Your Travel Experience with Finest Journeys
Heritage of Belem
An early start this morning for a real-life taste of Belém's fishing industry and markets. Departing the hotel at 5am, the day begins with a visit to the Açai fruit markets, observing the comings and goings of local boats as they bring in shipments of Açai berries, a delicacy of the Amazon, before moving to the fish markets of Ver-o-Peso, where the newly arrived haul will be on display. Ver-o-Peso is a local market with a difference; known as a place to source ingredients used in natural remedies and even witchcraft practices. Though also a busy food bazaar; the market is awash with stalls selling everything from potions made of vegetable roots, to crocodile teeth, bottled snakes and mystical amulets. This morning's walk will, however, focus more on the fresh produce, fruits and herbs which the market is also famed for, including a stop for breakfast and coffee while there. From the hubbub of the bustling food markets, it is on to some other points of historical and cultural importance throughout Belém, including the Basílica de Nossa Senhora de Nazaré, Museu Emílio Goeldi; a botanical, zoological and anthropological park home to more than 2,000 native plant and tree species, and the Museu de Arte Sacra; Brazil's finest museum of religious art. A well-earned waterfront lunch at a local restaurant offers another chance to sample a selection of local dishes, with a typical Brazilian buffet menu including "Pirarucu ao leite de coco", a mouthwatering dish of Pirarucu fish cooked in coconut milk; the perfect reward for a day of touring!