Making the most of Manaus
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
Ships dock at the Porto Flutuante (floating docks), an ingenious structure that rises and falls with the greatly fluctuating river level. The town begins at the docks.
All of the main sights are within walking distance of the dock. The town is hilly.
Manaus is the Amazon’s largest city (2 million), a major port for ocean vessels that’s 1500km from the ocean.
Printable map to take along.
Manaus was once the world center of rubber production and became very wealthy. The wealth of the primeval forest becomes visible first of all in the architecture of the city. The city enriched and the rubber barons afforded the biggest luxury from Europe, a copy the Grand Opera de Paris - the Teatro Amazonas. Other monuments from this epoch are the Mercado Municipal, a copy of the famous market halls Les Halles in Paris, and the arts center Rio Palacio Negro, located among fascinating Portuguese facades. Today Manaus is a foreign trade zone. Foreign enterprises must pay here no import duties, what guarantees a certain income for the city and…
One of the main attraction in Manaus is Teatro Amazonas, or the Opera House. Completed in 1896 at the height of the rubber economy that made Manaus one of the richest cities in the world, it is absolutely spectacular. Work proceeded slowly over the following fifteen years with some stops and re-starts from 1885 to 1892. Roofing tiles came from Alsace while, from Paris, came furniture and furnishings in the style of Louis XV, much from the Koch Fréres company. From Italy came Carrarra marble for the stairs, statues, and columns. Steel walls were ordered from England. The theatre has 198 chandeliers, including 32 of Murano glass. The curtain…
Getting around
Right from the Manaus harbor where the cruise terminal is there are numerous river boats offering tours on the Amazon.
Interesting guided tours (R$10, 30 minutes, 9am to 4pm) are offered every day except Sunday, often in English, are organized by the tourist office.
Food and shopping
A new high-end shopping center has been built next to the pier.
The public market in Manaus is only about a ten minute walk from the cruise terminal and offers excellent shopping.
The main areas for vendor activity are the Mercado Adolfo Lisboa, Rua Marcilio Dias, Rua Marechal Deodoro and the streets surrounding the cathedral. All except the Mercado are outdoors along busy streets. Be prepared to bargain.
Money
Brazilian Real
Staying connected
Portuguese spoken.
Internet cafe at the new shopping center.
Opening Hours and
Basic hours for most stores and businesses are from 9am to 6pm, with an extended lunch hour from around noon to 2pm.
Many museums are closed on monday.
The June Festival Folclórico do Amazonas features a wide variety of regional folklore performances, including rehearsals of the Parintins Boi- Bumbá teams. The festival finishes on June 29 with the St Peter River Procession, when hundreds of riverboats parade on the Rio Negro before Manaus to honor the patron saint of fishers.