North
RO
Rondônia
Amazon frontier and Madeira river
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Rondônia is a frontier Amazon state carved out of rainforest by settlers in the 1970s and 80s, now a center of cattle ranching and agribusiness. Porto Velho, its capital on the Madeira River, grew up around the Madeira-Mamoré Railroad — one of the most ambitious engineering projects of the early 20th century, built at enormous human cost to link landlocked Bolivia to the Atlantic.
Capital
Porto Velho
Region
North
Estado
RO
Top Highlights
- 1Madeira-Mamoré Railroad museum — haunting relics of the "Devil's Railroad" built through the jungle
- 2Rio Madeira white-sand beaches — seasonal river beaches near Porto Velho in the dry season
- 3Samuel Dam reservoir — boat trips through the flooded forest and freshwater fishing
- 4Guajará-Mirim — twin border town on the Mamoré River, with Bolivian market and ferry crossing
Best Time to Visit
May to October (dry season) for river beaches, accessible roads and manageable heat.
Traveller's Tip
Porto Velho is the practical hub — fly in and arrange river and jungle excursions from there.
Videos from Rondônia
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