Belém

Belém, the capital of Pará state, sits at the mouth of the Amazon River where the world's mightiest waterway meets the Atlantic. This tropical city of 1.5 million is the gateway to the Brazilian Amazon and home to one of the most distinctive food cultures in South America, recently recognized as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy.

The city's culinary scene is unlike anywhere else in Brazil. Amazonian ingredients dominate - açaí (consumed thick and savory here, not sweet as in the rest of Brazil), tucupi (a fermented cassava sauce), jambu (a tingling herb), and an incredible variety of river fish. The Ver-o-Peso market, one of the largest open-air markets in Latin America, is a sensory explosion of tropical fruits, medicinal herbs, and fresh fish that has operated on the waterfront since the 17th century.

Belém's colonial heritage is preserved in its beautiful Cidade Velha (Old Town), with pastel-colored buildings, ornate churches, and the imposing Forte do Presépio where the city was founded in 1616. The Estação das Docas, a converted waterfront warehouse complex, offers restaurants and cultural spaces with views of Guajará Bay. The city is also the home of Círio de Nazaré, Brazil's largest religious procession, which attracts over 2 million pilgrims every October.

The best time to visit Belém is during the drier season from June to November, when rainfall decreases significantly. Belém is one of the rainiest cities in Brazil, so even the "dry" season has occasional showers, but they are brief. October is special for the Círio de Nazaré festival.