A birthday present from the navy (who donated the land) to the city of Belém, the park was inaugurated in January 2005. Located on the river Guamá, the Mangal does an excellent job representing Belém's regional culture, flora, and fauna. A series of lagoons portrays the Amazonian ecosystem, starting off with a narrow igarapé creek that opens up into a larger lagoon with white herons and scarlet ibises and finally empties into mangroves. There is a large viewing platform overlooking the river and the marsh along the shore. The park also has an excellent restaurant, a gift shop, and a number of attractions. For R$9 you can see everything. This includes a 45m-tall (150-ft.) modern lighthouse that offers 360-degree views; a walk-through aviary that houses over 20 species of local birds; a butterfly world, a glass-enclosed space with hundreds of butterflies flying loose; and a small but interesting navigation museum that tells the story of many river craft used on the Amazon. Allow 2 hours. Tip: If you want to see the birds and butterflies at their best, avoid the heat of the day. Late afternoon is great as you can combine it with a sunset stroll on the deck or a drink at the restaurant.