Manaus, AM: the complete destination guide
Manaus is the capital in the middle of the forest, where two rivers of different colour run side by side without mixing. This guide gathers what the town holds, how the year divides there, how you get in, where it is worth staying and how many days the place asks for.
What Manaus is
Manaus sits in Amazonas, in the north of Brazil, and it is the capital in the middle of the forest, where two rivers of different colour run side by side without mixing. That sentence settles more than it seems: it says what the town has of its own and, by consequence, what there is no point looking for there.
What brings most visitors is concentrated in Encontro das Águas, Teatro Amazonas and Arquipélago de Anavilhanas. They are different things from one another, and that is why the town holds more than a day without repeating itself.
What the town holds
| Sight | What it is |
|---|---|
| Encontro das Águas | The point where the Negro and the Solimões run together without mixing for kilometres |
| Teatro Amazonas | The opera house raised at the height of the rubber boom, in the centre of town |
| Arquipélago de Anavilhanas | The set of river islands up the Rio Negro |
| lodges de selva | The lodges inside the forest, reached by boat |
| Presidente Figueiredo | The region of waterfalls and caves two hours away by road |
When to go
The year splits in two. From June to November, the river dropping and then low; sand beaches appear and the dry-land trails open. From December to May, the flood; the forest fills with water and the trip becomes a canoe between the canopies.
There is no bad season in Manaus in any absolute sense: there is the season that matches what you want to do there. Whoever comes for Encontro das Águas and accepts crowds picks one half of the year; whoever comes for quiet picks the other.
Getting there
By air, an international airport of its own. By road, access is along the the city has no road link to the south-east of the country. Almost every regional journey is by river or by air.
Where to stay
| Base | Who it suits |
|---|---|
| the centre | Anyone here for the opera house and the port |
| Ponta Negra | Anyone who wants the waterfront and a larger hotel |
| a jungle lodge | Anyone here for the forest who sleeps inside it |
How many days
4 days is the number that covers Manaus without rushing, counting the arrival day as half a day. With less than that something on the list above falls away — and it is worth choosing what to cut before travelling, not once you are there.
What it combines with
- Presidente Figueiredo — the waterfalls closest to Manaus
- Alter do Chão — the river beaches of the Tapajós, flying to Santarém
Common questions
Is Manaus worth the trip?
It is worth it for whoever wants what the town has: the capital in the middle of the forest, where two rivers of different colour run side by side without mixing. Whoever expects something else usually leaves disappointed, and that is not the destination’s fault.
Can it be done in two days?
It can, by cutting. Two days fit Encontro das Águas and Teatro Amazonas. The rest waits for another time.