Ver-o-Peso is the reason you’d want to come all the way to Belém. It’s the sprawling regional market that has been held at the same riverside location for over 300 years. You might have seen it in one of the more memorable episodes of ‘No Reservations’ by Anthony Bourdain – somehow a hot and sweaty atmosphere always comes across well in that show.

I walked there from the city center in the early morning and wandered around on my own for an hour or so. The area didn’t feel unsafe and there also is some visible police presence. The ‘complex’ consists of a number of specialized markets; I visited them in the following order:

• Semi-covered market stalls: here they sell mainly vegetables and fruits, including local favourites such as the yellow tucupi sauce made out of the root of manioc, and tapioca flour. Intriguing small bottles hold medicinal herbs and perfumes made from native plants.
• The Iron Market a.k.a. the Fish Market, it is the iconic neogothic structure with its four towers; inside only fish is sold, and here I saw the gigantic pirarucu, that had been jumping up and down in front of my cabin in Mamiraua, dead on the counter.
• Directly behind it are the docks, where the fishes are unloaded from boats and also are sold fresh directly on the streets.
• The Clock Square has an iron-cast clock tower from England and a row of colourful colonial buildings.
• The Açaí Fair (pictured): this one is in the open air, merchants sell açaí berries from wicker baskets; they are mainly used by the ubiquituos local açaí juice shops and restaurants.
• Turning back again, the Solar da Beira space: an impressive neoclassical building but with not much inside except from some handicraft sellers, and
• The Mercado Municipal a.k.a. the Meat Market: its modest entrance is across the street from Solar da Beira, but inside it has a wonderful Art Nouveau design with iron-cast stairs and cubicles made just right for the butchering and sale of meat.

I think I managed to see the main Amazon specialties on sale here well, even without a guide. However, for the real vibe I may have arrived a bit too late. I had read that the best hours are between 7 and 10 a.m., and I was there at 7.30. However, the action from the boats was long done and workers were already busy spraying the docks clean. I knew that the Açaí Fair starts particularly early (around 5 a.m.), but I guess it is about the same for all other fresh products arriving by boat such as the fish.