Mad on Manaus

If you’re anything like me then you’ve probably never heard off Manaus, although my constant readers should now have a good idea about the city after my recent Fred Olsen blog about the Amazon tour they do there. Click here to read the original blog.

I actually booked someone on Friday, for this particular cruise and noticed that he gets to spend three days in Manaus, so with him and all you other cruisers lucky enough to get to visit one of the strangest cities on the planet, in mind, I’ve put together this little guide. It’s sourced from different sites and reviews on the web and includes some of the more interesting places to visit whilst your there.

Teatro Amazonas
This is an opera house that was built in the year 1896. It is a notable landmark of Manaus, reflecting the massive wealth at the turn of the century rubber boom, a story worth reading about in of itself. The fabulous interior of this 1896 opera house was completed after 15 years. It contains crystal chandeliers, wrought-iron banisters, and Italian frescoes, as well as a museum and is based upon a Parisian model of theatres.

Zoo Manaus
This was originally used as a military zoo for rescued animals, which also doubled as an army training centre. It is located on the outskirts of town and houses several hundred amazing and native Amazonian species of mammals, reptiles and birds; well worth a visit to see some rare examples of exotic creatures that may be a bit too shy to be viewed just sailing down the Amazon.

The Mercado Adolpho Lisboa,
Was founded in 1882 and is the city’s oldest marketplace, trading in fruit, vegetables, and especially fish. It is one of the most popular market place in the city. This market is very similar to the Les Halles market of Paris. Experience life as it really is in a city located in the middle of the Amazon.
Manaus also has many large parks with native forest preservation areas, such as the Bosque da Ciência and Parque do Mindú. The Municipal Park of Mindu is located in the November 10 Park district. It was created in 1992 to be an area of ecological interest. The park is mainly used for scientific, educational, cultural and tourist activities. The Park also has a library, with an information centre on the environment connected to the Internet. It also has a parking area, amphitheatre for 600 people, gardens planted with medical and aromatic herbs and an orchid nursery.

Now I've never been to Manaus myself so I've had to rely on other peoples reviews and recomendations for this blog, as you can imagine it's a bit off the beaten track. I would love for anyone who has ever been there to add any spots that they think are well worth a visit to help others lucky enough heading off  here to make up their mind about what to do.

Happy cruising