Boa Vista Boa Vista

Boa Vista

Boa Vista was the first village of Roraima, a federal territory promoted to the rank of “State” in 1988. Located on the the eastern bank of the Rio Branco river, the capital originated in the village of Freguesia de Nossa Senhora do Carmo. The main remnants of the past of Boa Vista come from the areas near the river, with buildings in the neoclassical style, reminiscent of the city’s heyday.

The indigenous influence is very strong among the people from Roraima. Dishes such as damorida (fish broth), paçoca com banana (roast beef pressed in the mortar mixed with flour), and the torta de peixe bodó (which is actually a mixture of suckermouth catfish meat with egg whites, baked in the oven) sharpen the sense of taste of those who visit the town. Spices and sauces such as pepper and tucupi ( a sauce extracted from cassava and used in several Amazonian recipes) also have a strong presence in the state’s cuisine.

The city houses the Maracá Ecological Station, which, besides being a beautiful stretch of preserved forest, has species such as jaguars, giant otters, and howler monkeys. It is also home to the Centro de Artesanato e Turismo Velia Coutinho, with craft shops of Indigenous influence, exhibition spaces and a covered stage for shows. The Miners Monument, the city’s main statue, is at the Praça do Centro Cívico and honors the workers who dug for gold in the area in the times when the activity was permitted.

Boa Vista is 230 km away from Monte Roraima, one of the oldest mountains on the planet and which is on the border between Brazil, Guyana, and Venezuela. With its peak at 2,875 m and a landscape carved out by rivers, waterfalls and rock formations, Monte Roraima is accessible from the border with Venezuela too.

The city of Boa Vista does not have an ocean view, but has a wide river and, if it has a wide river, it has a coast! The Orla Taumanan is a special place to admire other attractions of the city, the Ponte dos Macuxi, Praia Grande (in the summer), to enjoy beautiful sunrises and the breezes of the wonderful Rio Branco river.