Amazonas State, northern Brazil · Brazil
The world's largest rainforest and its greatest river, reached from a jungle city with an opera house, by boat, canoe and lodge, past pink dolphins and giant water lilies.
Photo: Karen Mohrstedt Badin · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Amazon rainforest covers about 5.5 million square kilometres, more than half of the world's remaining tropical forest, and about 60% of it lies in Brazil. It holds around one in ten known species on earth, and its great rivers, the Amazon and its tributaries, carry more water than any others. Manaus, a city of about two million people, stands on the Rio Negro, about 1,500 km from the Atlantic, and is the main gateway for visitors.
Manaus boomed in the late 19th century, when rubber made it one of the richest cities in the world, and the opulent Teatro Amazonas opera house, opened in 1896, is a legacy of that time. Today it is a busy commercial centre and free-trade zone, a base for river trips and lodge stays. Just outside the city, the Meeting of the Waters, where the dark Rio Negro and the sandy Solimões run side by side without mixing for kilometres, is a striking sight.
A trip to the Amazon means time on the water: canoes into flooded forest, jungle walks, night walks for caiman, fishing for piranha, swimming with pink river dolphins at Novo Airão and stays in lodges or on riverboats. The experience varies with the season, as the river rises and falls by up to 10–15 metres over the year.
Why visit
The Amazon is one of the planet's greatest natural wonders, and Manaus is the easiest place to reach it.
Its scale, biodiversity and importance to the planet are unmatched.
Boats, floating villages and caboclo communities on the water.
Monkeys, sloths, caiman, macaws, river dolphins and thousands of insects and birds.
Two rivers of different colours, flowing side by side.
An opera house, markets and a rubber-boom past.
Main attractions
Split your time between a day in Manaus and a stay in the forest.
The great opera house built in 1896 with European materials, including Italian marble, French glass and Scottish iron, topped by a dome of tiles in the Brazilian colours. Tours and performances are offered.
Tip Book a tour, or see a concert.
About 10 km from Manaus, where the black Rio Negro and the sandy Solimões flow side by side for several kilometres, separated by differences in temperature, speed and density.
Tip Go by boat on a half-day trip.
One of the largest river archipelagos in the world, with hundreds of forested islands in the Rio Negro, about 100 km upriver. A national park, it has canoe routes, beaches in the dry season and birdlife.
Tip Go with a guide.
A lake near Manaus where giant Victoria amazonica water lilies, with leaves up to 2.5 metres across, float on the surface.
Tip Best from January to July.
A cast-iron market from 1883, modelled on Paris's Les Halles, selling fish, fruit, herbs and Amazonian crafts.
Tip Go in the early morning.
Lodges on the Rio Negro and its tributaries offer guided walks, canoe trips, fishing and night excursions, and riverboats allow multi-day cruises.
Tip Choose a lodge with local guides and a good reputation.
Things to do
Most experiences are guided and centred on the river.
In high water, paddle among tree canopies, spotting birds and monkeys.
Tip Go at dawn or dusk.
A guide shows medicinal plants, insects and tracks, and explains the ecology of the forest.
Tip Wear long sleeves and closed shoes.
In some places, at Novo Airão, dolphins come to feeding platforms. Regulation and welfare issues apply.
Tip Choose a responsible operator, and do not touch.
See the nocturnal forest, with frogs, spiders and caiman eyes shining in torchlight.
Tip Bring a torch and repellent.
Local guides show how to catch piranha with simple lines.
Tip Release or eat with care.
Meet families who live along the river, and learn about their way of life.
Tip Be respectful, and buy crafts directly.
Local food
Amazonian food uses river fish, tropical fruits and manioc, and is distinct from the rest of Brazil.
Large river fish, grilled or in stews. Pirarucu is one of the world's largest freshwater fish.
Where to try it Restaurants and lodges.
A hot soup of tucupi (manioc juice), dried shrimp and jambu leaves that make the mouth tingle.
Where to try it Street stalls in the evening.
In the Amazon, açaí is eaten as a savoury accompaniment.
Where to try it Local markets.
Cupuaçu, guaraná, camu-camu and other fruits, as juice, ice cream and desserts.
Where to try it Markets.
Toasted manioc flour, sprinkled over dishes.
Where to try it Everywhere.
Accommodation
Stay one night in Manaus, then in a lodge or on a riverboat.
Transport
Manaus is in the middle of the rainforest, reached by air or by river.
In the forest, everything is by boat and on foot.
When to go
The Amazon has a hot, humid climate with rain all year. The rivers rise from December to June, flooding the forest, and fall from July to November.
Flooded forest and easy canoe access, with rain and fewer trails.
Drier, with trails opening and beaches appearing, and wildlife easier to see.
Hot, with sandbanks and concentrated wildlife, though some channels are shallow.
Rainy and humid, with fewer visitors.
Worth planning around: Periods of extreme drought or flooding, which can disrupt travel.
Itinerary
One day in Manaus and three at a lodge.
City and opera.
Rivers and forest.
Canoe and wildlife.
Back to the city.
Travel tips
The Amazon needs preparation.
FAQ
Three to five days, including a lodge stay.
July to December for walking, and March to June for canoeing in flooded forest.
Yellow fever vaccination is recommended, and malaria prevention may apply. Check with a travel clinic.
Yes. Boto dolphins live in the rivers, and trips can spot them. Choose responsible operators.
Guided trips are generally safe. Follow the guide, and take health precautions.
For a day, mainly for the opera house and market, before heading into the forest.
Keep exploring
Places that pair well with the Amazon, whether you have a few spare days or are building a longer route.
Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, central-west Brazil, Brazil
One of the world's best places for wildlife: jaguars at Porto Jofre, caimans, capybaras, giant otters and hundreds of bird species, seen by boat, safari truck and horseback.
Don't miss A jaguar padding along the riverbank in the golden light of late afternoon, from a small boat on the Cuiabá River.
Explore Destination — The PantanalBahia, north-east Brazil, Brazil
A UNESCO-listed colonial city on a bay, with the Pelourinho, the Elevador Lacerda, Afro-Brazilian traditions, capoeira, candomblé, beaches and unique Bahian food.
Don't miss Night falling over the Pelourinho, with drums echoing off the pastel facades and baianas selling acarajé.
Explore Destination — SalvadorRio de Janeiro State, south-east Brazil, Brazil
Brazil's most famous city: Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain, Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, the Tijuca rainforest, Santa Teresa, samba and Carnival.
Don't miss Sunset from the top of Sugarloaf Mountain, as the city lights come on around the bay.
Explore Destination — Rio de JaneiroRead next
Practical
Most packing advice is a list of things. This is the opposite: the small number of decisions that determine whether your luggage helps or hinders, organised by the kind of trip you are actually taking.
Where to go
The most visited place in a country is rarely its best, and it is almost never its best value. This is a method for finding the destinations that do not make the postcards — and a set of examples from five of the 50 countries on this site.
Advertisement
