Belém in the Amazon, Brazil

Belém do Pará is the great port of the Amazon. The city has much of cultural interest, a fascinating market, and is the starting point for trips along the river. With mean temperatures of 26°C, it is hot, but frequent showers freshen the streets. The city has its share of crime and is prone to gang violence. Take sensible precautions, especially at night.

The river in front of Belém rises by many metres during the seasonal floods.

Getting there

Val-de-Cans international airport

, receives flights from the USA, Caribbean, the Guianas and the major Brazilian capitals. The airport bus 'Perpétuo Socorro-Telégrafo' or 'Icoaraci' runs to the Prefeitura on Praça Felipe Patroni. Ordinary taxis are cheaper than co-operatives, buy ticket in advance in departures side of airport. There are ATMs in the terminal, tourist information, cafés and car rental.

There are road connections from São Luís and the northeastern coast as well as a three-day bus link from São Paulo via Brasília. Interstate buses arrive at the

rodoviária

. There are showers, a good snack bar, and agencies with information and tickets for riverboats. At the

rodoviária

you are given a ticket with the taxi's number on it; threaten to go to the authorities if the driver tries to overcharge.

Boats arrive at the port from Macapá, Manaus and Santarém as well as other parts of the Amazon region and delta.

Getting around

The city centre is easily explored on foot. City buses and taxis run to all the sites of interest and to transport hubs away from the centre.

Background

Established in 1616 because of its strategic position, Belém soon became the centre for slaving expeditions into the Amazon Basin. The Portuguese of Pará, together with those of Maranhão, treated the

indígenas

abominably. Their isolation from the longer- established colonies allowed both places to become relatively lawless. In 1655, the Jesuits, under Antônio Vieira, attempted to lessen the abuses, while enticing the

indígenas

to descend to the

aldeias

around Belém. This unfortunately led to further misery when smallpox spread from the south, striking the Pará

aldeias

in the 1660s.

Soon after Brazil's Independence, the Revolta da Cabanagem, a rebellion by the poor blacks,

indígenas

and mixed-race

cabanos

, was led against the Portuguese-born class that dominated the economy. The movement came to an end in 1840 when the

cabanos

finally surrendered, but the worst years of violence were 1835-1836. Some estimates say 30,000 were killed. The state's strategic location once again became important during the Second World War, when Belém was used as an airbase by the Americans to hunt German submarines in the Atlantic.

Sights

Belém used to be called the 'city of mango trees' and there are still many such trees remaining. There are some fine squares and restored historic buildings set along broad avenues. The largest square is the

Praça da República

, where there are free afternoon concerts; the main business and shopping area is along the wide Avenida Presidente Vargas, leading to the river, and the narrow streets which parallel it.

The recently restored neoclassical

Teatro da Paz

(1874), is one of the largest theatres in the country and worth a visit. It stages performances by national and international stars, and offers free concerts and shows.

West of here, at the

Estação das Docas

, the abandoned warehouses of the port have been restored into a complex with an air-conditioned interior and restaurants outside. The Terminal Marítimo has an office of

Valverde Tours

, which offers sunset and night cruises. The Boulevard das Artes contains the

Cervejaria Amazon

(brewery), with good beer and simple meals, an archaeological museum and arts and crafts shops. The Boulevard de Gastronomia has smart restaurants and the five-star

Cairu

ice cream parlour (try

açaí

or the

pavê de capuaçu

). In the Boulevard das Feiras there are trade fairs. Live music is transported between the pavilions on a moving stage. Also in the complex are ATMs, internet café, phones and good toilets.

Heading south, the 17th-century

Mercês church

(1640) is the oldest in Belém. It forms part of an architectural group known as the Mercedário, the rest of which was heavily damaged by fire in 1978 and has now been restored.

Near the church, the Belém market, known as

Ver-o-Peso

, was the Portuguese Posto Fiscal, where goods were weighed to gauge taxes due, hence the name: 'see the weight'. It now has lots of gift shops selling charms for the local African-derived religion,

umbanda

, and interesting medicinal herb and natural perfume stalls. You can see giant river fish being unloaded around 0530, with frenzied wholesale buying for the next hour. A new dock for the fishing boats has been built just upriver from the market. The whole area swarms with people, including many armed thieves and pickpockets.

Around Praça Dom Pedro II is a cluster of interesting buildings. The

Palácio Lauro Sodré

and

Museu do Estado do Pará

is a gracious 18th-century Italianate building. It contains Brazil's largest framed painting,

The Conquest of Amazônia

, by Domenico de Angelis. The building was the work of the Italian architect Antônio Landi, who also designed the cathedral, and was the administrative seat of the colonial government. During the rubber boom many new decorative features were added. Also on Praça Dom Pedro II is the

Palácio Antônio Lemos

, which houses the

Museu de Arte de Belém

as well as the

Prefeitura

. It was originally built as the Palácio Municipal between 1868 and 1883, and is a fine example of the Imperial neoclassical style. In the downstairs rooms there are old views of Belém; upstairs, the historic rooms, beautifully renovated, contain furniture and paintings, which are all well explained.

The

cathedral

(1748), is also neoclassical, and contains several remarkable paintings. Directly opposite

is the restored 18th-century

Santo Aleixandre church

, which is noted for its woodcarving.

Also in the old town is the

Forte do Castelo

, which was rebuilt in 1878. The fort overlooks the confluence of the Rio Guamá and the Baía do Guajará and was where the Portuguese first set up their defences. There is a good restaurant, the

Boteco Onze

, where you can watch the sunset. At the square on the waterfront below the fort, the açaí berries are landed nightly at 2300, after being picked in the jungle. Açaí berries, ground up with sugar and mixed with manioc, are a staple food in the region.

East of the centre, the

Basílica de Nossa Senhora de Nazaré

, was built in 1909 from rubber wealth. It is romanesque in style and has beautiful marble and stained-glass windows. The

basílica

feels very tranquil and sacred, especially when empty. A museum here showcases one of the largest and most colourful festivals in the North of Brazil, the

Círio de Nazaré. The botanic gardens,

Bosque Rodrigues Alves

, is a 16-ha public garden (really a preserved area of original flora), with a small animal collection. To get there, take the yellow bus marked 'Souza' or 'Cidade Nova' (any number), 30 minutes from Ver-o- Peso market, or from the cathedral. The

Museu Emílio Goeldi

takes up an entire city block and consists of the museum proper (with a fine collection of indigenous Marajó pottery and an excellent exhibition of Mebengokre tribal lifestyle), a rather sad zoo and botanical exhibits including Victoria Régia lilies. Buses run from the cathedral.

The

Murucutu

ruins, an old Jesuit foundation, are reached by the Ceará bus from Praça da República; entry is via an unmarked door on the right of the Ceará bus station.

This is edited copy from Footprint Handbooks. For comprehensive details (incl address, tel no, directions, opening times and prices) please refer to book or individual chapter PDF

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