Just beyond Manaus, the warm dark Rio Negro pours into the cool creamy Rio Solimões, but because of differences in temperature, speed and density, their waters don't mix, instead flowing side by side for several kilometers. The bi-color phenomenon occurs throughout the Amazon, but nowhere as dramatically as here. Day trips always include a stop here, and many tour operators at least pass by en route to their lodges. Never disappoints.
Getty Images/Robert Harding Worl
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
9.09 MILES
Spanning over 100 sq km, this 'garden' is actually the world’s largest urban forest. There's a network of five short trails (guides and closed shoes…
8.45 MILES
This gorgeous theater was built at the height of the rubber boom, using European designers, decorators and even raw materials. The original driveway was…
10.09 MILES
As close as you'll get to experiencing a real Amazonian ecosystem on a half-day trip from Manaus, this 9000-acre park has flooded forests, giant water…
17.79 MILES
Manaus’ best beach has fine white sand and tea-colored water, and can be coupled with a visit to the Museu do Seringal for a nice city escape. Like all…
Mercado Municipal Adolfo Lisboa
8.48 MILES
Manaus' historic city market was inaugurated in 1882, a downscaled replica of Paris' famed Les Halles market. Safe and bustling, the central building has…
Museu do Seringal Vila Paraíso
20.83 MILES
Located on the grounds of a former rubber-baron estate, this museum includes tours of the historic townhouse, a replica rubber-tapper shack and smokehouse…
6.61 MILES
Occupying a lush forest plot within the city, Bosque da Ciência (aka INPA, for the research institution that runs it) has enclosures for rescued manatees,…
8.29 MILES
The ‘Image and Sound’ center at this handsome cultural complex has a huge collection of films, including century-old documentaries by Portuguese filmmaker…
Nearby Manaus attractions
1. Centro Cultural dos Povos da Amazônia
5.94 MILES
At the heart of this massive cultural complex is the excellent Museu do Homem do Norte (Museum of Northern Man), which contains an incredible array of…
6.61 MILES
Occupying a lush forest plot within the city, Bosque da Ciência (aka INPA, for the research institution that runs it) has enclosures for rescued manatees,…
3. Centro Cultural Palácio Rio Negro
7.99 MILES
The former home of eccentric German rubber baron Waldemar Scholz, the Centro Cultural Palácio Rio Negro was built in the early 1900s and served for many…
4. Centro Cultural Usina Chaminé
8.02 MILES
Also known as the Museu dos Cinco Sentidos (Museum of the Five Senses), this innovative museum uses the five senses to evoke and illustrate indigenous and…
8.29 MILES
The ‘Image and Sound’ center at this handsome cultural complex has a huge collection of films, including century-old documentaries by Portuguese filmmaker…
8.34 MILES
Housed in a converted mansion, the Museu Amazônico has a small but excellent collection of indigenous items and artifacts from around the Amazon, many…
8.45 MILES
This gorgeous theater was built at the height of the rubber boom, using European designers, decorators and even raw materials. The original driveway was…
8. Mercado Municipal Adolfo Lisboa
8.48 MILES
Manaus' historic city market was inaugurated in 1882, a downscaled replica of Paris' famed Les Halles market. Safe and bustling, the central building has…