Parintins, Brazil

Located in the Brazilian state of Amazonas about 230 miles east of Manaus, Parintins sits on one of four islands that formed when an earlier fluvial island was split apart by the convergence of the Madeira, Sucunduri and Abacaxis rivers into the Amazon. The small city — which is only accessible by water or air — is home to the annual Boi-Bumbá Festival, the second-largest celebration in Brazil behind Rio’s Carnival. During the last weekend of June, tens of thousands of revelers fill Parintins’ enormous Bumbódromo stadium as elaborately costumed singers, dancers and musicians — alongside parade floats and giant puppets — perform a choreographed retelling of the Boi-Bumbá folktale, in which a beloved ox (boi) is sacrificed before being revived by a local shaman. Even if your Seabourn ship doesn’t visit during June, you can still experience the magic with a mini-performance at the Galpão das Artes center, which also houses previous floats. Take in the city sights while riding in a triciclo — the local version of an Asian tuk-tuk — and browse the Mercado Municipal for herbal medicines and crafts made by the indigenous Mawé (Sateré-Mawé) people.