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Territory capital · Brazil

Porto Velho

Go for 2 nights as a Madeira river and railway stop, or as the boat gateway to Manaus; skip if you want beaches, colonial streets or easy sightseeing.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
BRL
Best months
May–Sep (drier)
avoid Dec–Mar (heavy rain)
Airport
PVH
Nights
2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7Above 2,500 m (Bogotá, Quito, Cusco, La Paz) keep the fir…
  • South America ↗Above 2,500 m (Bogotá, Quito, Cusco, La Paz) keep the first day light; sleep lower where you can (Sacred Valley before Cusco) and descend if headache comes with vomiting or confusion.
  • South America ↗A yellow fever certificate is required on arrival in French Guiana, and asked for on some routes into Bolivia, Paraguay, Suriname and Guyana, or when arriving from Amazon areas — vaccinate at least 10 days before travel and carry the card.
  • South America ↗Overnight buses are the norm in Argentina, Chile and Peru, but pick top-tier companies and keep valuables on your body; on-board thefts from overhead racks are the common loss.
  • Brazil ↗US, Canadian and Australian citizens need an e-visa (about US$81 — check) applied for online at the official VFS portal before travel; EU and UK citizens do not. Check your passport with Brazil's Ministry of Foreign Affairs before booking.
  • Brazil ↗Yellow fever vaccination is recommended for many areas, including the Amazon and Pantanal; check with a travel clinic at least 10 days before travel.
  • Brazil ↗Keep your phone out of sight in the street and on beaches; phone theft is the most common crime against visitors in big cities.
  • Brazil ↗Carnival 2027 runs about 5–10 February (Tuesday 9 February; Salvador from 4 February): book Rio, Salvador and Recife/Olinda months ahead or avoid those dates.

Porto Velho is the capital of Rondônia, founded around 1910 with the Madeira-Mamoré railway. There is no colonial core and almost no tourist infrastructure: the draws are the river promenade, the old railway relics and the Sunday market. Most travellers use it as a stop before the river boat to Manaus or a crossing to Bolivia at Guajará-Mirim. Two nights covers the centre; add a car if you want waterfalls and the Candeias area.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Porto Velho, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • BeerBeer at a Beira Rio barR$8–15 (≈ US$2–3)
  • Taxi, about 5 kmTaxi across the centreR$15–30 (≈ US$3–6)
  • Budget bedSimple room with fan, a night, per roomR$60 (≈ US$12)
  • Mid-range bedMid-range double with A/C, a night, per roomR$180 (≈ US$35)
  • High-end bedMid-range double with A/C, a night, per roomR$280 (≈ US$55)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget R$150 (≈ US$30) · Mid R$300 (≈ US$60) · High R$550 (≈ US$110)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Madeira-Mamoré railway relics and the Caixas d'Água water towersRio Madeira sunset promenade (Beira Rio)Feira Cai na Água Sunday marketRiver boat to Manaus
Airports
PVH Governador Jorge Teixeira de Oliveira International Airport (About 7 km from the centre; LATAM and GOL connect to Brasília, São Paulo and other Brazilian cities (check current routes).)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Porto Velho: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

31°C

23°C

20 rd

Feb

31°C

23°C

19 rd

Mar

31°C

23°C

20 rd

Apr

31°C

23°C

16 rd

May

31°C

22°C

10 rd

Jun

32°C

21°C

5 rd

Jul

33°C

20°C

3 rd

Aug

34°C

21°C

4 rd

Sep

34°C

22°C

8 rd

Oct

33°C

23°C

14 rd

Nov

32°C

23°C

17 rd

Dec

31°C

23°C

20 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The centre is walkable along Av. 7 de Setembro. For Candeias, the Santo Antônio falls and the BR-364 side roads you need a car: rent from a known agency near the rodoviária (about R$100/day plus about R$25/day insurance, 2026 estimate). Taxis and app rides cover the centre and the airport.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Candeias and Santo Antônio falls

go

Door to door: About 30–60 min

Local bus or car west on the BR-364

Candeias is where the city began; the falls are a short detour. Best with your own car.

Guajará-Mirim

overnight

Door to door: About 5 h

Bus from the rodoviária, about 5 h

Border town toward Bolivia; too far for a same-day return.

Humaitá (BR-364 west)

caution

Door to door: About 3 h

Car west on the BR-364, about 200 km

No fuel stations in between; go with a full tank and daylight.

Vilhena

skip

Door to door: About 10 h

Bus or car south on the BR-364

A long haul for a short stay; only if you are heading south anyway.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Av. 7 de Setembro (centre)

Hotels, restaurants and the walk down to the river; the practical base for 1–2 nights.

Rodoviária area

Cheap rooms across from the bus station; convenient for early buses, less pleasant at night.

Beira Rio / Av. Farquar

Riverside bars and the Mirante forró nights; few places to sleep, so most people walk or take a taxi.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
R$150–250 (≈ US$30–50) excl. bed
Mid
R$250–450 (≈ US$50–85) excl. bed
High
R$450 (≈ US$85)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Mid-range double with A/C1 × 2 nights × R$180R$360
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × R$300R$1,200
Car rental, one day (plus about R$25 insurance)1 × R$125 · checkR$125
River boat to Manaus, hammock class2 × R$100 · check; cabin about R$300, double cabin about R$350R$200
eSIM, about a week of data2 × R$60R$120
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeR$201
Trip total≈ R$552 per person per day, bed includedR$2,206≈ US$450

2026 estimate in reais; flights excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Açaí with guaraná and granolaR$10–20 (≈ US$2–4)
Por quilo lunchR$20–35 (≈ US$4–7) per kg
Beer at a Beira Rio barR$8–15 (≈ US$2–3)
Taxi across the centreR$15–30 (≈ US$3–6)
Car rental, one daycheckR$100 (≈ US$19) + about R$25 (≈ US$5) insurance
River boat to Manaus, hammock classcheck; negotiableabout R$100 (≈ US$19)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Porto Velho is one of Brazil's more dangerous cities. Stay in the centre after dark, take taxis, carry little to the harbour, and treat the river-boat docks as a daytime errand only.
  • Porto Velho has a high crime rate for Brazil: avoid walking at night, keep phones out of sight and take taxis after dark.
  • The harbour area where the Manaus boats leave is not a good place to linger; carry as little as possible.
  • The railway station museum has been closed for renovation with no confirmed reopening date: check before you go.
  • There is no working tourist train; the Maria Fumaça project is unfinished.
  • The BR-364 west toward Humaitá has long gaps with no fuel: fill up before you leave.

Emergency numbers

Police
190
Ambulance
192
Fire
193

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

Porto VelhoPorto Velho

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

Para este endereço, por favorTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police190
  • Ambulance192
  • Fire193

Embassy

No embassies in Porto Velho; the US, UK and most others keep embassies in Brasília and consulates in São Paulo or Rio (check).

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Airport PVH → centre, taxi: about R$30–50 (≈ US$6–10), 15–20 min (check)
  • Bus across the centre: about R$5 (≈ under US$1) (check)
  • River boat Porto Velho → Manaus: hammock about R$100 (≈ US$19), cabin about R$300 (≈ US$60) (check)

Say or show

  • Olá — Hello (oh-LAH)
  • Obrigado / Obrigada — Thank you (oh-bree-GAH-doo / oh-bree-GAH-dah)
  • Quanto custa? — How much is it? (KWAHN-too KOOS-tah)
  • Onde fica o banheiro? — Where is the bathroom? (OHN-jee FEE-kah oo bah-NYAY-roo)
  • Não entendo — I don't understand (nowng en-TEN-doo)
  • Socorro — Help (soh-KOH-hoo)

English is limited outside hotels; a translation app helps.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Porto Velho. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: May–Sep (drier) · avoid Dec–Mar (heavy rain) · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for PVH: taxi fares, late arrivals and a first-night hotel shortlist.
  2. Four walking clusters with rescue anchors: Av. 7 de Setembro, the railway station and Caixas d'Água, the Beira Rio, the Sunday market.
  3. Place pages with verified status (railway station museum, Casa da Cultura, Catedral) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. River-boat fixture for the Manaus route: hammock vs cabin, harbour safety and booking without agents.

Meanwhile

Back to Brazil

Sources