Pará
If you came to the Amazon to see primary rainforest, look no further than the Floresta Nacional do Tapajós. Wildlife is a possibility – from birds to…
Must-see attractions in Pará
Pará
The floodplains east and southeast of Santarém are among the Amazon's most rewarding excursions. Flooded for much of the year, the plains are home to…
Belém
The name of this waterfront market, with its iconic four-turreted structure at its southwestern end, comes from colonial times, when the Portuguese would…
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Belém
An ambitious renovation project converted three down-at-heel riverfront warehouses into a popular gathering spot, with restaurants, bars, shops and even…
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Pará
Henry Ford briefly moved his Fordlândia operations to this tidy little town in the 1940s and this site, 40km from Santarém, makes for an easy day trip…
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Pará
This large (9940 sq km) Amazonian rain-forest national park lies west of the town of Itaituba (population 65,000), which is 250km southwest of Santarém…
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Belém
Rather humdrum from the outside, the Basílica Santuario de Nazaré has a truly spectacular interior. Sink into a cushioned pew and admire the soaring…
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Museu Emílio Goeldi & Parque Zoobotánico
Belém
This museum and zoo contains Amazonian species, from anacondas and white-whiskered squirrel monkeys to jaguars and giant river otters, plus an aviary,…
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Belém
Closed indefinitely for renovations when we last passed by, this museum, once it reopens, has two parts: the impressive Igreja do Santo Alexandre and the…
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Pará
Praia de Araruna is a narrow, virtually deserted beach with mangrove stands and separated from Praia Barra Velha by a wide tidal channel. High tide can…
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Alter do Chão
A small slice of paradise just offshore from Alter do Chão, the 'Island of Love' is especially striking when the water is low (August to December) and…
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Alter do Chão
This huge three-fingered lake is surrounded by forest and has places to swim, snorkel with fish and spot wildlife (including a resident family of monkeys)…
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Belém
The State Museum of Pará is housed in the grand Palácio Lauro Sodré, originally the residence of Portugal’s royal representatives in Belém and later home…
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Belém
This rubber-boom palace served as city hall in the late 1800s, and its 2nd floor now houses the Museu de Arte de Belém. The museum has gorgeous wood…
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Pará
Praia Grande is, as the name suggests, a big beach: it's a long wide swathe of golden-brown sand about 500m south of Salvaterra proper. A slew of beach…
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Belém
The many idiosyncrasies of Belém’s famous religious festival, the Círio de Nazaré, are explained in this handsome museum, from the discovery of a tiny…
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Belém
Overlooking Praça da República, the Teatro da Paz is one of Belém’s finest buildings. Completed in 1874 and built in the neoclassical style, the…
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Belém
The city of Belém was founded in 1616 with the construction of this imposing fort, which was intended to protect Portuguese interests upriver from…
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Belém
Bosque Rodrigues Alves' aging but well-maintained animal enclosures (which harbor tapir, bird, feline and primate species) and wide, tree-shaded paths are…
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Belém
After years of slow, sad decline, Belém’s historic cathedral is once again radiant, thanks to a major renovation. The exterior gleams a brilliant white,…
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Museu de História e Arte Sacra
Pará
This modest museum has exhibits on Santarém's history and several artifacts related to the Cirio de Nazaré, the massive religious celebration held every…
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Pará
Praia do Pesqueiro is Soure’s most popular beach, a broad swath of soft beige sand, backed by thatch-roofed restaurants. Pesqueiro is about 12km north of…
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Pará
Housed in a large yellow waterfront mansion, this museum is also known as the Centro Cultural João Fona, after the Pará artist who painted the frescoes on…
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Pará
Enclosures are rather desultory at this rehabilitation center, but the animals are not intended to stay for long. Affable guides lead interesting tours …
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Pará
Dona Dica Frazão spent three-quarters of a century making clothing and fabrics from natural fibers, including grasses and wood pulp. She died aged 96 in…
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Belém
Once the home of a sugar baron, then a military hospital, the Casa das Onze Janelas now houses an excellent gallery of modern art. The first and second…
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Alter do Chão
Most afternoons, large numbers of pink and grey dolphins congregate just offshore from this sandy point near the mouth of the Rio Tapajós for an evening…
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Pará
Praia Garrote is a completely undeveloped beach at the mouth of the Rio Paracauari. To get there, follow Travessa 9 east out of town; the road makes a…
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Pará
This pleasant oval-shaped plaza and viewpoint has two open-air food stalls and good river views. An observation tower affords an even better view,…
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Pará
Praia Barra Velha is edged by thick mangrove stands and several small restaurants. To get there, follow Travessa 14 east of town for about 4.5km to a fork…
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Pará
Facing Praça da Matriz, the city's pretty blue-painted church dates from 1761. Its predecessor church, made of palm fronds in 1661, was Santarém's first…
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Alter do Chão
A few blocks west of the town center along the waterfront promenade is this pleasant beach, wrapping around to the Tapajós River.
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