Manaus in the Amazon, Brazil

Manaus, the state capital, sits at 32 m above sea level some 1600 km from the Atlantic. The city sprawls over a series of eroded and gently sloping hills divided by numerous creeks, and stands at the junction of the liquorice-black Rio Negro and the toffee-coloured Solimões, whose waters flow side by side in two distinct streams within the same river. The city is the commercial hub for a vast area including parts of Peru, Bolivia and Colombia, and ocean-going container vessels often dock here.

New-found wealth has turned Manaus from tawdry to tourist-friendly in the last five years. The historic centre, which huddles around the green and gold mock-Byzantine dome of the opera house, has been tastefully refurbished and now verges on elegant. The area is a pleasant place to stroll around and sip a cool juice or a strong coffee, and many of the best hotels and guesthouses are found here. There are plenty of restaurants, bars and clubs, which support a lively, colourful nightlife.

Despite the city's size, the forest is ever present on the horizon and always feels just a short boat trip away. Beaches fringe its western extremities at Ponta Negra, whose sands are backed by towering blocks of flats, making it feel like a kind of Amazonian Ipanema.

There are plenty of sights near Manaus. The most vaunted are generally the least interesting. However, the Anavilhanas - the largest river archipelago in the world, comprising a beautiful labyrinth of forested islands fringed with white-sand beaches lapped by the jet-black waters of the Rio Negro - should not be missed. Try to be there for sunset when thousands of swifts descend to roost and the light is a deep, rich gold.

, receives flights from all of Brazil's principal cities and there are inter- national connections with Ecuador, Bolivia, Mexico and the USA. The restaurant serves good à la carte and buffet food during the day. Airport buses run to Praça Adalberto Vale, near the cathedral in the centre of town. Taxi drivers often tell arrivals that no bus to town is available, be warned.

, are from Boa Vista, Presidente Figueiredo and Itacoatiara. To get to the centre, take a bus marked 'Cidade Nova'.

, with direct access to the main artery of Avenida Eduardo Ribeiro, and 10 minutes' walk from the opera house and main hotel area. Those arriving by boat (eg from Leticia) who have not already had their passports stamped, must go to the immigration office on the first of the floating docks next to the tourist office. To get there, take the dock entrance opposite the cathedral, bear right, after 50 m left, pass through a warehouse to a group of buildings on a T-section.

The colonial streets that spread out from Praça São Sebastião are a reminder of Manaus's brief dalliance with wealth and luxury. Eduardo Ribeiro, the state governor who presided over these golden years, was determined to make 19th-century Manaus the envy of the world: a fine European city in which the nouveau riche could parade their linen and lace. He spared no expense. Trams were running in Manaus before they were in Manchester or Boston and its roads were lit by the first electric street lights in the world. The city's confidence grew with its majesty. Champagne flowed under the crystal chandeliers and prices rose to four times those of contemporaneous New York. Extravagance begot extravagance and rubber barons eager to compete in statements of affluent vulgarity fed their horses vintage wine or bought lions as guard cats.

, and to surround it with stone-cobbled streets lined with elegant houses, plazas, and gardens replete with ornate fountains and gilded cherubs. Masks adorning the theatre walls were made in homage to four great European artists: Shakespeare, Mozart, Verdi and Molière. The stage curtain depicted the meeting of the waters and

, was built in 1882 as a miniature copy of the now-demolished Parisian Les Halles. The wrought ironwork, which forms much of the structure, was imported from Europe and is said to have been designed by Eiffel. It's worth coming here if only to see the astonishing array of bizarre fish from tiger-striped catfish to enormous

, is an interesting review of the way of life of the Amazonian population, or 'men of the north', although it has deteriorated in recent years. Social, cultural and economic aspects are displayed with photographs, models and other exhibits.

, is managed by the Salesian missionaries who have been responsible for the ravaging of much of the indigenous culture of the upper Rio Negro. It is rather run down and betrays a Victorian view of indigenous culture. The displays are dusty but there are plenty of artefacts, including handicrafts, ceramics, clothing, utensils and ritual objects from the various indigenous tribes of the upper Rio Negro. There is also a small craft shop.

, is a 33-ha ecological reserve and education centre with a system of trails, elevated walkways, a little amphitheatre and orchid gardens. If you are very lucky you may catch a glimpse of one of the world's rarest monkeys, the pied bare-face tamarin (

, is located in a fascinating older district of central Manaus. It houses a museum and library of over 10,000 books, which thoroughly document Amazonian life through the ages.

, is run by