Things to Do in Manaus

The city of Manaus lies at the confluence of two great rivers, the Solimões and the Black. Although borders on water are typically impossible to see, that is not the case in Manaus. Because of the different colors of the two rivers, it's possible to see precisely where they meet - which is what makes the "Meeting of Waters," or Encontro das Aguas, a checklist must-do for visitors to Manaus.

The Black River, or Rio Negro, gets its name from the color of the water. The Solimões River in Manaus is a sandy brownish color. This means you can see exactly where the two rivers come together. Not only that, each river on its own is a different temperature and run at a different speed, so when they come together the water doesn't just mix to create a muddy soup - instead, the rivers essentially run alongside one another.

The river "borders" are constantly moving and changing as the water flows, but a clear delineation between the two rivers is visible well beyond where they actually meet. In fact, you would need to travel for nearly four miles downstream before you saw the Solimões River and Black River finally starting to blend. When the two rivers do actually come together, they form the Amazon River.

The city of Manaus is home to a busy commercial and cruise port, but luckily for visitors the port itself is right downtown. This means you can make the most of even a short stop in Manaus without spending too much time getting back and forth to and from your ship.

How to Get to Manaus:

As mentioned, the Port of Manaus is right in the downtown area, so once your ship gets in it is as simple as walking into the city center to enjoy the sights. Not all the attractions are downtown, of course, but from central Manaus you can take a bus or taxi to outlying destinations you might want to visit - like some of the river beaches or museums.

One Day in Manaus:

Because central Manaus is within walking distance of the port, it is easy to spend a day exploring the city center on your own. You can visit the beautiful Teatro Amazonas opera house, pick up some souvenirs at the Mercado Municipal and learn about the indigenous populations at the city's history museums. Getting to points that are further away, like the Natural Science Museum or the popular river beaches, would be easier with a tour so that you don't need to figure out transportation or worry about getting back to your boat in time if you are visiting from a cruise. If your stop in Manaus is at the end of your cruise, you can also book an Amazon tour. The two rivers that meet at Manaus form the Amazon, and boat tours leave regularly from the city.

Port Information:

The local language in Manaus is Brazilian Portuguese, and the currency is the Brazilian Real. You will need to exchange your money for the local currency, and be prepared to have smaller bills - many vendors cannot make change for large denominations. Note that although the port is within walking distance of central Manaus, the weather is typically very hot and humid, so be sure you have sunscreen and maybe a hat to protect yourself on your walk.

Much of the wealth of Manaus came from its days as the region's major port city during the rubber boom. That era was also known for its beautiful architecture - and a fine example of that Belle Epoque style of the late 1800s is Manaus' opera house, the Teatro Amazonas.

The Teatro Amazonas was built between 1884 and 1896 and is a showcase of furnishings imported from far-off places like France and Italy, including nearly 200 Italian chandeliers and a painted curtain from Paris. The opera house's incredible dome is covered with 36,000 tiles painted in the colors of the Brazilian flag. The first ever performance in the Teatro Amazonas was the opera "La Gioconda" in January of 1897.

When the rubber boom dwindled, the theater lost its wealthy patrons and actually shut down for 90 years. In 2001 the government invested millions in renovations, and today the 700-seat Teatro Amazonas is home to the Amazonas Philharmonic Orchestra and an annual Amazonas Opera Festival. It is on the San Sebastian Square (Praça São Sebastião) in downtown Manaus, and visitors can either go on a guided tour of the theater when it's not in use, or consult the schedule to check out one of the many free performances.

Learning about the indigenous population of a country like Brazil should be an interesting and engaging part of one's visit. The museum is run by a congregation of Salesian nuns, and it boasts a nice collection of artifacts.

Anyone curious about the history of the indigenous tribes of the Amazonas region would likely enjoy spending some time checking out the variety of everyday objects in the Museu do Ándio's collection - including pottery, tools, ritual masks and musical instruments. Descriptions are in English, Portuguese and German, and the museum is open varying hours from Monday-Saturday. Admission is R$5.