Check out 10 tourist attractions in Manaus

One of the biggest tourist destinations in the Amazon, a good part of the visitor arriving in Manaus, do so on cruise ships on the Amazon River. According to the city government, five cruise ships will dock in the city port in January alone, bringing in more than five thousand tourists to take in the sights.

Check out the main tourist attractions in the city:

Amazonas Theatre

Inaugurated in 1896, the building has a dome composed of 36,000 pieces of scales in enamelled pottery and glazed tiles representing the Brazilian flag. The three-story theatre sits 701, and famously hosts the Amazonas Opera Festival every year.

Meeting of the Waters

The natural phenomenon occurs throughout a stretch of over ten kilometres at the junction of the Negro and Solimões rivers. The former has very dark water while the second's is muddier, and the confluence of the two creates a stark contrast due to the different current speeds, temperatures and densities of the two rivers.

Manaus Metropolitan Cathedral

Of rustic construction, the Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lady of the Conception was built in 1695 by Carmelite missionaries. It was the first major architectural work carried out in the city, later expanded by Manoel da Gama Lobo D'Almada, then president of the Amazonas Province (which would later become today's Amazonas state). The church was completely destroyed by a fire in 1850, but was rebuilt and reopened in 1878.

Forest of Science

The Forest of Science brings a unique blend of entertainment and learning to Manaus. The project, built inside the premises of the National Amazon Research Institute (Inpa) in the middle of the city, houses manatees, giant otters and chelonians in a 13-hectare site that offers great trails, among other attractions.

Jungle Warfare Instruction Centre

The Centre is the second most visited attraction in Manaus. Opened to the public in 1967, it was created by the Brazilian Army, which continues to operate it. The Centre's collection feature 162 Brazilian Amazon animals of 56 different species, several of which classified under different categories of endangerment by the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama).

Adolpho Lisboa Municipal Market

Opened in 1883, the city market built in front of the Rio Negro is one of the world's highlights in iron architecture. Its wide variety of freshwater fish, fruit, vegetables and spices makes the place one of the most important hubs for the trade of typical Amazon products.

Children's City Park

With courses and workshops, the park has consolidated itself as a focal point for art, knowledge and entertainment offers for children. Children and families alike get to have fun and play around in rich programmes filled with artistic and cultural activities, including puppet theatre, cinema, dance and music.

Adolpho Ducke Botanical Gardens

The park offers three kilometres of access to different ecosystems of the Adolpho Ducke Forest Reserve. Through the ecological trails of the site, one of the largest botanical gardens in Brazil, visitors can appreciate unique tree species such as the angelim-pedra, tachi, castanha-de-macaco and acariquara.

City Museum - Freedom Square (Paço da Liberdade)

Built in the Historic Centre of Manaus, the museum was one of the first constructions of neoclassical architectural characteristics in the city. The building houses the headquarters of the Provincial Government starting in 1879, and became the seat of the Republican Government after the proclamation of the Republic twenty years later. The building only has one floor, but its large rooms comfortably house a number of temporary and permanent exhibitions.

Tupé Beach

The beach is in the rural area of Manaus on the left bank of the Rio Negro, and gets most of its visitors between August and March. The river sands are also home to indigenous families receptive to sharing their customs with tourists, so visitors are often invited to dance rituals, for instance. The beach may be cordoned off in case of strong droughts.