cities

Boa Vista

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Overview

Boa Vista is the capital of the state of Roraima in the north of Brazil. Most foreigners pass through en route between Manaus and Venezuela.

Facts

Rank

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Coordinates

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Source

WBP almanac

External sources

Wikivoyage

Media

From Wikipedia257 words

WBP editorial3

Borderland rhythms

Boa Vista sits on the edge of the Amazon basin, yet its pulse feels more akin to the neighbouring Guianas than to Brazil’s rainforest heartland. The city’s market stalls echo with the cadence of indigenous languages, Caribbean-influenced reggae, and the occasional Spanish phrase drifting from the border with Venezuela. Travelers who spend an evening at the riverside promenade will hear street musicians blending maracatu drums with steel‑pans, a soundscape that mirrors the city’s hybrid identity. Embracing this cultural cross‑current—by sampling a home‑cooked tacacá or joining a spontaneous dance circle—offers a richer sense of place than any guidebook checklist.

Seasonal savannah shortcuts

While the Amazon rainforests dominate Brazil’s north, Boa Vista lies on the cusp of the cerrado savannah, which undergoes a dramatic dry spell from June to September. During these months, dusty trails to the neighbouring state parks become surprisingly navigable, revealing golden grasslands dotted with striking termite mounds. For the intrepid visitor, hiring a local guide for a sunrise trek across this open landscape yields panoramic views of the Rio Branco that are invisible during the wet season when the water swells and obscures the horizon.

What guidebooks miss: the river’s quiet

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Most travel writers focus on Boa Vista’s modernist architecture, but the city’s true retreat is the quiet stretch of the Rio Branco that snakes behind the neighbourhood of São Joaquim. Early‑morning paddle‑boarding here is a tranquil alternative to the bustling downtown cafés. The river’s gentle current allows you to glide past mangrove islands where herons nest, and the water’s clarity—particularly after the rains—offers fleeting glimpses of arapaima silhouettes. Pack a lightweight waterproof bag and a reusable water bottle; the experience feels like a private vignette of Amazonian life, far from the typical tourist itinerary.

Places

[edit] Brazil Boa Vista, Paraíba Boa Vista, Porto Alegre, neighborhood in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul Boa Vista, Roraima Boa Vista International Airport Boa Vista Air Force Base Boa Vista da Aparecida, Paraná Boa Vista das Missões, Rio Grande do Sul Boa Vista do Buricá, Rio Grande do Sul Boa Vista do Cadeado, Rio Grande do Sul Boa Vista do Gurupi, Maranhão Boa Vista do Incra, Rio Grande do Sul Boa Vista do Ramos, Amazonas Boa Vista do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul Boa Vista do Tupim, Bahia Cape Verde Boa Vista, Cape Verde, one of the Barlavento Islands of Cape Verde Boa Vista, Cape Verde (municipality), a municipality encompassing the whole island

Sports

[edit] Boavista (cycling team), a Portuguese cycling team based in Porto Boavista (futsal), an amateur futsal team based in Porto, Portugal Boavista F.C., a prominent Portuguese football club in the city of Porto Boavista FC (Cape Verde), a Capeverdean football club Boavista Sport Club, a Brazilian football club Circuito da Boavista, a Formula 1 racetrack in the city of Porto

Other uses

[edit] Boa Vista (literary magazine), founded in Hamburg, Germany in 1974 and published until 1983 Boa Vista, Angola, a railway station; see Railway stations in Angola Boa Vista FM, an FM radio station broadcasting variety and pop at 96.3 FM in Paracatu, Minas Gerais, Brazil Natalia Boa Vista, a character on the television show CSI: Miami MV Boa Vista, a ferry in service 2001-07