Travel Guide Belém

What pleases and disorientates in Belém is first of all this exuberant nature integrated into urban life. The tree-lined squares and gardens are veritable little enclaves of Amazonian forest. Belém also offers the most authentic traditional Brazilian or Amazonian cuisine. Dishes such as duck with tucupi, maniçoba, tacacá, stuffed crab, fish soups and turtle sarapatel are among the delicious dishes that illustrate a regional culinary art rich in flavours. The city of Belém is magically located on the banks of the Guamá River, with the forest on the other side of the river. It seems to be on borrowed time from the exuberant nature that surrounds and invades it. You can see this by looking at the old ruined buildings that dot the city and that are very quickly taken over by the choking greenery. One thing is certain, you won't come to Belém for the architecture alone, the one that Charles de La Condamine praised. The city has changed over the past two centuries, and ugly cement towers have sprung up like mushrooms. The dirtiness can also be discouraging. Nevertheless, one will spend pleasant moments in Goeldi Park or in the distant islets with deserted beaches. Today, with a population of 1.5 million (2021), the city had its golden era and was one of the country's leading cities. Nowadays, the city has lost its former allure and suffers from a lack of public investment. The result is a lot of dirt accumulated over the years in the old Belém and in the outskirts. With the exception of a few buildings, the historic buildings on Castilhos França Boulevard are deteriorating and urban chaos has set in. Visitors will have to get away from this desolate reality to admire the undeniable charm of the city. It is also highly recommended to leave your bad mood and impatience at the locker room. The service is generally impeccable, and most people will try to go out of their way to help you... but they will take their time for that! Indeed, some of the inhabitants of the city, especially in the shops, have a particular way of answering by making a dry gesture of the hand to ask the customer to wait. Above all, we will not be offended by this, they are also very welcoming and will do everything to help and make the visitor love their region.