Welcome to our next Eco-Lite Mini-Trip which features the Emilio Goeldi Museum and Zoo in Belem, Brazil. You may find yourself in Belem before or after a visit to the Amazon region and this is a great place to spend a morning getting to see some gorgeous birds close up and be better prepared to identify them in the wild.
OVERVIEW
Their website is in Portuguese and I didn’t like the way Google Translate was handling it so I grabbed some information off Wikipedia.
The Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi is a Brazilian research institution and museum located in the city of Belém, state of Pará. It was founded in 1866 by Domingos Soares Ferreira Penna as the Pará Museum of Natural History and Ethnography, and was later named in honor of Swiss naturalist Émil August Goeldi, who reorganized the institution and was its director from 1894 to 1905. It is open to the public from 9:00 to 17:00 h, daily except Mondays.
The institution has the mission of researching, cataloging and analyzing the biological and sociocultural diversity of the Amazon Basin, contributing to its cultural memory and its regional development. It has also the aim of increasing public awareness of science in the Amazon by means of its museums, botanical garden, zoological park, etc.
The Museum maintains a scientific research station in the high Amazon forest (Estação Científica Ferreira Penna), which was inaugurated in 1993, with 330 km² in the Caxiuanã National Forest, municipality of Melgaço, Pará.
HOW DO YOU GET THERE?
It’s pretty much in the middle of Belem. We were staying at the Crowne Plaza and took a bus but taxis aren’t too expensive. Figure on $10 from most major hotels.
Location of Emilio Goeldi Museum and Zoo
HOW MUCH IS IT?
A bargain R$ 2.00 which is around $1 USD.
HOW LONG SHOULD YOU SPEND THERE AND WHAT SHOULD YOU SEE?
We spend several hours in here as I was trying to get better photos of the birds I had seen in the wild. There are also some Green-wing Macaws free-flying around the grounds. The aviaries are large and well planted and it’s worth just sitting and relaxing and watching the various birds. There are several Golden Conures, many of whom were rescued from poachers. The grounds are beautiful and a pleasure to walk around.
VALUE TO CONSERVATION
They have several projects going on which you can read about on their website. The Museum maintains a scientific research station in the high Amazon forest (Estação Científica Ferreira Penna), which was inaugurated in 1993, with 330 km² in the Caxiuanã National Forest, municipality of Melgaço, Pará.
WHERE TO STAY NEARBY ON POINTS
IHG GROUP
Crowne Plaza Belem – 20,000 points. We stayed here, it’s a good mid-range property with a good central location. Breakfast buffet is excellent. I have seen this hotel on Pointbreaks for 5000 points a couple times so keep checking!
Holiday Inn Express Belem-Ananindeua – Not yet open but I suspect it will be either 10,000 – 15,000 points. Location is terrible, I would choose the Crowne Plaza anyways.
HILTON HONORS
Hilton Belem – 30,000 points. Location is excellent, right across the street from Praca Republica which has flocks of wild parrots visiting in the mornings and afternoons.
CLUB CARLSON
Radisson Hotel Maiorana Belem – 44,000 points. Don’t forget that credit card holders get 1 award night free when two or more award nights are booked! Location is good, central and walking distance to Praca Republica.
PHOTOS
