Five Things That Might Surprise You About Manaus

Located in the Northeast of Brazil, Manaus is the capital city of the state of Amazonas and the gateway to exploration of unique flora, fauna and wildlife that the Amazon Basin has to offer. Manaus itself is located on the north bank of the Negro River just above where the Negro River merges with the Solimões River and join together to form the Amazon River. Most people consider Manaus to be stopover place before launching out into an eco-adventure, but there are a few things to consider that might surprise you.

It’s not as far as you think

Currently American Airlines and LATAM offer coordinating nonstop flights from Miami to Manaus making the total journey from the U.S. to the heart of the Brazilian Amazon just over five hours.

Music and the Arts Abound

The famous Teatro Amazonas, Manaus’ Opera House can be considered a centerpiece of culture for the city, is home to the Amazonas Philharmonic Orchestra, and every May hosts a three week Festival Amazonas de Ópera (Amazonas Opera Festival). Festival Floclorico do Amazonas (Amazonas Folklore Festival), occurring every June, has become a major event in Manaus featuring folk dancing, traditional music and a procession of hundreds of riverboats. Also annually, Manaus hosts a Jazz Festival and an International Film Festival. Of course each year, Carnival celebrations occur in Manaus as well and many find the city’s unique flare a refreshing alternative to places like Rio de Janeiro.

You don’t have to stay at a remote jungle lodge to experience the unique biodiversity.

The largest urban forest in the world is located within Federal University of Amazonas, which was founded on January 17, 1909 and is the oldest federal university of Brazil. Another place not to miss is the the National Institute of Amazonian Research, Brazil’s oldest and leading governmental institution charged with the study and preservation of the country’s Amazonian Rainforest. The grounds include 130,000 square meters, with dozens of routes, each designed to showcase different aspects of the fauna, flora and ecosystems existing Amazon including a manatee tank and an alligator nursery. A trip to the Adolpho Duke Botanical Reserve is not to be missed! In addition to being treated to an amazing variety of flora, visitors can enjoy the Museum of the Amazon featuring various exhibitions on natural history and a planetarium with a discussion on how the indigenous peoples of the region have used the stars and planets in their traditional lives.

Many of the amazing ecological experiences can be done as day trips.

A highlight for many is a visit to the “Meeting of the Waters” where one can witness the Rio Negro and the Rio Solimões merge as their two distinctly colored waters run parallel without blending for miles and together become the Amazon River. Another fantastic and unique experience is a visit to the Dolphin Sanctuary where visitors can enjoy close contact swimming in the river with these large and friendly mammals, while learning about their revered place in indigenous Amazonian lore and legend.

The destination is a great place to consider for meetings and conferences.

There are several properties located within Manaus that are well suited for medium to larger sized events that offer all of the amenities and services required to host meetings and conferences, while guests are able to enjoy the unique destination and can combine with excursions to nearby jungle lodges before and after the event is scheduled.