Set in about 2 million square miles of rainforest on the banks of the Rio Negro, the city of Manaus is the Amazon’s largest city. The centre of the global rubber trade in the early 1900s, today the city is still a major port for ocean-going vessels (even though its 1,500 miles inland!) and, more importantly, the gateway to the Amazon Rainforest.

Manaus has a few colonial gems in the form of its cathedral and extravagant pink theatre, as well as some lovely brightly coloured architecture along its riverfront. But the main reason to come here is the easy access to the epic nature of the Amazon Rainforest, right on the city’s doorstep.