Porto Velho - Where to Visit / Places to See

In Rondônia there are many places to visit, to relax and many tourist attractions. Here are a few of them:

In the capital of Rondônia, Porto Velho, there is a farming expo called "Expovel" that attracts people from the whole state. This event occurs in the first week in June. During this week, there are many shows by famous musicians, a great variety of food, an exposition of cattle and an international Rodeo, with international competitors that is broadcast on world-wide television.

At the end of June, the biggest traditional party of the north region, "Arraial Flor do Maracujá", happens on Costa e Silva avenue, where there is an amusement park, and a competition of a traditional dances called "quadrilha," and regional foods.

In July there is the off-season carnival called "Maria Fumaça". This event offers three nights of parties with different attractions and is located on Jorge Teixeira avenue.

If you prefer to relax, just outside of Porto Velho there is a ranch called "Três capelas" which is located on Br 364 km 41, and costs R$ 320,00 for an overnight stay for two people. This price includes breakfast, lunch and dinner. To pass the day costs R$ 40,00 per person including breakfast and lunch.

In Cacoal on the last Saturday of September, "Baile do Hawaii" takes place at a ranch called "Sítio do Nério" where the guests should attend wearing Hawaiian clothing. This city is located 476km from Porto Velho.

The "Madeira Mamoré" railway exhibition is located at the beginning of 7 de Setembro avenue.

"Forte Principe da Beira" is located in Costa Marques and is considered one of the biggest edifice built by the military. It is located 750km from Porto Velho.

"Vale Das Cachoeiras" , is a valley with seven water falls, is located not far from Porto Velho, on RT. 24 in the city of Nova União, and just over 30 kilometers from the city of Ouro Preto do Oeste. It's a great day trip for those who enjoy nature!

Porto Velho - Where to Stay

When you come to Porto Velho, you have some options where to stay. You can enjoy some comfortable places with very good prices. Here, in this guide, we will tell you about five good options.

The Oscar Hotel Executive, is one of our recommendations. Located at the corner of Sete de Setembro Avenue and Campos Sales Street in midtown. It’s an easy place to find because there are several bus services that pass nearbye, and there are well known stores, like Marisa in front. This hotel offers rooms with air conditioning, internet access and parking garage. It is a distance of about 7 km from the airport. The prices start at R$222 per night.

The second option is The Aquarius Selva Hotal that once was the top recommendation, but still is very good. They have modern accomodations like a pool, internet access and parking garage. Located at Roberto de Souza street, 1760 - Nova Porto Velho Neighboorhood. It's beside Nautilus and Peixebeer, a show house and a dance club, respectvely. The 4-star rooms have king-size beds, refrigerator, LCD TV with cables channels and air conditioning. Transportation is easy because there is a bus station just 500 meters from the hotel. The Porto Velho Shopping Mall is 2 km and the hotel itself has a bus service which offers free rides The nightly room prices start at about R$265.

The Vila Rica Hotel, is also a very good place to stay. It is at a distance of about 7 km from the airport, and in midtown like Oscar Hotel, but it's on Carlos Gomes Avenue, and several buses stop near it. The hotel offers internet access, comfortable rooms with air conditioning and TV with cable channels. There is a pool surrounded by tropical gardens and a tennis court. This hotel is not far from Pinheiro Machado Avenue which has many options of restarants, bars, and entertainment. The prices start at around R$369 per night.

The Shelton Hotel is very simple, but comfortable. It is located in midtown as well, and right on Pinheiro Machado Avenue, about two blocks from Vila Rica hotel, and 800 meters from the “Calçada da Fama,” a popular area, because of its many bars and restaurants. This hotel also offers parking garage and internet access. In spite of the fact that the hotel is simple, the accomodations are good, with a refrigerator, cable TV, phone and laundry services, and the price is lower than the others. It starts at R$ 168.

The Porto Madeira Hotel is located at Alexandre Guimarães Avenue near Trevo de Roque. It’s one of the more distant hotels from the airport (10Km). This hotel offers rooms with air conditioning, internet access and parking garage. It’s a very comfortable place for you to stay.

All these hotels offer breakfast too. Unfortunately none of these hotels has a bus service direct from the airport to the hotel. You should take a cab, or rent a car which Is much easier and faster.

Porto Velho - Where and Wh​at To Buy

If you're interested in buying the newest things in the World of Fashion, definitely Porto Velho (PVH) is not going to be your favorite destination, especially because of its geographic location and the long distance from the fashion capitals of NY, Paris or Sao Paulo.

Despite that, buying in Porto Velho is not a total deception because the city offers some good options.

Since you're here, it would be great if you bought some souvenirs from PVH, such as clothes or paintings with our regional symbols, for example. The best place to find a wide range of souvenirs is in downtown, on the hill street called “Rua José Bonifácio” next to the "Praça (Plaza) Jonatas Pedrosa.” There you'll find three small shops that offer some unique handcrafts made by indians and other regional items.

To make the tour even more interesting, go to "Estrada de Ferro Madeira Mamoré" (Madeira Mamoré Railroad) right at the beginning of the street called “Rua Sete de Setembro,” and just a few blocks away from the railway, and there you can also find some beautiful souvenirs.

During your visit to Porto Velho, if you need some good quality clothes in order to go to some parties or enter into the best night clubs, you can find a lot of good stores that can help you out. The best stores are in the Rua Carlos Gomes (street) and in the Porto Velho Shopping (the Mall). At Carlos Gomes Street, you can take a walk along 4-5 blocks (between the streets Rua Rafael Vaz e Silva and Rua Getúlio Vargas) and you'll find very good options like dresses, skirts, jeans, shoes and more! The most recommended stores are Luna Vicenza, Roupa do Corpo, Paladyo, D'Clair, For You and Calvin Klein.

At the Porto Velho Shopping (our Mall on Avenida Rio Madeira, 3288 ) you can buy very good clothes at Sabrina Paiva, Divas, D'Griff, Morena Flor, Checklist, Luna Viccenza, Paladyo, M.Officer, Juliane Boutique and Dress to.

Most of the stores either at Carlos Gomes or at the Mall offer clothes for both women and men, only a few of them offer just to one or the other.

But if you don't want to spend much money on clothes and just need something to go around the city, you can find what you need on the main street Rua Sete de Setembro between streets Rua Presidente Dutra and Rua Joaquim Nabuco. There are a bunch of different stores, but the most recommended are Lojas Milla and Millani. Also you can find cheap clothes at the Mall Porto Velho Shopping in the Americanas, Renner, Avenida, C&A and Marisa stores.

Porto Velho - Where to Eat and Drink

                          

Rondônia is surrounded by many rivers with great fishing. So, the number one tip is to taste the wonderful dishes of fish available here.

Caravelas do Madeira

The most famous restaurants in Porto Velho for typical foods are Caravela do Madeira, Barracão do Rai and O Paroca.

Caravela do Madeira has been offering the locals and visitors traditional dishes for 29 years. The place is cozy and decorated with regional handcrafts. It is air conditioned and has parking. While enjoying the meals you can listen to the pianist playing soothing music and see the beautiful view of the Madeira River and the Amazon Forest. Be prepared to spend a bit of money because some of the dishes are expensive. We recommend that you try Costela de Tambaqui, Caldeirada de Tambaqui, Dourado Frito, Dourado ao Molho de Manga, Caboquinho or Mameluco. Caravela do Madeira is located on José Camacho Street, Arigolândia. Fone: (69) 3221-6641.

Barracão do Rai is another good option to have a great meal of regional fish. However, the place is located out of the city, and doesn’t have air conditioner or parking. Despite that, you can visit the historical Vila da Candelária, a set of houses built at the age of the construction of the Madeira Mamoré Railway. The restaurant offers just Tambaqui and Dourado (regional fish) served boiled or fried, accompanied with rice, farofa (flour made from yucca), vinagrete (sauce with onion, tomato, cheiro-verde) and pirão (flour with some fish sauce). It is located on Estrada de Santo Antônio. Fone: (69) 3221-9055.

O Paroca has a good location. It's other qualities are that it has parking, air conditioning and offers many typical dishes besides the regional fishes. On Saturdays, you can enjoy the feijoada, a traditional Brazilian food prepared with black beans boiled with several pieces of pig. There are also desserts and juices prepared with regional fruits like goiaba, graviola, cupuaçú, acerola and cajú. It is located on João Goulart Street, n. 2593, São Cristóvão. Fone: (69) 3221-6616.


Although Porto Velho is in the Amazon and the local specialties are traditional foods, there are also great options of other kinds of food.
The most famous Italian restaurants in Porto Velho are San Genaro, and Don Giovanni, that offer pastas with several sauces and many kinds of pizzas. San Genaro is located in downtown at Cairi, a traditional quarter, nearby the Three Water Towers (Três Caixas D'Agua). The place is cozy and comfortable. Don Giovanni has a good location too and has a large terrace where you can stay and enjoy the meal. There is a playground for children and a small store where you can buy international seasonings, candies, spices, cheeses, hams and other products.

If you are one of those who can’t stay away from fast food, Porto Velho doesn’t disappoint. There are some options in the Porto Velho Shopping like Bob’s and McDonald’s. At Pinheiro Machado Avenue, 744, Caiari, there is other option like Subway that it is open 24 hours every day.

Myoshi Restauran

The biggest Japanese restaurant is Myoshi, a very pleasant place, with an elegant decoration that makes you comfortable. It is advisable to go on Tuesdays and Saturdays, when there is a discount on Sushi. Besides the Sushi, there are Harumaki and Yakisoba, which are preference between the customers. Myoshi is located on Amazonas Avenue on the corner of Guanabara Street, where there is considerable parking.

Following the same line, there is a restaurant called Koy, where they serve Sushi and Temakis. It is a simple, but warm place. You can order your Sushi and choose the fillings of it, and they will do it to order. This is a great option for those who want convenience. The location, is another good point, is on Pinheiro Machado avenue, which is a main road.

Few months ago, a new Arabian restaurant opened: Jarude. It is a small, but very comfortable place, which has excellent service. For dinner you can order many types of Arabian food and for lunch they use a self-service system. The most famous dishes are Kebab, lamb and Kibe. Be sure to taste the Arabian deserts, these certainly will make your dinner even better. Jarude is located on Marechal Deodoro street, behind the Laura Vicuña school.

The night life in Porto Velho is fun, since there is a bar on each corner. The most popular is Boteco da Fama, located on Pinheiro Machado avenue, a famous avenue that concentrates the majority of good bars and clubs. Boteco is a large and highly regarded bar where the most beautiful people of the city go. National and international beers are served here, besides the famous “caipirinha”, a white rum mixed with lime and sugar. Behind this bar, there is a wonderful nightclub called Broadway Lounge, then you can start your happy hour at Boteco da Fama and have fun for all night long on Broadway.

Porto Velho: Geography and Weather

Geography

The city of Porto Velho is located on the west side in the north of the country in the western Amazon. Is the capital of the State of Rondônia, which is neighboring with the States of Mato Grosso, Amazonas and Acre, and also with the country of Bolivia.

Weather

Porto Velho is a city with a tropical climate and one of the hottest cities in Brazil. The weather in Porto Velho has two seasons: the rainy season, that begins in October and goes until May, and the dry season, June through September. The temperatures are high during the whole year, except for a short period in the end of the rainy season. When you check the average temperature you have 75 ºF. However, there are months that the temperature reaches over 100 ºF, so come prepared! Because of the hot weather the visitor should pack and wear light clothes and should keep in mind that the using of sun blocks and drinking water are very important during the whole day. 

Travelers should expect to find themselves feeling sticky and warm even when just standing. See the summary of the temperatures below:

Annual Average Temperature: 24ºC (~75ºF)

Maximum Temperature: 39ºC (~102ºF)

Minimum Temperature: 10ºC (50ºF)

Average of Maximum Temperatures: 30ºC (86ºF)

Average of Minimum Temperatures: 21ºC (70ºF)

The rainfalls in the rainy season are strong but not of long duration. Those rains only last for about 20-30 minutes, but it is enough to flood some areas of the city. Is very normal to hear the citizens complain about the rain during this period, but in the dry season, when the rain could not happen for weeks, they ask a for it lot.

Rainfall during the year (Click in the image to see it bigger)

For a visitor, choosing the best season to travel must be based on the purpose of the trip. For fishing, as an example, the end of the dry season is the best period, since levels of the rivers are low, which is good because it concentrates the fish in the deeper pools. If you are someone who enjoys adventure, you probably are going to love the many rivers, not only in Porto Velho but all over the state. We have kayaking, river falls, skydiving, cycling, trekking, mountain biking and the buggy rides inside the forest!

Level of the River (Click in the image to see it bigger) 

Sunset Over Rio Madeira by Daniel Conklin

However, if you are a calm person that prefers a relaxing walk on the beach, don’t be sad! Even though Porto Velho doesn’t have beaches, all the rivers are really beautiful to take a swim and also have fun with your family.

Porto Velho - Introduction

The intense heat, the rich regional cookery, and the most beautiful sunset; the multiplicity of colors, regional languages, rhythms and concentrated flavors - all these mixed together compose one region called the State of Rondônia.

Flags of Brazil, the State of Rondônia and the City of Porto Velho

Rondônia is full of charm and diversity. Rich in flora and fauna, it attracts attention for its culture, traditions and active trade, which provide increased quality of life and business opportunity. Porto Velho is the capital of this Brazilian state that is situated near the borders of Bolivia and Peru.

Welcome to Porto Velho Tourist, your ultimate guide to the treasures hidden in and around the most adventurous and picturesque city situated in the Heart of the Amazon. In this guide you´ll also discover some of the great places to visit, eat and socialize, such as nightclubs, traditional restaurants, convention centers, museums and many other places. Stick with us while we guide you through this forgotten and yet precious gem that is the City of Porto Velho.