Encontro das Ãguas:
The most famous attraction outside Manaus is the meeting of the waters, some 10 km downstream, where the Rio Negro and the Rio Solimões meet to form the Rio Amazonas.
For several km beyond the point where they join, the waters of the two rivers continue to flow separately: the muddy yellow of the Solimões contrasting sharply with the black of the Rio Negro. It's a strange sight, and one well worth seeing.
Parque Ecólogico Janauary:
This is an ecological park some 7 km from Manaus on one of the main local tributaries of the Rio Negro. Usually you'll be transferred to smaller motorized canoes to explore its creeks (igarapés), flooded forest lands (igapós) and abundant vegetation.
Victoria Regia:
One of the highlights of the area is the abundance of Victoria Regia, the extraordinary giant floating lily for which Manaus is famous.
Found mostly in shallow lakes, it flourishes above all in the rainy months. The plant, named after Queen Victoria by an English naturalist in the 19th century, has huge leaves with a covering of thorns on their underside, as protection from the teeth of plant-eating fish.
The flowers are white on the 1st day of their life, rose-colored on the 2nd, and on the 3rd they begin to wilt: at night the blooms close, imprisoning any insects that have wandered in, and releasing them again as they open with the morning sun.
Ponta Negra Beach:
This beach is located 15 km northwest of Manaus and is at weekends packed with locals. It's an enjoyable place to go for a swim, with plenty of bars and restaurants serving freshly cooked river fish.
The beach is at its best between September and March, when the river is low and exposes a wide expanse of sand, but even when the rains bring higher waters and the beach almost entirely disappears, plenty of people come to eat and drink.
Cachoeira do Tarumã:
The waterfalls of Cachoeira do Tarumã, about 20 km northwest of the city, are the last of the local beauty spots within easy reach of Manaus. They don't offer unspoiled beauty any more, thanks to commercialization and weekend crowds, but the place is fun, there's good swimming, and on busy weekends you'll often find live music in the bars. The falls themselves, supplied by the Rio Negro, are relatively small white-water affairs which more or less disappear in the rainy season (April to August).
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