Belem Highlights (3.5 hours)

This overview of Belém will introduce you to the city’s highlights and the many interesting sights that reflect the history and cultural heritage of Brazil’s northern center and port of entry to the Amazon.

Departing the port, your drive will take you past the Ver-o-Peso market, where vendors sell everything from medicinal herbs to regional fruits, river fish and good luck charms for the body and the soul. Other highlights on your tour include:

A visit to the Basilica of Our Lady of Nazareth - This is one of Belém’s many churches built with the proceeds of rubber. During a short visit you can admire its ornate interior replete with Carrara marble and gold.

A visit to the Emilio Goeldi Zoological Garden - Explore Belém’s extraordinary zoo and botanical garden, featuring tapirs, manatees, big cats, alligators and a collection of tropical birds. The Goeldi, established in 1866, contains also one of Amazonia’s few research institutes.

A visit to the Sacred Art Museum - Located in the architectural complex of St. Francisco Xavier Church and the Santo Alexandre School, the museum displays over 500 pieces from the legacy left by the Jesuits and from a private collection.

A visit to the Teatro da Paz - Facing Belém’s main square is the stately Opera House, the city’s most obvious sign of its former rubber fortunes. The elegant 19th-century Rococo building, recently restored, saw such famous performers as Anna Pavlova. Enjoy a look at the interior and then start heading back to the port.