Belem, capital of the State of Pará, constitutes the economic centre of the Northern region at the mouth of the largest river in the world, the Amazon. Surrounded by rivers, waterways and channels, the city is famous for its tunnels of mango trees and its impressive rainfalls mostly between November and May. Rain, though part of the city’s folklore, generally does not last too long and helps to alleviate the tropical heat.
What makes Belém pleasant and different is first of all the lush nature integrated into the urban life. Leafy squares and gardens like pockets of Amazon forest coexist in harmony with the unceasing movement of the city. Belem also offers traditional cuisine, one of the most authentically Brazilian or Amazonian. Dishes such as duck dressed with tucupi, maniçoba, tacaca, crab shellfish, fish soup and turtle sarapatel are a sample of these delicious dishes that illustrate a regional culinary art, rich in flavors.

At the picturesque marketplace of Ver-o-Peso, the fascinating mixture of colors, fragrances, flavors and exotic dishes is a sight one can’t miss (seafood, products from the river and forest). With its 26,500 m2, the Ver-o-Peso is a free market where thousands of people circulate daily. It is a commercial center where you find food as well as clothes and everything in between. In the numerous stalls you will find, of course, all the delicious fruits of the region (pineapple, papaw, bacuri, cupuaçu, uxi, tapereba, açai, pupunha, etc.), as well as a wide variety of fish, meat, vegetables as well as plants used in traditional medicine and coming straight form the Amazon. And adding a mystical and magical touch to the list of possible purchases, you will also find all sorts of potions and remedies: from infusions to cures for a mere toothache, to flasks (garrafadas) containing concoctions of plants and animals' parts destined to “tame” husbands and which have suggestive names such as: “Cry at my feet”, “Don't leave me”, “Come to me”, etc… The colorful Ver-o-Peso marketplace, with the Amazon River to the rear represents the synthesis of Amazonian life.
Handicrafts are another attraction of Pará. You can buy beautiful ceramic pieces in Icoaraci, located 16 miles from Belém. Also well known for its cuisine based on fish and crustaceans, the city of Icoaraci is the largest handicraft center of Pará regarding ceramics.

Pick up at the airport and transfer to the hotel. Then our English-speaking guide takes us to the exploration of town. Visit of the most important river market in the Amazon, the Ver-O-Peso. Its stalls offer all kinds of products coming from the Amazon, and for the most part unknown in the rest of Brazil: medicinal plants, fetishes, syrups of mysterious virtues ... without mentioning the dozens of fish species, fished in the fresh waters of the Amazon, in the briny waters of the Bay of Belém, or in the sea.
Stroll in the colonial center of Belém made of superb art nouveau mansions covered with azulejos (ceramic tile-works), and of colonial churches dating from the 17th century.
Stop at the Forte do Castelo, where the town was officially founded, and where we will enjoy a panoramic view of Guajara Bay.
Visit of the museum Emilio Goeldi exhibiting the most remarkable archaeological and ethnographical collection on the Marajóara civilization. To give you a better understanding of the complex variety of the wildlife and the flora of this area, the museum is associated to a zoological park at the heart of an immense botanical garden.
Meals not included. Night in hotel.

Before sunrise (04:30) we leave Belém by boat for a group excursion to Parrots Island, a few miles away.
We may cross with some "caboclos", arriving early in town to disembark their load of fresh produce from the forest.
At sunrise we approach an island where there are thousands of parrots that thrive here because of a lack of predators. At the first light of day, in a strident cacophony, the whole island seems to shake while the birds take off.
They recognize each other by the sound of their call, and during long minutes the birds look for one another by twirling around or by flying circles in a confused tangle.
Once a group is reconstituted (couple or family, rarely more than 5 individuals), it leaves the island in the direction of the forest to search for food.
It is also for us time to feed; a small breakfast will be served on the boat.
After this surprising and enchanting show, we continue our excursion along the rivers Guamá and Acara to the flooded forest. The waterway is narrow; we may find ourselves face to face with an aigrette or a group of monkeys.
A short stroll allows us to discover different aspects of the lush Amazon forest: hard ground, or the "varzea" (flooded forest) and its aquatic vegetation. We can also observe the singular life of the rare locals, their lifestyle and their integration in the environment.
We circumnavigate the island of Combu to return to Belém at the end of the afternoon.
Lunch included. Dinner open. Night in hotel.
Note: excursion recommended for those who are not interested in visiting the island of Marajó.

Departure from the hotel with our English-speaking guide at 09:00 for a visit of the village of Icoaraci, the largest Marajóaras and Tapajonic ceramics production center, typical of the area and responsible for the national renown of town.
During the 16-mile trip we pass by the neighborhood of Livramento, on the shores of the Paracuri River, where we can see the artisans collecting clay for the confection of their pottery.
After lunch, we reach, by land, the island of Mosqueiro, named "bucolic" 50 miles away from Belém. Located on the oriental shore of Rio Pará (south arm of the Amazon), across from the Bay of Marajó, the Island is lined by 16 beautiful fresh water beaches receiving waves and tides on over 10 miles of white sand. Free time allowing for sunbathing and swimming on the beach of your choice. Return to Belém at the end of the day.
Meals not included. Night in a hotel.

Before sunrise (04:30) we leave Belém by boat for a group excursion to Parrots Island, a few miles away.
We may cross with some "caboclos", arriving early in town to disembark their load of fresh produce from the forest.
At sunrise we approach an island where there are thousands of parrots that thrive here because of a lack of predators. At the first light of day, in a strident cacophony, the whole island seems to shake while the birds take off.
They recognize each other by the sound of their call, and during long minutes the birds look for one another by twirling around or by flying circles in a confused tangle.
Once a group is reconstituted (couple or family, rarely more than 5 individuals), it leaves the island in the direction of the forest to search for food.
It is also for us time to feed; a small breakfast will be served on the boat.

We continue our discovery of the area on foot and motor canoe.
Return to Belém by boat in the afternoon and transfer to the hotel.
Lunch included. Dinner open. Night in a hotel.