Visit Manaus, Brazil

From whichever direction your plane approaches Manaus, you will watch in awe as you pass over the enormous expanse of green wilderness before reaching your destination, this steamy port in the middle of the jungle.

The city is a product of the 19th century rubber boom, but today is the commercial hub of the entire Amazon region.

Sights

The most incongruous sight is perhaps the city’s Opera House, a grand, marble-halled, chandelier-bedecked building that still puts on fine shows in the heart of the Amazon.

The hectic port area is an atmospheric blur of sailors, passengers and vendors, as goods and people arrive and depart. This is where you begin your trip into the Amazon, whether you will be staying at a lodge or taking a river cruise.