The ironwork
From the rubber era.
Antonio Campoy — CC BY 2.0 · Paulo JC Nogueira — CC BY-SA 3.0 · MTur Destinos — Public domain · Dennis G. Jarvis — CC BY-SA 2.0
The Adolpho Lisboa Market, the Mercadão, is a historic municipal market on the bank of the Rio Negro in central Manaus, opened on 15 July 1883 in the rubber era with an ornate iron structure brought from Europe, and named after the mayor of the time. It is one of the finest examples of iron architecture in Brazil, listed as a national monument in 1987, and it reopened in 2013 after a seven-year restoration. The market has two quite different fronts, one on the river and one on the street, and inside traders sell the riches of the Amazon: huge river fish such as pirarucu and tambaqui, fruits rarely seen outside the region such as cupuaçu and açaí, medicinal herbs and oils, and crafts of wood and seeds. The best time is early morning, when the catch comes in, and the stalls sell tropical juices to taste. The area around the port is crowded, so keep an eye on your belongings.
From the rubber era.
Pirarucu and tambaqui.
Cupuaçu and açaí.
Rua dos Barés, on the bank of the Rio Negro
Amazon river fish, tropical fruit, medicinal herbs and oils, and handicrafts; entry is free.
