Manaus, Located on the north bank of the Rio Negro, It’s the heart of Amazonia and thus the hub of tourism for the rivers, the jungle lodges and the river cruises. Manaus sprawls, but the center of town, the Centro where most of the hotels and attractions are located, rises above the river on a slight hill. As the largest city and a major port on the river, Manaus is commercial. Local industries include brewing, shipbuilding, soap manufacturing, the production of chemicals, the manufacture of electronics equipment, and petroleum refining of oil brought in by barge. And tourism, of course.