Visit Manaus

An opera house with a dome of coloured tiles born of the rubber rush, a market of giant fish on the banks of a black river and, an hour away by boat, the Amazon rainforest. Manaus takes two days to visit, then serves as a base for three or four nights in a lodge on the Rio Negro.

Why go to Manaus?

Manaus is the capital of the state of Amazonas, a city of more than 2 million people near the confluence of the Rio Negro and the Solimões, in the middle of the Amazon rainforest. Enriched by the rubber boom of the late 19th century, it still has the Teatro Amazonas, opened in 1896. It is the main starting point for exploring the Brazilian Amazon.

Manaus must-sees

Rubber-boom heritage in town, Amazon nature from the outskirts.

Teatro Amazonas

An opera house opened in 1896, its dome covered in tiles in the colours of the Brazilian flag, with a Belle Époque auditorium open for daytime visits and regular concerts.

MUSA, Amazon museum

A forest reserve on the city's edge, with trails, aquariums and an observation tower of around forty metres above the canopy, ideal for a first taste of the forest.

Lake Janauari

An ecological park near the Meeting of the Waters, where boardwalks cross the flooded forest to giant Victoria amazonica water lilies, more or less in bloom depending on the season.

Anavilhanas archipelago

A national park made up of hundreds of wooded islands on the Rio Negro, explored by boat from Novo Airão, with white sand beaches in the dry season.

Seringal Museum

A reconstruction, reached by boat, of an early 20th-century rubber estate, with the owner's house and the tappers' huts, to understand the rubber boom.

Palácio Rio Negro

The former home of a German rubber merchant turned cultural centre, with period rooms and gardens, visited in an hour during a walk around the centre.

What to discover in Manaus and the surrounding Amazon?

The historic rubber-boom centre

Around Largo de São Sebastião, the heart of Manaus still shows the wealth of the years 1880 to 1910, when rubber made the city's fortune. Black and white wave-patterned paving, pastel facades and merchants' palaces can be explored in half a day on foot. Start early: by midday, the heat often exceeds 32 °C and the humidity makes walking hard work. It is one of the major city stops on a trip to Amazonian Brazil.

The floating port and market halls

On the Rio Negro waterfront, the Adolpho Lisboa municipal market, opened in 1883, shelters under its iron frame stalls of Amazon fish such as tambaqui and pirarucu, fruits unknown in Europe and medicinal plants. Right next to it, the floating port, designed to follow the river's changes of more than 10 metres between seasons, sees hammock boats leave for Belém or Tabatinga, several days away. Come in the morning, between 7 and 10 am, for the bustle.

The Meeting of the Waters

About ten kilometres downstream from the centre, the dark waters of the Rio Negro and the silty waters of the Solimões flow side by side without mixing for several kilometres, because of differences in temperature, speed and density. Boat trips leave from the port of Manaus, as half-day outings or full days with lunch and a stop at Lake Janauari. Allow 4 to 8 hours depending on the option, and choose early departures for better light and more bearable heat.

Ponta Negra and the river beaches

About 13 km north-west of the centre, the Ponta Negra district lines up hotels, a promenade and a beach on the Rio Negro, busy with locals at weekends. The sand only really appears in the low-water season, roughly September to December; during the flood, from May to July, the beach is largely submerged. Sunset over the river from the promenade amphitheatre is a classic way to end the day, 20 minutes by taxi from the centre.

Lodges and the Rio Negro forest

Most lodges are 1 to 4 hours by boat or road from Manaus, on the Rio Negro or its tributaries. A three- or four-night stay allows guided forest hikes, a night canoe trip to spot caimans, piranha fishing and a visit to a riverside community. Choosing the Rio Negro over the Solimões noticeably reduces mosquitoes. Further away, Novo Airão, about 3 hours by road, is the gateway to the nearby river archipelago.

Presidente Figueiredo and its waterfalls

About 110 km north along the BR-174, the municipality of Presidente Figueiredo gathers dozens of waterfalls, caves and trails in dense forest. A day trip from Manaus usually combines two or three falls, such as Iracema or Santa Cláudia, with a swim in amber-coloured pools. Avoid weekends, when families from Manaus flock there. Shoes with a good grip on wet rock are essential.

River seasons and major festivals

In Manaus, the calendar follows the river level: high water, from May to July, lets canoes glide through the flooded forest, the igapó, while low water, from October to December, uncovers beaches and trails. Rain is more frequent from December to May. In late June, the Parintins festival, on an Amazon island downstream, draws crowds arriving by boat or plane: book several months ahead. In spring, the Amazonas Opera Festival fills the theatre.

Frequently asked questions about Manaus

Should you stay in a lodge or take day trips from Manaus?
To really see the forest, spend at least two nights in a lodge: day trips are limited to the Meeting of the Waters and very busy areas. Night outings and dawn walks, the richest in wildlife sightings, are only possible when you stay on site.
Are there fewer mosquitoes on the Rio Negro than on the Solimões?
Yes. The black waters of the Rio Negro, acidic and poor in nutrients, are unfavourable to mosquito larvae, unlike the silty waters of the Solimões. Repellent is still essential at dawn and dusk, but the difference is noticeable for anyone who dreads bites.
Can you visit the inside of the Teatro Amazonas?
Yes, guided tours of the auditorium, foyer and its paintings run during the day, in Portuguese and often in English. Check the times on site, as rehearsals and events change them. Attending a concert remains the best way to enjoy it.
How long does the boat from Manaus to Belém take?
Regular boats travel down the Amazon from Manaus to Belém in about four to five days, with a stop in Santarém. You travel in a hammock on deck or in a cabin, booked at the port or through an agency. Cabins are scarce: book them several days ahead.
Can you reach the Parintins festival from Manaus?
Yes. In late June, boats and flights link Manaus to Parintins, an Amazon island where the Garantido and Caprichoso oxen compete. Transport and accommodation are snapped up: book several months ahead, or choose a boat that doubles as your lodging.
Is the yellow fever vaccine mandatory for Manaus?
It is not required to enter Brazil for travellers coming from Europe, but it is strongly recommended for the state of Amazonas. It must be given at least 10 days before departure at an approved centre, and some neighbouring countries may ask for the certificate.
When can you see the flooded forest around Manaus?
During high water, from May to July, the river spreads several metres into the forest and canoes glide between the trunks: this is the igapó. At low water, from October to December, you walk trails instead, and white sand beaches appear along the Rio Negro.
Can you swim in the Rio Negro?
Yes, at Ponta Negra and from most lodges, where swimming is part of the programme. Still, follow your guide's instructions, avoid areas of aquatic grass and muddy banks, and never swim at night or alone far from the shore.

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