For tours of Belém and the surrounding region, there are two well-reputed tour operators that have lots of experience with foreign tourists. Their outings and excursions are all interesting and nicely priced, and many of the staff and guides speak English. Aside from the day outings listed below, they offer trips and packages to destinations such as Ilha de Marajó and Santarém.

Amazon Star Turismo (Rua Henrique Gurjão 236, Reduto, tel. 91/3241-8624, www.amazonstar.com.br) offers a terrific variety of tours including half-day walking tours (R$25) to the city’s major historic attractions. Also popular are the full-day hiking tours that take you across the Rio Guamá to a patch of rainforest. Aside from spotting wildlife, you get to visit a traditional caboclo village and a stop for a refreshing dip in the river. The trip, including a guide and lunch, costs R$120. For bird-lovers who can deal with getting up at the crack of dawn, Amazon Star offers a unique excursion (R$55) to Ilha do Papagaio (Parrot Island), an island off the shore of Belém that is the roosting spot for hundreds of brightly colored parrots. After a hotel pickup, you sail to the island to watch the birds awaken and fly away, their bright plumage merging with the gaudy colors of the sunrise.

Valverde Turismo (Estação das Docas, tel. 91/3212-3388, www.valeverdeturismo.com.br) is another reputed tour operator. Aside from a similar half-day city walking tour, Valverde offers half-day tours to the beach town of Icoaraci (R$60). Romantics should definitely take the two-hour “sunset” boat tour (R$25) that departs nightly from the Estação das Docas and navigates the river as the sun sinks below the horizon and the city lights come twinkling on.