Amazon Rainforest Top Attractions & Activities
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Amazon Rainforest.
"The Green Inferno", the Amazon jungle is the largest tropical rainforest on Earth and a World Natural Heritage site. You will be awed and enlightened by the grandeur, beauty and diversity of the Amazon Rainforest - captivated by its wonder and wildness. The rainforest has a wide variety of tree species, 250 species of mammals, 2000 fish species and 1000 bird species to encounter. Small mammals, birds, reptiles and exotic insects such as butterflies are easily observed on jungle expeditions - canoe rides in small creeks, jungle trekking, piranha fishing, alligator spotting, lectures on medicinal plants, jungle survival courses, folkloric night shows, bird watching, sport fishing, visit dwellings of aborigines (Indians), and sunrise tours - so observe and listen when the jungle wakes up in the morning. Beneath the light of the moon, you watch your guide swiftly snatch an alligator out of the dark Rio Negro, then pass it to you to hold on to. In the Amazon jungle, you learn medicinal secrets of endangered and often extinct indigenous tribes, snuggle sloths, drink water from the trees, watch monkeys swing through the magnificent branches of "the world's lungs", marvel at massive lily-pads, eat fruits you never would have imagined existed, canoe through the endless water world of the Amazon, fish for piranhas, visit local river dwellers, capture dazzling sunsets, and fall asleep at night hypnotized by the symphonic hum of the ecosystem. Welcome to the Amazon, your destination for adrenaline and rejuvenation! That Amazonian rainforest serves as the lungs of the world providing enough oxygen for the whole planet! [Top]
Amazon River. The world's mightiest river, the Amazon flows for 4,007 miles from the top of the Peruvian Andean Mountains into the Atlantic Ocean. The Amazon River is the world's largest river in volume of water - holding as much as all of the next 10 largest rivers in the world combined - pouring 8 trillion gallons of water into the ocean every day, and the second in length. The Amazon River holds 20% of all of the fresh water on the planet. The Amazon's width is of 120 miles when it meets the Atlantic, and its average depth is of 50 ft. Many of the world's top 20 largest rivers, including the Rio Negro, flow into the Amazon. The rare pink dolphin and a diversity of fish species inhabit the mighty waters of the Amazonian rivers.
City of Manaus. Embedded in the Amazon Forest, the beautiful city of Manaus impresses with its natural resources, ecological parks, exuberant nature, endless green spaces, wonderful restaurants and bars, busy port, exciting nightlife, diverse shopping, museums, palaces, and myriad of cultural attractions, such as Teatro Amazonas, an opera house built in 1896, and Municipal Market. Located on the north bank of the Rio Negro, 11 miles above the Meeting of the Waters where the Rio Negro merges with Rio Solimões, Manaus - “The Paris of the Jungle” - is the heart of Amazonia and the launch port of eco-tourism for the Amazon rainforest and river tours and cruises. El Cento features a variety of attractions, hotels, shops, restaurants, a convention centers and the popular local market. Nature lovers discover endless outdoor activities, such as trips to an ecological park, visits to giant water lilies, observation of the Meeting of the Waters, forest treks, exploring caboclos settlements, and canoeing, fishing and swimming on the rivers and lakes. Explore river banks and "igarapes", swim and canoe in placid lakes, play on Ponta Negra Beach, and spend the night in the lush forest. Founded in the late 17th century, Manaus is the capital of Amazonas, the largest Brazilian state. Eight airlines link Manuas to Brazilian capitals, and operate direct flights to Miami, Caracas, Bogotá, Santa Cruz and La Paz. [Top]
City of Manaus. Embedded in the Amazon Forest, the beautiful city of Manaus impresses with its natural resources, ecological parks, exuberant nature, endless green spaces, wonderful restaurants and bars, busy port, exciting nightlife, diverse shopping, museums, palaces, and myriad of cultural attractions, such as Teatro Amazonas, an opera house built in 1896, and Municipal Market. Located on the north bank of the Rio Negro, 11 miles above the Meeting of the Waters where the Rio Negro merges with Rio Solimões, Manaus - “The Paris of the Jungle” - is the heart of Amazonia and the launch port of eco-tourism for the Amazon rainforest and river tours and cruises. El Cento features a variety of attractions, hotels, shops, restaurants, a convention centers and the popular local market. Nature lovers discover endless outdoor activities, such as trips to an ecological park, visits to giant water lilies, observation of the Meeting of the Waters, forest treks, exploring caboclos settlements, and canoeing, fishing and swimming on the rivers and lakes. Explore river banks and "igarapes", swim and canoe in placid lakes, play on Ponta Negra Beach, and spend the night in the lush forest. Founded in the late 17th century, Manaus is the capital of Amazonas, the largest Brazilian state. Eight airlines link Manuas to Brazilian capitals, and operate direct flights to Miami, Caracas, Bogotá, Santa Cruz and La Paz. [Top]
Anavilhanas Archipelago. The world’s largest fresh water archipelago of river islands, Anavilhanas is located on the Rio Negro in the Brazilian Amazon - 100 km upstream from Manaus. A unique ecological system and preservation area of great biodiversity, Anavilhanas is made up of 400 islands covered with native forest - a natural labyrinth with diverse landscapes and wildlife.Exploring the Anavilhanas Archipelago is an amazing adventure full of wonder and awe. During the rainy season, half of the islands are submerged, forming a boundless floating forest of creeks and channels awaiting discovery. The compact vegetation is shelter for diverse birds, butterflies, iguanas, rodents, monkeys and snakes. With its impressive black waters, Anavilhanas Archipelago has an extremely abundant aquatic life with several species of fish, including the famous Pirarucu, Tucunaré, and piranhas, as well as crocodiles, dolphins and manatees. Anavilhanas is also the natural habitat of 232 bird species and abundant avifauna. During the dry season, the receding waters reveal white sand beaches and natural formations of roots and trunks. 
Meeting of the Waters. The meeting of the waters is natural phenomenon caused from the confluence of dark waters of the Rio Negro and clay waters of Rio Solimoes for about 5 miles (8 Km) to form the Amazon River. A truly amazing spectacle to behold, the warmer, clearer black waters of the Rio Negro run side by side with the salty, muddy brown waters of Rio Solimoes for 6 km without mixing - a spectacular phenomenon to witness. In Manaus, in front of the Meeting of the Waters is a tourist structure, which contains belvederes for the contemplation of this magnificent natural phenomenon. [Top]
Rio Negro (Black River). Named for its dark waters, the Rio Negro is the largest left tributary of the Amazon River and the largest blackwater river in the world. The Rio Negro flows into the Rio Solimões at the “Meeting of the Waters” to form the silty Amazon River below Manaus, Brazil and is navigable for 450 miles. During the rainy season, April to October, the river is a succession of lagoons, full of long islands, intricate channels, cataracts, rapids and whirlpools. In the dry seaon season, you’ll find many sandy beaches along the Rio Negro for swimming, sunbathing and relaxing. The Rio Negro provides an excellent mirror reflection of the dense rain forest, supports a large fishing industry and has numerous turtle beaches. Travel on the river by long canoe or motor boat and explore the Amazon, carrying 1/5 of the world’s fresh water into the Atlantic Ocean. Teatro Amazonas. The most striking building in Manaus and one of the most significant neoclassic monuments in Brazil, Teatro Amazonas (Amazon Opera House) is a tribute to the great wealth of the city from the rubber boom of the late-19th and early-20th centuries. Built in 1896 as a copy the Grand Opera de Paris, the magnificent theater is an landmark on Avenue Eduardo Ribeiro that presents live performances and annual festivals. The beautiful interior of Teatro Amazonas features Portuguese and Italian marble in the entry hall and stairway, a gold Venetian chandelier, a painted mural backdrop depicting the Meeting of the Waters and a handcrafted floor made of 12,000 interlaced wooden panels. The only thing in the Opera House not imported are the rich wooden hand runners and railings made from Brazilian jacandara wood. From the outside, the theater’s grandeur is punctuated by a central dome covered with 20,000 glazed tiles in the colors of Brazil. You can take a guided 20-minure tour or enjoy traditional presentations (Livro Vivo) at 2 p.m. on Fridays and 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Saturdays. This amazing theater also offers performances in the evenings and the Festival of Opera during April and May, presenting performances from national and international groups. [Top]
Ponta Negra Beach (Praia de Ponte Negra). Located 13 km from downtown Manaus, Ponta Negra Beach is the city’s most popular river beach, a significant tourist attraction and a vibrant nightlife area. This picturesque fine sand beach on the Rio Negro River (Black River) is a destination of natural beauty and artistic culture, and the sunsets from this beach are an extraordinary sight. When the river is low, the sand at Ponta Negra is uncovered to the river bed revealing a dramatic contrast to the dark water. The Ponte Negra beachfront features an intimate cove beach on the warm waters of the river, as well as beach volleyball courts, a cycle way, a belvedere, playground, and an expansive sidewalk with bars, restaurants and snack bars. Ponte Negro Beach also has a modern amphitheatre with a 15,000 people capacity for shows and exciting events. Ponte Negra Beach is the perfect place to sit down with a beer in the evenings, enjoy the boi dances performed in streetside cafés, and watch the Rio Negro flow gently by. Beyond the sandy beach at Ponte Negra, you’ll find an interesting zoo, an orchid greenhouse and preserved woods that are open for public visits.
Lago Janauari Ecological Park. Located about an hour from Manaus, the Lago Janauary is a 9,000-acre eco-park of wooded forest land and a unique Amazon experience. Take a boat tour to the beautiful ecological park, which features elevated boardwalks weaving through the trees, dry and flooded forests and lowlands, and numerous exhibits of giant floating Vitoria Regia water lilies measuring up to seven feet in diameter. Take a trek through the park, famous for its wild flowers and plants, to see the many animals and birds that have made this their habitat. As you arrive, small children approach your boat with rainforest creatures they've captured. [Top]
Lago Janauari Ecological Park. Located about an hour from Manaus, the Lago Janauary is a 9,000-acre eco-park of wooded forest land and a unique Amazon experience. Take a boat tour to the beautiful ecological park, which features elevated boardwalks weaving through the trees, dry and flooded forests and lowlands, and numerous exhibits of giant floating Vitoria Regia water lilies measuring up to seven feet in diameter. Take a trek through the park, famous for its wild flowers and plants, to see the many animals and birds that have made this their habitat. As you arrive, small children approach your boat with rainforest creatures they've captured. [Top]
Adolpho Ducke Botanical Garden. Located east of Manaus, insidea 100 square kilometers ecological reserve, the Adolpho Ducke Botanical Gardens is the world’s largest botanical garden with an infinite number of plant and animal species. The massive garden features a variety of scenic trails that wind through vines, young and old trees, flowers, mushrooms, birds and animals. Visitors can trek through the granes with a tour guide as part of their Amazon jungle tour experience. The gardens are conveniently located near Lake Janauari Ecological Park.Presidente Figueiredo. Located 105 km from Manaus, Presidente Figueiredo is a magical place of nature with archaeological grottoes and caves, waterfalls, native scenery, forests and rivers. Known as the Land of Waterfalls, this natural attraction offers ecologic and adventure tours, jungle walking trails, and boat tours on the lake of Balbina. Founded in 1981, the county of Presidente Figueiredo was named in honor of the first President from the Province of the Amazonas, João Baptista de Figueiredo Tenreiro Aranha (1798-1861). [Top]
Municipal Park of Mindú. Located in the November 10 Park district of Manaus, Park of Mindú was created in 1992 as an area of ecological interest. Covering 330,000 square miles of forest lands remaining from the Township, Municipal Park of Mindú is used for scientific, educational, cultural, and tourist activities. The unique eco-park is one of the last habitats for the sauim-de-coleira, a species of monkey that only exists in the Manaus region and is threatened with extinction. Walk through four distinct ecosystems in the park: land covered by secondary growth, firm ground brush, sandbanks and degraded areas that were illegally cleared in 1989. The Park also has a Library, an environment information centre, an amphitheatre for 600 people, gardens planted with medicinal and aromatic herbs, an orchid nursery, elevated trails and walkways, and signs to environmental education programs.
Manaus CIGS Zoo. Managed by the Brazilian Army, and part of the army's jungle warfare-training center, the Manaus CIGS Zoo boasts approximately 300 species of animalscaptured by soldiers from the Amazonas fauna. The tremendous collection features black and spotted jaguars, cougars, toucans, macaws, monkeys, wildcats, otters, snakes, alligators, tapir, turtles and harpy eagles. Allow about 90 minutes to tour this very strange zoo, which is open to the public throughout the year. [Top]
Manaus CIGS Zoo. Managed by the Brazilian Army, and part of the army's jungle warfare-training center, the Manaus CIGS Zoo boasts approximately 300 species of animalscaptured by soldiers from the Amazonas fauna. The tremendous collection features black and spotted jaguars, cougars, toucans, macaws, monkeys, wildcats, otters, snakes, alligators, tapir, turtles and harpy eagles. Allow about 90 minutes to tour this very strange zoo, which is open to the public throughout the year. [Top]
The Science Grove. Located in the Amazonas National Institute for Research area, the Science Grove provides knowledge of the Amazonas environment, providing pleasant moments while wandering along its beautiful trails and paths. The Grove’s main attractions are: otter vivarium, manatee hatchery, bee hives, Science House, educational trails, alligator’s vivarium, botanical garden, above ground trail, fauna, orchid nursery and bromeliad nursery.
Centro Cultural Palaçio Rio Negro. Built at the height of the rubber boom, this gorgeous palace is one of Manaus’ most impressive cultural centers and home to excellent museums. Built by a Manaus rubber baron in the early 20th century, the palace is wonderfully ornate with rich tropical hardwoods floors, doors, and banisters. Some rooms are decorated with period furnishings, while others display modern Brazilian art and sculpture. The state governor's mansion for many years, the palace also features artifacts from that period. The back garden of the palace has been transformed into a permanent People of the Forest Exhibit, which shows the lifestyle of Amazon people with full-size re-creations of an Indian village, a caboclo house, and farinha and rubber processing sheds. The Indian village is staffed by members of Amazonian tribes that put on a demonstration of indigenous culture, including dances and welcome songs. In a smaller building, Pinacoteca do Estado, the state art museum, houses beautiful artwork from Manaus artists of the 19th and 20th centuries. The lower floor houses Bernardo Ramos Numismatic Museum, which has 11 rooms of rare coins from around the world. The Amazon Image and Sound Library houses a vast collection of photographs and audio and video recordings. [Top]
Centro Cultural Palaçio Rio Negro. Built at the height of the rubber boom, this gorgeous palace is one of Manaus’ most impressive cultural centers and home to excellent museums. Built by a Manaus rubber baron in the early 20th century, the palace is wonderfully ornate with rich tropical hardwoods floors, doors, and banisters. Some rooms are decorated with period furnishings, while others display modern Brazilian art and sculpture. The state governor's mansion for many years, the palace also features artifacts from that period. The back garden of the palace has been transformed into a permanent People of the Forest Exhibit, which shows the lifestyle of Amazon people with full-size re-creations of an Indian village, a caboclo house, and farinha and rubber processing sheds. The Indian village is staffed by members of Amazonian tribes that put on a demonstration of indigenous culture, including dances and welcome songs. In a smaller building, Pinacoteca do Estado, the state art museum, houses beautiful artwork from Manaus artists of the 19th and 20th centuries. The lower floor houses Bernardo Ramos Numismatic Museum, which has 11 rooms of rare coins from around the world. The Amazon Image and Sound Library houses a vast collection of photographs and audio and video recordings. [Top]
Amazon Jungle Hikes & Canopy Tours. Hike through the Amazon jungle high up in a treetop canopy, tall observation tower or suspended walkways that wind through the jungle. Most of these hikes are associated with jungle lodges with beautiful walkways like the Ariaú Jungle Towers, which offer suspended trails and extensive facilities for leisure activities. Visitors can also enjoy guided hikes on the jungle floor or walks through city parks for photo safaris and bird-watching. An interesting excursion is a hike out to one of the old seringais (rubber tree groves), which still produce rubber. Tourists may also experience nocturnal excursions by canoe or floating hotel that take you out to sleep in the jungle on a hammock between two trees. Amazon night tours can be an eerie experience and you’ll need special supplies for this expedition.Boi-Bumbás of Parintins Festival. Located on the island of Tupinambarana, Parintins is a 200-year old village with a rich Indian heritage on the Amazon River in Brazil, 420 km from Manaus. Held in Bumbódromo arena, Boi-Bumbá Festival presents a grand spectacle of dance, music, drama, fireworks, competition and special effects that drive 40,000 spectators into a frenzy. June 28 - 30, the city is divided in two drum groups - Boi Bumba Caprichoso (blue costumes) and Boi Bumba Garantido (red) - that create a fantastic show of creativity and beauty as they compete before judges. Fireworks mark the beginning of the parade which features giant legends such as Gigantic Juma and the Giant Serpent. See exhibitions on the daily life of the Ribeirinho, the fisherman, and the rubber tree workers that show life in the Amazon and attest to preservation of nature and human rights. Native tribal rituals are represented by the folk people of the Bumbás. Participants dance to the drum beat and beautiful melody. [Top]
Ariau Amazon Towers
Email: info@/
Parana do Ariau ,s/n,Zona Rural Cep:69045-000 Iranduba, AM - Manaus, Brazil
Contact: +1-954-404-8022 Fax: 1-305-947-4688
