Amazon & Caribbean Adventure – Manaus to San Juan

Manaus, on the banks of the Negro River in northwestern Brazil, is the capital of the vast state of Amazonas. It’s a major departure point for the surrounding Amazon Rainforest. Just east of the city, the dark Negro River converges with the brown, muddy Solimões River resulting in a striking visual phenomenon called the “Meeting of the Waters.” The combined tributaries form the Amazon River.

Manaus, on the banks of the Negro River in northwestern Brazil, is the capital of the vast state of Amazonas. It’s a major departure point for the surrounding Amazon Rainforest. Just east of the city, the dark Negro River converges with the brown, muddy Solimões River resulting in a striking visual phenomenon called the “Meeting of the Waters.” The combined tributaries form the Amazon River.

Parintins is a municipality in the far east of the Amazonas state, Brazil. It is part of a microregion also named Parintins. The population for the entire municipality was 115,363 and its area is 5,952 km².

Santarém is a small city in the Brazilian state of Pará, where the Tapajós River meets the Amazon. This “meeting of the waters” phenomenon can be viewed from the hilltop Mirante do Tapajós Square. On the riverfront, the Centro Cultural João Fona has relics from the ancient indigenous Tapajós culture. Nearby, the Museu Dica Frazão displays the textiles that Brazilian artist Dica Frazão crafts from natural materials.

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Bridgetown, the capital of Barbados, is a port city on the island’s southwest coast. It’s known for its British colonial architecture, 17th-century Garrison and horseracing track. Near the central National Heroes Square, which fringes the Constitution River, Nidhe Israel Synagogue and its museum explore the island’s Jewish history. Carlisle Bay is home to 6 shipwreck dive sites, Browne’s Beach and a yacht club.

Castries is the capital of the island nation of St. Lucia, in the Caribbean Sea. It’s known for palm-lined Vigie Beach and as a port of call for cruise lines, with duty-free shopping near the harbor. The Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, with its colorful murals, sits by leafy Derek Walcott Square park. Lively Castries Market is nearby. In the south, Morne Fortune hill offers views of the city.

St. John’s is the capital and key port of the Caribbean island nation of Antigua and Barbuda. The city is home to the Museum of Antigua and Barbuda, with exhibits on indigenous tribes and plantation life. St. John’s Cathedral, a 19th-century Anglican church, is on a hill near the 17th-century Government House. A monument to the nation’s founder, V.C. Bird, is next to the Public Market, which sells crafts and produce.