State. Generally, the trips by earth to Manaus include long legs crossed by boats or ferryboats.

• February – Amazonas Carnival – samba schools parade at the ‘sambodromo’ in the Convention Center
• May – Ponta Negra’s Music Festival
• June – Amazonas Folklore Festival
• June 29 – São Pedro Fluvial Procession
• October 24 – Anniversary of Manaus
• December – Ponta Negra’s New Year’s Eve Party