| Page Views: 1,361 Last Visit to Belém: February, 2004 | Magnificent Belém by NedHopkins - last update: Aug 28, 2007 |
Belem is nearly as improbable as Manaus. Who'd expect a city of nearly two million people located in what was once jungle?
It's here, though, in the estuary of the great Amazon River, about 120 kilometres from the Atlantic Ocean -- near enough that the tides vary the river's water levels by as much as three meters.
And what a city! Fine restaurants, magnificent colonial and other buildings, good shopping, jungle and river tours-- all in a city that seems more European than most in Brazil, and also cleaner and more prosperous.
It rains in Belem: it rains a lot. But the rain comes at fairly predictable times; it pours for only a few minutes; and people (even tourists) easily work around it.
One curiosity: Though Belem is "below" the equator -- in the southern hemisphere, that is -- prevailing winds and ocean currents make its seasons like those in the northern hemisphere. That means, for example, that "winter" is from the December to the March solstices. Not that winter is all that different from the other three seasons, given Belem's proximity to the equator.
Belem is a really great city. (Its name, BTW, is Portugese for Bethlehem.) |
> Add to your Custom Travel Guide [What's This?]
| Pros: | "Beautiful, fascinating city with much to see and do." | | Cons: | "It rains. A lot, though usually only for an hour or so each afternoon." | | In A Nutshell: | "At least as interesting as Manaus." |
NedHopkins' Belém Travel Tips
Comments for NedHopkins about Belém | | | | |
sanguin Fri Feb 6, 2009 19:56 UTC I believe that they have turned the Equatorial into the BelémSoftHotel. Today, it's a nice place to stay, around R$ 60 per night, and it's actually pretty central. The street also has a number of bars and cafes around. | Jim_Eliason Thu Aug 9, 2007 06:15 UTC Nice tips! | kahrolike Tue Jul 18, 2006 16:42 UTC I lived in Belem and as far as I know those are not palm tree but huge mango trees all over town. Belem is called the mango tree city, never seen a palm tree in the city... just a detailed observation for all! | pepples46 Sat Jan 29, 2005 04:54 UTC well, De Gaulle had always something to say, even when he had better not ..and yes, Brasil and Argentina did pummel poor Paraguai, what an empty victory. but Belem is beautiful, always was! great presentation with superb infos and pix. tks for sharing |
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