Porto Velho in Brazil

Porto Velho stands on a high bluff overlooking a curve of the Rio Madeira, one of the Amazon's main tributaries. The city has seen the rubber, gold and timber booms come and go. Service and IT industries are now the major employers. The city is a large sprawl of streets, laid out in blocks stretching 8 km into the interior. The lack of town planning means that many of the best shops, hotels and banks are now a fair distance from the old centre near the river.

Getting there

Domestic flights arrive at the

airport

. Interstate buses from Rio Branco and Cuiabá arrive at the

rodoviária

. There are buses to downtown.

Getting around

Urban bus services are good. Consider hiring a car if you're going to stay for some time. Be patient as even local residents get confused with directions. Taxis in town are cheap and plentiful. Find your favourite driver and stick with him; all have mobile phones and work with partners to give prompt 24-hour service.

Tourist offices

Funcetur, seplan@ronet.com.br, is very helpful and publishes a free annual events list. Street maps are hard to find.

Safety

The city is relatively safe for tourists despite rising crime and unemployment. Caution is advised in the evenings and at all times near the railway station and port.

Sights

At the top of the hill on Praça João Nicoletti is the

cathedral

, built in 1930, with beautiful stained-glass windows. The

prefeitura

(town hall) is across the street. The principal commercial street is Avenida 7 de Setembro, which runs from the railway station to the upper level of the city, near the

rodoviária

. The centre is hot and noisy, but not without its charm, and the port and old railway installations are interesting. As well as the

Museu Ferroviário

, there is a

Museu Geológico

, at the old railway yards, known as Praça Madeira-Mamoré. Also here is the

Casa do Artesão

and a promenade with riverside bars; a good place to watch the sunset.

The neoclassical

Palácio do Governo

faces Praça Getúlio Vargas, while Praça Marechal Rondon is spacious and modern. There are several popular viewpoints overlooking the river and railway yards.

Mirante I

(with restaurant) is at the end of Rua Carlos Gomes;

Mirante II

(with a bar and ice cream parlour) is at the end of Rua Dom Pedro II and

Mirante III

(with restaurant) is at the end of Benjamin Constant.

It is possible to visit the

cemetery

, where many of the people who died during the construction of the railway are buried. It's about 3 km from the railway station and best to go with a local guide, as it is located in a poorer part of town and difficult to find. It is an eerie place, with many of the tombstones overgrown, some of which have been tampered with by practitioners of

macumba

, and there are rumoured to be ghosts.

Excursions from Porto Velho

The

Cachoeira de Santo Antônio

, a series of rapids on the Rio Madeira, 7 km upriver from Porto Velho, is a popular destination for a swim during the dry season. In the rainy season the rapids may be underwater and swimming is dangerous. Access is by boat from Porto Cai N'Água; or by city bus, or by 'Triângulo' from the city bus terminus or from the bus stop on Rua Rogério Weber, across from Praça Marechal Rondon). Gold dredges may be seen working near Porto Velho.

The

Banho do Souza

is a bar, restaurant and swimming area, 36 km out of town on the BR-364. A coolbox of beers and soft drinks is left by your table and you pay for what you've drunk at the end of the afternoon, swimming is free.

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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