Belém, Capital city in northern Amazon region, Brazil
Description
This city is the capital of Pará state in northern Brazil, located at the confluence of the Amazon and Guajará Bay. Streets lined with mango trees run past public gardens and colonial buildings, while modern districts and port facilities spread along the waterfront between river channels and wetlands.
History
Portuguese forces founded the settlement in 1616 as Fort Feliz Lusitânia to defend against French incursions in northern Brazil. During the 19th century rubber boom, the city grew into a major trading center with connections to Europe and North America.
Culture
Ver-o-Peso market, among the largest open markets in Latin America, offers local herbs, fruits, and fish from the Amazon region. Vendors bring their goods by boat directly from surrounding rivers and jungle, while traditional healers sell dried plants and roots for medicinal purposes.
Practical
Val de Cans International Airport connects the city to major Brazilian destinations, while the port handles extensive shipping services throughout the Amazon region. Travelers should expect high humidity and frequent rain throughout the year, with mornings often offering the best conditions for exploring.
Did you know?
The Círio de Nazaré procession in October draws more than one million pilgrims to the basilica, with a thick rope pulled by worshippers through the streets. The multi-day celebration includes riverside religious ceremonies where decorated boats accompany the statue of the Madonna across the water.
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Ver-o-Peso Market
378 m
Estádio Estadual Jornalista Edgar Augusto Proença
10.7 km
Forte do Castelo de Belém
219 m
Theatro da Paz
1.2 km
Basilica of Our Lady of Nazareth of Exile
2.6 km
Estádio da Curuzú
4.7 km
Our Lady of Grace Cathedral
99 m
Memorial da Cabanagem
9.4 km
Estação das Docas
809 m
Palace of the Eleven Windows
224 m
Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi
3.1 km
Mangal das Garças
1.1 km
República Square
1.1 km
Bosque Rodrigues Alves
6 km
Utinga State Park
7.4 km
Batista Campos Square
1.6 km
Palácio Lauro Sodré
106 m
Feliz Lusitânia
102 m
Palacete Bolonha
1.5 km
Cemetery Nossa Senhora da Soledade
1.5 km
Art Museum of Belém
173 m
Church Our Lady of Mount Carmel
397 m
Governor's Residence Park
3.4 km
Mercado de São Brás
4 km
Espaço São José Liberto
1.3 km
Church of Our Lady of Mercy
652 m
Antônio Lemos Palace
176 m
Pinho Mansion
593 mDiscover hidden gems everywhere you go!
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