Northern Region of Brazil - Amazonia

Belém, in Pará state, is one of Brazil's busiest ports - and it's about 60 miles upriver from the Atlantic ocean! The river is the Pará, part of the greater Amazon river system, separated from the larger part of the Amazon delta by Ilha de Marajó or Island of Marajó.

Guest author Jill Siegel describes her visit to Ariau Amazon Towers Hotel, 35 miles from Manuas, Brazil at the confluence of the Rio Negro and Ariau Creek. Built entirely at the level of the Rainforest Canopy, Ariau's towers are linked together by 4 miles of sturdy wooden catwalks. This architectural wonder affords visitors a unique communion with the regions abundant flora and fauna while leaving the fragile eco-system completely undisturbed.

From a small river fort built in 1669 through the fabulously wealthy days of the rubber boom, through decline and adversity, Manaus in the state of Amazonas rose and fell like the tides on the Rio Negro. Today it is a large, commercial port and city and the destination for the thousands who come to explore Amazonia, the rainforest and view the wildlife along the rivers.

On the Rio Negro in the Amazonas state of Brazil, Manaus is a commercial and tourist center for activity on the Amazon river. Visitors come here on their river cruises, as a staging spot for jungle lodge experiences, to see the famous Wedding of the Waters where the dark waters of the Rio Negro meet the yellowish waters of the Solimões river.

Great advice on finding the jungle lodge that suits your needs and expectations, from the Brazil Travel Guide.

Photos of the famed opera house, riverboats and other sights.