Paddling near Manaus, Amazonas

Manaus sits at the confluence of the Rio Negro and the Rio Solimões in the heart of the Brazilian Amazon. The city is a base for paddling on some of the world's most iconic waterways — from the dark, tannin-stained waters of the Rio Negro to smaller igarapés and remote tributaries like the Rio Urubu. Canoe trips, kayak expeditions, and stand-up paddleboarding on the Amazon's black-water rivers are all part of the local scene, with wildlife encounters — river dolphins, caimans, birds — a constant feature of time on the water.