Things to Do in Rio Branco

The old municipal market, a covered building of stalls selling fruit, cassava flour, Amazonian herbs, and regional snacks like tacacá. It’s a working market, not a tourist show.

🕐 Mon–Sat 06:00–18:00, Sun 06:00–12:00

💡 For a cheap lunch, try the açaí bowls at the stall near the east entrance – you’ll get a generous serving for about R$5. Bargaining isn’t expected on food prices.

A covered market selling local produce, handicrafts, and street food. The atmosphere is lively and unpolished. Try a cup of açaí or a tapioca crepe from the stalls. No entrance fee.

🕐 Mon–Sat 6am–5pm; Sun 7am–12pm

💡 Come on a Saturday morning when it's busiest—more variety and energy. Cash only; most vendors don't take cards. Bring small bills.

A market building from the 1950s now hosting stalls of local crafts, dried fish, and Amazonian herbs. Smells of woodsmoke and pepper. Few tourists come here – it’s mostly locals buying farinha and castanha. The meat area is best avoided if you’re squ

🕐 Mon–Sat 06:00–18:00

💡 Try the cupuaçu juice from the stall nearest the south entrance – it’s R$4 and far better than the sweetened versions in supermarkets. Go early before the heat intensifies the fish smell.

The main square of Rio Branco, with a large monument commemorating the Acrean Revolution. Surrounded by government buildings and a few benches. Nothing fancy but a good orientation point.

🕐 24 hours

💡 Best visited late afternoon when the heat drops. The square is a meeting point for locals—you might catch impromptu capoeira or street musicians.

The city’s main cathedral, a striking modernist concrete structure shaped like a tent. Inside, the stained-glass panels depict scenes from Acre’s rubber-tapping history.

🕐 Daily 07:00–18:30

💡 Mass is at 7pm on Saturdays and Sundays. If you go then, you’ll hear the choir, which is better than a guided tour. Dress modestly and avoid shorts.

The city’s main cathedral, built in the 1960s in a modern style – think angular concrete and coloured glass windows. Inside, a simple altar and wooden pews. The plaza out front has a statue of Saint Francis and a few shaded benches.

🕐 Mon–Sat 08:00–12:00, 14:00–18:00; Sun 08:00–12:00

💡 Visit around 6pm for the evening mass (weekdays) – the choir sings in Portuguese with folk guitar. No dress code but shorts are fine.

A restored neoclassical palace that houses the state government. Free guided tours take you through grand halls with period furniture and murals depicting Acre's history. The grounds are tidy and shaded.

🕐 Mon–Fri 9am–12pm, 2pm–5pm; closed weekends

💡 Tours run every hour on the hour, last about 40 minutes. No need to book—just show up. Photography is allowed inside but no flash.

A compact square with a children’s playground, benches under mango trees, and a small skate ramp. Despite the name, no connection to a hospital – it’s a local hangout for families and skaters. Cleaner than most central plazas.

🕐 Daily 07:00–21:00

💡 Buy a cone of açaí from the vendor on the corner of Rua Marechal Deodoro for R$5. The skate ramp gets busy after 4pm.

A riverside park with walking paths, exercise equipment, and a large playground. Good for a quiet afternoon or a picnic. The river views are pleasant but nothing spectacular.

🕐 Daily 5am–10pm

💡 Go early morning (before 8am) when it's cooler and less crowded. Watch out for mosquitos near the water—bring repellent.

A large urban park with walking paths, exercise equipment, a lake, and plenty of shaded seating. It’s where locals go to relax or jog in the early mornings and evenings.

🕐 Daily 06:00–22:00

💡 Go just before sunset when the light is good and the heat has dropped. The free outdoor gym equipment gets busy after 5pm.

A botanical garden and forest reserve with labelled native trees, a small lake, and a playground. Good for a quiet afternoon walk away from traffic noise.

🕐 Tue–Sun 08:30–17:30

💡 Bring mosquito repellent – it’s a forested area and the insects are active, especially after rain. The canteen sells cheap snacks and water.

A 30-hectare urban park with a lake, jogging track, and shaded paths. Home to capybaras, turtles, and monkeys in semi-natural enclosures. The wooden walkways are rotting in places, but it’s a solid spot to watch parrots at dawn.

🕐 Tue–Sun 06:00–18:00

💡 Go at 6am to see macaws feeding on the palm trees near the entrance. Bring repellent – mosquitoes are fierce after rain.

A small museum dedicated to the history of rubber extraction in Acre. Exhibits include old machinery, photographs, and artefacts. The building itself is a restored rubber baron's mansion.

🕐 Tue–Sat 8am–12pm, 2pm–6pm; closed Sun–Mon

💡 Free entry but they accept voluntary donations. Ask at reception for the English-language leaflet—there's no translation on exhibits. Allow 45 minutes.

Housed in a former rubber-baron mansion, this museum tells the story of the Amazon rubber boom through exhibits on extraction, indigenous artefacts, and daily life in the early 1900s.

🕐 Tue–Sat 09:00–17:00, Sun 09:00–13:00

💡 Ask the staff to show you the 1920s film footage of rubber tapping – it’s not signposted but they keep it in a back room. Closed Mondays.

Museum housed in a former rubber company building. Displays include old steam engines, rubber-tapping tools, and photographs of the Amazon rubber boom. Most exhibits are in Portuguese only, and a few labels are faded.

🕐 Mon–Fri 08:00–17:00

💡 Ask the guard to open the back room with the 1920s Fordson tractor – it’s not signposted but worth seeing. Closed for lunch 12–14.