The Catedral de Nossa Senhora da Conceição or Cathedral of Our Lady (Praca da Matriz, no phone, daily during daylight hours, free) was originally built in 1695, and rebuilt in 1878 after being destroyed in a fire. It is a very simple building, with little major art -- in stark contrast to most European cathedrals. The glass is in primary colors, and creates a bright and colorful palette inside. The building stands on a slight rise, with sweeping stairs rising to the entrance. Below is the church square, which is usually surrounded by vendors and their wares.

Museu do Indio (Rua Duque de Caxias 356, 092-234-1422, 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Monday - Saturday and 2 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday - Friday, $2) is a rather nondescript building run by an order of Catholic nuns called the Salesian Sisters. In their museum, they feature artifacts of the social and cultural structure of the native people of the region. The exhibits are contained in six separate rooms, and include displays of clothing, jewelry, ceramics, shelters, woven mats and baskets, costumes and ritual masks, musical instruments, funeral items, and a display of early-20th-century medical instruments. There are no guides; the labels and signs are in Portuguese; and there is no air-conditioning in the building. Nevertheless, it is a good place to get a glimpse of what life for natives of the region was like.

Museo do Homen do Norte - ethnology and anthropolpgy museum devoted to the caboclos, or river dwellers of mixed Indian and white descent, located at Av. Sete de Setembro 1385-

Explore Manaus

  ·Along Avenida Sete de Setembro
  ·Around the docks
  ·Commercial centre and the Opera House
  ·Out of the centre