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Manaus is the capital of the Amazonas State and the hub of the whole Amazon Region, with a population of about one million. Manaus lies on the River Negro, near the point where it meets the River Solimoes to form the Brazilian Amazon.
Manaus is a busy trade center, having been transformed into a Free Trade Zone in 1966, encouraging many new industries, especially electronics companies, to move in. Imagine a lavish 19th-century opera house imported in its entirety from Europe that entertained the likes of Sarah Bernhardt. Imagine a jungle surrounding the city, offering expedition tours and activities you will have nowhere else on earth. Imagine a big river so wide that it appears to be the edge of a vast ocean. All of this is just part of what Manaus has to offer.
Take a 2-hour alligator spotting tour. Explore the city of Manaus or take a jungle tour that leads through the Meeting of the Waters (a natural phenomena which shows the birth of the Amazon river through the Negro river - with its darker and much heavier waters - with the quicker and silver waters of Solimoes river) and ends at a lodge with a caipirinha, a typical Brazilian drink. Perhaps a river cruise is more your style. The cruise starts off on the Negro River, passing Manaus' floating docks and the riverside Indian settlements, then continues towards the mighty Solimões River, taking a short detour into its densely vegetated 'igarapes' (river inlets) to better experience this miracle of nature.
Perhaps you will want to venture to Parintins, a city in the middle of the jungle, only accessible by boat or airplane. Once a year, it hosts an outrageous spectacle known as the Opera of the Jungle. Be there for the Boi-Bumba festival. It brings the city of Parintins to life when 35,000 people arrive by boat and 2000 by plane to join the two colorful troupes of characters (o Garantido and o Caprichoso) that tell the history of the Amazon folklore. Or come for the Parintins Folk Festival which has been considered the major cultural manifestation in Brazil. The celebration takes place in June 28th, 29th and 30th every year.
Don't miss the mountain explorations! The Neblina Peak reaches 3.014m altitude and is the highest mountain in Brazil and the biggest mountain in South America out of the Andes Range. The Roraima Mount is the seventh highest point of Brazil. It reaches an altitude of 2.739 meters.
