Pará · Brazil
Belém travel guide
Belém is a city in Pará, Brazil, home to about 1,303,000 people.
- Nearest airport
- BEL9 km · Val de Cans/Júlio Cezar Ribeiro International Airport
- Currency
- BRLBrazilian real
- Time zone
- America/Belem
- Language
- Portuguese, Brazilian Sign Language
About
About Belém
Belém, often called Belém of Pará, is the capital and largest city of the state of Pará in the North of Brazil. It is the gateway to the Amazon River with a busy port, airport, and bus/coach station.
Belém rests on the banks of the Guajará Bay, framed by a vast network of river islands and waterways at the mouth of the Amazon River estuary. As the capital of Pará, it serves as the vibrant historical, economic, and cultural gateway to Northern Brazil. Founded in 1616 with the construction of the "Forte do Presépio" (today known as "Forte do Castelo"), Belém is a living tapestry of indigenous heritage, Portuguese colonial history, and Amazonian biodiversity.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Belém
See
Belém is a lively and friendly city but it can look quite unappealing at first sight. There are a lot of modern high rises, but between them particularly in Cidade Velha and Campinas there are a vast number of well preserved colonial buildings, from the rubber boom and earlier. Many of the grander ones now house official bodies and there has been a drive to preserve them. Belém has many attraction, here are some of the many attractions the city offers.
- Teatro da Paz (Theater of Peace)
Do
Many of the city's highlights can be taken in with a walk along the rivers edge, starting with the docks and continuing to the old fort. Numerous old churches along the way are worth a look, and the bustling market life is not to be missed.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
When to go
The best time to visit Belém
Belém has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. October is the warmest month, with average highs of 33 °C; March is the wettest, with about 458 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Belém: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Val de Cans/Júlio Cezar Ribeiro International Airport (BEL), about 9.1 km from the city centre in a straight line.
Getting in
Huge bus terminal a few kilometers east of the center. Many local buses pass here. It is possible to travel by air-conditioned coach to Belém from most major places in Brazil. However, due to its relative isolation, travel times can be quite lengthy (for example, 27 hours from Fortaleza) - especially from the south.
Getting around
There is one major long distance coach terminal at São Braz. There are many local busses travelling all over the city at often exhilarating and reckless speeds. The number of buses passing Avenida Presidente Vargas is nothing short of astonishing, and you can get virtually anywhere within Greater Belém from here. The challenge lies in finding the right bus, and also getting on board, as it will stop anywhere on a stretch of some 200–300 metres, or attempt to pass straight. Do as the locals: wave and run for it!
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
BEL · Val de Cans/Júlio Cezar Ribeiro International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Belém
Drink
The refurbished warehouses by the riverside, Estação das Docas (or simply Docas) offer a number of outside tables, and fairly expensive menus. Amazon beer has an in-house brewery and on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights offers an all you can drink and eat special for R$36.
Stay safe
Belém is now a large city, take care when walking after nightfall along Presidente Vargas and the back streets that lead off from it. Although no worse (and perhaps better) than other Brazilian cities there is still a lot of poverty so try not to have jewellery or cameras on show when walking around. The city is generally safe and friendly during daytime. Estacao das Docas is always a safe if rather touristy option. The Umarizal area has up market local bars and restaurants. Avenida Joao Paulo Segundo (previously called Avenida Premeiro de Dezembro) has some more "down to earth" and very local bars. Generally there is a lot of night life Thursday, Friday and Saturday ask for advice.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Belém: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Belém?
Belém has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. October is the warmest month, with average highs of 33 °C; March is the wettest, with about 458 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Belém?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Val de Cans/Júlio Cezar Ribeiro International Airport (BEL), about 9.1 km from the city centre in a straight line.
What currency is used in Belém?
Brazilian real (BRL).
Nearby
Destinations near Belém
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.