Travel Guide Manaus

With its 2 million inhabitants, it is the capital of Brazil's largest state, Amazonas, located at the confluence of the Rio Negro and Solimões rivers, just before their waters mix and take on the definitive name of Amazonas. Here, the Amazon is dozens of kilometers wide. The forest is close by; the Indian Museum, the theater, the floating markets and the stilted suburbs at the port of São Raimundo make for pleasant moments. In the streets, many 1900 houses are suffering the same fate as in Havana: superb azulejo structures with half-moon windows have fallen into disrepair. Others are well preserved. Today, the city still boasts some magnificent buildings, such as the floating port, the customs building and, above all, the Opera House where, thanks to its philharmonic orchestra, it is still possible to attend quality performances. Not far away, the Eiffel-style Manaus market is also a veritable museum, with numerous stalls displaying the work of river dwellers and natives alike. In Manaus, you're not in the jungle, but in a big city. Nevertheless, you can take day trips to see the forest, without necessarily needing to be in an isolated ecologde.