Manaus

Perched on the confluence of the Rio Negro an Amazon Rivers, the city of Manaus has long acted as the touristic gateway to the great rainforest tracts of central Brazil. From here visitors can explore the dense jungles that envelop the city on all sides, take a jaunt to one of the country’s famous inland river beaches or cruise along the murky sediment lines at the so-called ‘Meeting of Waters’, where the muds of the Amazonian Andes mix with the clear waters of the great Black River. Manaus is also pleasantly compact for a Brazilian city, covering a mere 11,000 square kilometres and with most of its interesting historical sights clustered in the old Rubber-boom industrial centre. Here the wealthy exports of the European barons can still be seen in all their ostentatious glory, from the Cultural Palace of Waldemar Scholz to the elaborate Teatro Amazonas, where regular operatic performances still take place. What’s more, Manaus tour guides are quick to boast one of the best culinary offerings in all Brazil, with clusters of street stalls and restaurants serving up local favourites like the sweet tapioquinha pancake and pirarucu river fish, while more recently, popular drinking spots have begun to coalesce in the downtown, near to the major cultural centres and sights.