"Magnificent Belém" Top 5 Page for this destination Belém by NedHopkins

Belém Travel Guide: 131 reviews and 343 photos

Amazonia at Its Best

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.)

Pros and Cons

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.

Last visit to Belém: Feb 2004
Intro Updated Aug 28, 2007
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Reviews (20)

LIbrary Things to Do (7)

This beautiful early 18th century building once housed a merchants' guild. It's now part of the library system of the... more travel advice

Palacio Lauro Sodre Things to Do (7)

Built in 1762-72 by an ITalian architect, the Palacio Lauro Sodre was originally the seat of the Portuguese government... more travel advice

A Jungle Tree Climber Off The Beaten Path (4)

The berries of the acai palm tree are used for everything from medicine to condiment to beverage. (Only manioc, the most... more travel advice

Dockside Colonial Buildings Things to Do (7)

Belem's 'old city' is a treasure-trove of colonial buildings, many restored, many not. These are some that face the... more travel advice

Warnings and Dangers (2)
See All Beware killer coconuts
Restaurants (4)
See All Outstanding Buffet, Great Hours

Shopping (1)
Not Much Here
Hotels (2)
See All Belém's Best

Comments (4)

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sanguin Feb 6, 2009 at 11:56 AM

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.
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Jim_Eliason Aug 8, 2007 at 10:15 PM

Nice tips!
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kahrolike Jul 18, 2006 at 8:42 AM

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!
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pepples46 Jan 28, 2005 at 8:54 PM

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