How to enjoy Belém do Pará (Brasil) as a native while being a tourist.

Belém do Pará is the most beautiful city in the North of Brazil, full with
diversification and culture that for sure will win your heart since the moment your
plane is flying above our rivers and forest.

The State where Belém is located it’s called Pará. It is the owner of an
amazing flag. Its area is 1 247 954,666 km², if it was a country would be the 22º
biggest.

If you’re coming to visit “A cidade das mangueiras” (the city of mango trees) -
‘cause the portugueses brought some from India and we have Mango tree almost
everywhere - you have to be prepared to get wet! Whether it’s because of the daily
rain after lunchtime or the equatorial weather that make you sweat constantly. But
being a tourist you have the option of just going to the many beaches we have and
enjoying the sun, the heat and the water. We have, by the way, beaches with sea
water and others with fresh water. We also have “Igarapés”, what would be similar to
a lake, but not quite so, because it is not as deep and not as large as one.

In the old part of the city you have a lot of culture places to visit. The complex
“Feliz Lusitânia” covers six different areas with historical buildings: Forte do Presépio
(Fort of the Crib), Palacete das Onze Janelas (Palace of the Eleven Windows),
Museu de Arte Sacra (Museum of Sacred Art), Catedral Metropolitana de Belém
(Metropolitan Cathedral of Belém) and Ladeira do Castelo (Castle Slope).
Falar do Theatro da Paz (um pouco da época da borracha), praça da
república e sobre o ver-o-peso também. Da nova orla de Belém, mangal das garças
bosque, museu emílio goeldi (ver se existe alguma relação com a Alemanha),
CETUR? talvez.
At three and half hours from Belém, you can also explore the “arquipélago do
Marajó” (Marajó archipelago). Which is the largest fluvial-maritime archipelago on
the planet, formed by about 2,500 islands. The main island of the archipelago is the
island of Marajó, its size is about 42 thousand km², considered to be the largest
coastal island of Brazil; extending from the mouth of the Amazon River to the Atlantic
Ocean.
One of the highlights of the island, is the largest herd of buffalo in Brazil,
about 600 thousand heads. You can go for a ride on the back of a buffalo and also
enjoy many activities in the middle of the nature, realized in the farms. Among them
are observation of guarás - bird typical of red feathers -, fishing, the focus of
alligators and boat trips through the igarapés. Fans of adventure sports also have
fun in the area with the practice of jungle trekking, rafting and cycling along the
beaches.

Speaking of food, you’ll have a lot of gastronomy surprises, such as: Filet
Marajoara, served with melted buffalo mozzarella; and the Frito do Vaqueiro, which
has fraldinha (a type of beef cut) or minguinha (beef from the rib) cooked and
accompanied with pirão de leite (milk mix). Also worthy of note are the turu broth, a
typical mangrove mollusk; and succulent peixadas (fish bouillon). For dessert, bet on
exotic fruit ice creams such as uxi, bacuri, taperebá and cajarana. And we cannot
forget to mention the buffalo meat as a special highlight.
 One of the richest legacies left by the Marajoara Indians is the charming art of
stylized pottery. The wonders of the Marajoara culture can be found in the Marajó
Museum, located in the modest Cachoeira do Arari (Arari Waterfall), a small town
hidden in the middle of the forest. the museum has a rich collection that holds
everything from pots, jars and kitchen utensils to funerary urns.

And when the subject is dance, the carimbó and the lundu appear absolutes.
Authentic from the region, the steps were inspired by manifestations of African and
indigenous origins.