Things to do in

Belém, Brazil

Experience life in the Amazon River aboard a river cruise boat, and sleep in a hammock or cabin as you make your way through the rainforest from Manaus to Belém. Benefit from a service that is the most popular budget mode of transport in the Amazon, with hygiene and safety features monitored by the Brazilian marine authorities. Get plenty of advice and insider tips on which boat and route to take to make the most of your trip. Cruise through the rainforest to see the tropical flora and fauna from a different perspective.

Board a boat and travel along the Guamá river to explore the waterfront of Belém. See the activities of various boats, from large cargo carriers and ferries, to the typical riverside vessels. Sail around Combú Island, passing through Furo do Benedito and Furo do Paciência. Furos — natural channels between two rivers or lagoons — are a typical geographical feature in northern Brazil. Enjoy the beauty of this fascinating system of waterways. Get to know the different Amazon environments such as forest, lowland forest, and aquatic vegetation. Visit a local riverside community to experience the unique lifestyle of its inhabitants. Learn about how locals interact with the environment, make use of natural resources in their daily lives, and activities such as fishing, hunting, and agriculture.

Start the tour with pickup from your hotel in Belém, then embark on your comprehensive half-day tour of the city's highlights. First, visit the colorful Ver-o-Peso market, located on the banks of Guajará Bay. Stroll through the largest open-air fair in Latin America and the most important commercial warehouse that supplies the city. Then, continue on to the Feliz Lusitânia complex, composed of the Sé Cathedral, Casa das Onze Janelas, with a visit to the Castelo Fortress, a landmark of the city in 1616. Also, see the Basilica Sanctuary Nossa Senhora de Nazaré, one of the most beautiful churches in Belém built in the neoclassical style neoclassical. Admire the marble decor and learn about how the building's history is mixed with the largest religious festival of the people of Pará, the Círio de Nazaré. After this, visit the Emilio Goeldi Museum (except on Tuesdays, when the museum is closed and your visit is replaced with a trip to Bosque Rodrigues Alves). The museum showcases a disciplinary mix of collections including scientific activities in the areas of zoology, human sciences (archeology, anthropology, geography and linguistics), and Earth sciences. Finally, pass through the main tourist points in the city such as República Square, Paz Theater, the Old Town, and more, before concluding your trip with drop-off back at your hotel.

Utilize the mode of transportation used most by locals and hop on a boat going down the Amazon. After pickup from your accommodation in Manaus, you’ll head down to the dock for your 36-hour journey to Santarém. Choose between options to stay on a hammock, or upgrade to a private, 2-person cabin with air conditioning and a private bathroom. Gaze out across the mighty Amazon as you float down the river during your voyage. Look out for unique flora and fauna. Once you arrive in Santarém, stay in town, or select transportation to Alter do Chão.

Spend your day cruising along the Guamá and Acará rivers to tour the waterfront of Belém. Explore the natural channels between two rivers or lagoons, called furos, which are typical to northern Brazil. Visit a local riverside community to experience, and learn what life by the river is like. Take in the daily activities of different boats on the river and enjoy the beauty of the diverse Amazonian habitats as you travel down the waterways. Sail around Combú Island, passing through Furo do Benedito and Furo do Paciência. Visit a waterfront village, and learn about how locals interact with the environment, make use of natural resources in their daily lives, and activities such as fishing, hunting, and agriculture.  Choose to add your experience with a trip at dawn to Papagaios Island, a habitat for thousands of parrots. Watch the city come to life in the morning, and as the sun begins to rise, gaze in awe at the unique sight of thousands of parrots flying across the sky.

Explore Belém with an expert guide with this full-day tour. After pickup at your hotel, head to the colorful Ver-o-Peso market, a cultural symbol of Belém and the largest open market in Latin America. Explore hundreds of stalls filled with regional products such as river fish, medicinal herbs, ornamental plants, handicrafts, and a huge variety of typical fruits.  Spend the rest of the day discovering the best museums in the city, starting with the Emilio Goeldi Museum, a botanical and zoological research institute. The botanical park occupies a huge area in the center of Belém and is a living exhibition of Amazonian fauna and flora. See birds, sloths, freshwater fish, and a variety of reptiles and amphibians. Continue the tour to the Forte do Presépio fortress and visit the ethnographic exhibitions at the Encontro Museum. Finally, visit the São José Liberto Gem Museum to see a floor of amethysts and rose quartz fountains, as well as a collection of precious and semi-precious stones.

Visit Marajó Island in the north of Brazil and enjoy majestic rivers, beautiful beaches, exotic food, and fascinating local culture. Choose between a day trip to Souré and Salvaterra and start the day with a boat ride across the awe-inspiring Pará River. Souré Trip: Arrive by boat at Camará Port and head straight to Araruna Farm. There you’ll learn about buffalo farming and the importance of these huge animals to the local population. In fact, you may even see the police officers of the area riding a buffalo on patrol. After a snack break, visit a ceramics and buffalo leathercraft center before continuing on to Pesqueiro Beach. Relax by the beach, enjoy the waves as the Pará River meets the Atlantic Ocean and take time for a bit of lunch (not included).  Salvaterra Trip: Arrive by boat at Salvaterra and continue to the Rural Tourism Unit Açaí Nativo (UTRAN) to learn about buffalo raising and breeding. Stop at Toca do Açaí and learn all about açaí, the delicious purple Amazon fruit. From there, continue to the shores of Salvaterra and unwind on beautiful Grande Beach. Cool off with a swim, relax by the sand, then sit back as you’re taken back to Belém.

Enjoy a full-day tour to the bucolic Mosqueiro Island, approximately 80 kilometers (50 miles) from Belém by car. Sunbathe on the beach and take a dip in the calm waters. Benefit from included lunch and hotel transfers. Mosqueiro Island is connected to the mainland by the 1.5-kilometer (0.9-mile) Sebastião de Oliveira bridge. The 243-kilometer² (94-mile²) island is located on the eastern coast of the Pará River (the southern arm of the Amazon), in front of Marajó Bay. On your day trip, discover some of the island’s 16 beautiful freshwater beaches with waves and tides, over 17 kilometers (10.5 miles) of clear sands, and lush vegetation. Much of the island’s tourism is entirely organic: people go there because it’s a charming natural place with distinctive gastronomy. Lunch is included, and your day is all about having free time to swim and sunbathe on the calm beaches.

Start the tour before dawn with pickup from your hotel in Belém or make your own way to the meeting point. As the city sleeps, depart for Papagaios Island, crossing the river in a small boat. At the docks, watch as hundreds of market stalls selling bread and different fruits open their stalls ready for the morning trade. Cruise across the water for 20-minutes until you arrive at Papagaios Island, a habitat for thousands of parrots. As the sun begins to rise, gaze in awe at the unique sight of thousands of parrots flying across the sky. Marvel as the sky appears to turn a tint of green in this festive greeting to the sun. Cross back across the water and conclude the tour with drop-off at your hotel or at the meeting point. Alternatively, choose to extend your experience with a trip to the 'Furos', the lowland lagoons of the area formed by river flooding which provides the habitat for much native wildlife. Explore these typical Brazilian geographic formations by boat, with lots of opportunities for wildlife sightings including monkeys. At the end of the tour, transfer back to your hotel Belém where the experience ends.

Embark on a boat trip on the Guamá River, with a view of the southern shore of Belém. Travel to Combú Island, an Amazonian agricultural paradise rich in a variety of crops such as cocoa, açaí, cupuaçu, banana, and pupunha.  Upon arrival at the island, enter Igarapé do Combú, an outdoor art gallery decorated by graffiti artists from various regions of Brazil. Then, visit Mrs. Nena's house, and learn about the production of organic chocolate on the island. The island is famous across Brazil, where 100%-organic chocolate is produced in Mrs. Nena's backyard. Taste some chocolate which used by many top chefs in Brazil. Then, see the sacred Samaumeira trees amongst the cacao and açaí trees. These trees often reach well over 40 meters in height and are called the "tree of life" by native Amazonian tribes. Admire the sapopembas (roots) which form monumental “sculptures”, often used as shelter by various tribes in the Amazon. Then, return to your hotel if you select the half-day option. Alternatively, choose to extend your experience with the full-day tour option and proceed to a typical regional lunch with grilled fish. After lunch, relax in the late afternoon with a river bath and a lot of contact with nature. At the end of the day, return to Belém.