Sightseeing in Manaus

Manaus’ “downtown” is fun and easy to explore on foot, and has much in store for the visitor. And although the city is spread over hills and surrounded by trees, today, as always, everything gravitates toward the waterfront and the Rio Negro. Which is why you should start there too.

The Floating Docks

Wake up early and spend the morning at the floating docks (Porto Flutuante). Head down the rickety wooden steps and you’ll find yourself in a beehive of activity. Scores of brightly colored river boats docked along the piers and packed together so closely that their masts seem to form a picket fence. A constant stream of men moves back and forth, loading and unloading goods, often balancing items on their heads and slung over their shoulders. Fresh fish, bunches of bananas, boxes of pineapples and sacks of wheat, beans and manioc flour are sold on the dock and at the markets nearby. The Indian features of these men, who come from the interior, is noticeable. Many of them sleep in hammocks strung up on the decks of the boats.

Customs House

Two buildings stand on the shore above the docks. The Italian Renaissancestyle older building was the Alfândega (Customs House), which was built in Britain, then taken apart and reconstructed here in 1902. The bricks were used as ballast en route. It houses government offices.

The modern building is the Hidroviária, the Water Transportation Terminal. All travelers leaving town by ship must pass through it. You’ll notice that adjacent docks are filled with river boats that transport people, rather than produce. The Hidroviária is like the local bus station.

Adolfo Lisboa Municipal Market

If you follow Rua Marquês de Santa Cruz along the waterfront you’ll see covered stalls selling merchandise, ranging from Manaus T-shirts to medicinal roots. Central to this area is the Adolfo Lisboa Market (Mercado Adolfo Lisboa), where much of the material unloaded from the river boats is sold. The building is one of Manaus’ European legacies. Opened in 1906, the sprawling cast iron complex that shelters the stalls is modeled after the Art Nouveau style of Les Halles, Paris (no longer there). All the material used to make it was imported from Europe. The market has four large areas, each dedicated to a different sale – grains, handicrafts, fish and meat and fruit. Many of the grains, fish and fruit are unique to the Amazon region. One huge fish, the pirarucu, has ribs so large that they are prepared and served in the manner of spare ribs. Other fish include the paçu, tucunaré, jaraqui and small river sardines. Local fruits include graviola, cupuaçu and acaí. The latter is very popular at Rio’s juice stands and has become well known in the US as an energy booster.

Amazonas Theater

Av. Eduardo Ribeiro, Manaus’ main thoroughfare leads from the waterfront through downtown Manaus en route to the most famous building in the city, the ornate salmoncolored, Teatro Amazonas, the Opera House. It’s about a dozen blocks away. As you set out, take a few minutes to admire the city’s cathedral in Praça de Matriz. Catedral da N. S. da Conceião (Immaculate Conception) was built by Carmelite missionaries in 1695 but was destroyed by a fire in 1850. It was rebuilt in simple Neoclassical style. The interior is a colorful and peaceful spot for a respite on a hot day. Locals refer to it as Igreja Matriz (Matriz Church). Adjacent to the church in an attractive setting is the Relogio Municipal (clock). There are two other noteworthy buildings en route to the Opera House. The Public Library is on Rua Henrique Martins and the Court of Justice on Rua J. Clemente.

You can’t miss the Teatro Amazonas, with its majestic pillars and soaring metallic dome covered in French tiles. It stands in Praça São Sebastião, a paved area of black and white stones set in a wavy design. The design symbolizes the meeting of the black waters of the Rio Negro with the lighter-colored waters of the Rio Solimões. At the plaza’s core is the Monument to the Opening of the Ports, erected in 1900 to commemorate the opening of Amazon ports to all nations. The bronze, marble and granite sculpture shows the Amazon River personified as a goddess of Greek mythology. Below her are four ships representing Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas.

The Teatro Amazonas was completed in 1896 after 15 years of construction. The exterior was designed and built by a Portuguese company while the interior was created by French designers. The Italian artist Domenica de Angelis painted most of the artwork within. The theater has been renovated several times, most recently in 1974 when 800 red felt seats were installed. A few of the original seats, which were backless, are on display. The stage can be raised and lowered, as can the beautiful bronze chandelier. The motif on the stage curtain shows the meeting of the waters; when the curtains open, ripples animate the scene. Ceiling panels show allegories to music, tragedy and drama. Caruso sang here and Sarah Bernhardt performed here as well, back when Manaus was a stop for the social élite.

Teatro Amazonas is not merely a curiosity. It continues to function as an opera house and theater. There are scheduled opera performances throughout the year and the annual opera festival is held here in April and May.

The Amazonas Philharmonic Orchestra and the Amazonas Jazz Band have weekly concerts. Some nights there are free concerts in the Plaza.

Take the half-hour tour of the theater with an English-speaking guide. You’ll have to remove your shoes and don huge slippers to walk in the second-floor ballroom. Its floor is inlaid with over 12,000 pieces of imported and Brazilian woods. Step out onto the balcony for a city view.

Rio Negro Palace & the Indian Museum

Manaus is hot and humid year-round and you’ll grow to appreciate the daily afternoon showers. If you haven’t wilted, there are two other interesting stops downtown. You can retrace your steps along Av. Ribeiro to Av. 7 de Setembro, a major cross-town street or take a taxi to the palace and walk to the museum, which is nearby.

Palácio Rio Negro is an extravagant home that was built in the 19th century for a German rubber baron. It then became the residence of the governor of Amazonas. Today, it is a cultural center and an art exhibition hall. It also houses a film museum, which offers screenings several times a day. The palace is open Tues-Sun, 3 pm-9 pm. Free. Av. 7 de Setembro 1546, Centro.

The Indian Museum (Museu do Indio) here is run by Salesian sisters, who also operate missions in other parts of the Amazon. Upper- level exhibit rooms show objects that illustrate indigenous cultures and life. One room focuses on rituals and features sacred masks. Made from the bark of a tauari tree, each mask represents an animal. Masks are worn during the feast of “Wax-ti,” or jungle spirit. Other rooms display tools and utensils, musical instruments and decorative artifacts. The room devoted to funerary objects and attire is also very interesting. A shop on the lower level sells handicrafts made by Indians connected to the Salesian missions. Open weekdays, 8:30 am-noon, 2-5 pm; Sat, 8:30 am-noon. Small entry fee. Rua Duque de Caxias 356, Centro.