Did you know that most tourists who go to the state of Amazonas are not Brazilians? If you don’t know this beautiful region of Brazil yet, it’s time to turn the game around. Manaus is the starting point for many incredible adventures. A city that needs to get on your itinerary. And the good news is that there’s something new in the capital city of Manauara. The boutique hotel Juma Opera has just opened its doors in Manaus. Do you know where? In the historic center, right in front of the iconic Amazonas Theater, built during the Rubber Cycle. A boutique hotel that is not only charming, but also very well located.
Now you have good reasons to put Manaus on your wish list. The Juma Opera occupies a set of historic mansions listed by IPHAN – National Institute of Historical and Artistic Heritage. In one of these houses, the American consulate functioned for a while, which received important personalities such as Theodore Roosevelt and Marshal Rondon. The restoration was careful and the result could not be different, it was beautiful! There are 41 spacious and bright accommodations, many with views of the Amazonas Theater. The decor includes pieces of local handicrafts and the rooftop has a beautiful pool facing the theater and overlooking the Rio Negro.
Manaus deserves a visit of two or three days before you head for the forest. Visit the Adolpho Municipal Market in Lisbon, the Nossa Senhora da Conceição Mother Church, the Municipal Clock, the Seringal Museum, the Amazon Museum and the Povos da Amazônia Cultural Center. From the Port of Ceasa take a boat to see the Meeting of the Waters (Encontro das Águas), where the Negro and Solimões rivers flow side by side without mixing due to the difference in viscosity of their waters. With luck, the dolphins will follow the boat’s path. Take a helicopter or hydroplane over the Anavilhanas, an archipelago formed by 400 river islands, 100 kilometers from Manaus.
Visit Manaus at any time of the year. It is always hot and humid. April to September is the dry season, and October to March is the rainiest. It is worth returning at different times to see how the landscape changes depending on the water level.
Want tips of good restaurants to eat river fish? Amazônico, Banzeiro, and of course, at the Juma Opera restaurant, which is run by chef Sofia Bendelak.
For the experience to be complete I suggest you stay 2 or 3 days at Juma Opera in Manaus and another 3 or 4 days at Juma Amazon Lodge in the middle of the forest. Another day I will tell you all about it.
I wish you a beautiful, strong and intense week like the Amazon!
XoXo and see you next Tuesday.
