Belém
Capital Of Pará At The Mouth Of The Amazon, Founded 1616; UNESCO Creative City Of Gastronomy; Host Of The CíRio De Nazaré Procession · Belém, Pará
Belém is the great port city at the mouth of the Amazon, founded by the Portuguese in 1616, and the gateway to the eastern Amazon. It grew rich in the rubber boom, which left it Belle Époque buildings like the Theatro da Paz, and its old quarter, the Cidade Velha, holds a colonial fort, cathedral and churches over the bay. The Ver-o-Peso, one of the oldest and largest open markets in Latin America, sells Amazon fish, fruits, herbs and potions on the waterfront. Belém is best known in Brazil for two things. Its food, built on Amazon ingredients - tacacá, pato no tucupi, maniçoba, fresh açaí eaten savoury with fish - earned it a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy title. And the Círio de Nazaré, held each October, is one of the largest Catholic processions in the world, drawing around two million people through the streets. The restored riverside warehouses of the Estação das Docas and the Mangal das Garças park are the easy introductions. The city is hot and humid, rains almost daily, and needs street sense.
Cidade Velha and Ver-o-Peso, Belém, PA, Belém, Pará, Brazil
A city, always open, but its rhythm matters. The Ver-o-Peso is liveliest from before dawn, when boats unload fish and açaí, and winds down through the afternoon; by evening the waterfront around it is empty and not a place to walk. Museums, the fort and the Theatro da Paz keep daytime hours, and many close on Mondays - check before planning a Monday around them. The theatre runs guided tours only at set times and closes to tours on show days or for events. Churches often shut in the middle of the day. Rain falls most afternoons for much of the year, usually in a heavy burst, so plan outdoor sights for the morning. The Estação das Docas is busiest in the evening and is the easiest place to be after dark. The Círio de Nazaré falls on the second Sunday of October, with events across the preceding days; streets close, hotels fill months ahead and prices rise sharply. Boats to Combu run through the day but stop before dark.