Rio Branco
Capital Of Acre On The Acre River, And The Base For The Chico Mendes House At Xapuri And Flights Over The Acre Geoglyphs · Rio Branco, Acre
Rio Branco is the capital of Acre, a state in the far west of Brazil bordering Bolivia and Peru. It began in 1882 as a rubber settlement on the Acre River, when the rubber boom drew migrants from the northeast into the forest, and Acre itself became Brazilian only in the early twentieth century after a conflict with Bolivia. The small centre along the river holds most of what a visitor sees: the Gameleira, the old riverside quarter named after a great tree; the Palácio Rio Branco, the former government palace, now a museum; the Memorial dos Autonomistas; and the Mercado Velho with its footbridge across the river. Honestly, tourist volume is very low, and most visitors use the city as a base. About three hours away, Xapuri keeps the house of Chico Mendes, the rubber tapper and environmentalist murdered in 1988. Small planes fly over the geoglyphs, large earthworks made by pre-Columbian peoples and revealed by deforestation. The Santo Daime religion began in Acre. The Acre River floods in some years.
Centro and the Acre River, Rio Branco, AC, Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil
The riverfront, footbridge and squares are open at all times, but museums and memorials keep office-style hours, usually from Tuesday to Sunday with closures on Mondays and some holidays, and hours can change without much notice - confirm before going. The Palácio Rio Branco and the Memorial dos Autonomistas are the most regular. The Mercado Velho and the Gameleira are liveliest in the late afternoon and evening, when the heat drops and people come to eat by the river. In Xapuri, the Chico Mendes house and the foundation near it keep limited daytime hours and may close on some days, so a day trip needs checking in advance. Geoglyph flights depend on small operators, weather and minimum passenger numbers; they are not a regular scheduled service, and availability should be confirmed well ahead with a local agency. In flood years, usually in the rainy season from around February to April, parts of the riverfront and low neighbourhoods can be closed or under water. Santo Daime and other ceremonies are private religious services, not attractions to drop in on.