Flying to Manaus to Fish in 2023
Manaus, the Gateway to the Amazon and it’s piscatorial riches, is not an easy destination. You can’t get there by road from other major South American cities, and there are only limited flights from the United States. Furthermore, those U.S. flights seem to constantly be in flux – and that’s been worse since the dawn of the pandemic. Now the fish have had a couple of years to rest and flights are once again in demand. It’s our hope that the demand will be met by a consistent supply, because every angler needs to catch Amazonian peacock bass sooner rather than later.
If you’re heading there from North America, unless you’re in Florida or you have your own jet, you’ll likely have to take at least two flights. Here are the current options:
Options from the North
As you can see, the only cities that’ll get you there directly from the US are both in Florida. Of the two, Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, the former is larger, with more direct options from elsewhere.
The Gol flight is done in conjunction with American, which has a hub there. The flight leaves at 7pm, which give you plenty of time to get to Miami, although the 1:55am arrival might prove tight if you’re planning to head into the jungle that morning. A delay or cancelation could be disastrous. It may end up requiring that you spend a full day in the city and depart the following morning. The return flight leaves about 1pm. Historically, I’ve always left between midnight and 3am, which meant that we could arrive back at any time and then have dinner in the city before departing for the airport. Most outfitters would in that case give you a “day room” to nap, relax and/or shower.
Azul just finalized their trip Schedule in December: They will fly MAO-FLL on Tues/Thus/Sat. They will return to Manaus Mon/Wed/Fri. The flight to the US will depart at 10:30am and the flight to Brazil will depart 10:40pm and fly overnight. The Airbus A320 seats a total of 174 passengers. This route is a partnership with JetBlue.
The third option from the north is COPA, an airline we’ve gotten to know and like through our multiple trips to Panama. You can fly directly to Panama City from many US cities (on COPA and others) and then take a direct flight to Manaus. One nice perk of flying with them is that you can stop over in Panama City on the way there or on the way back, adding a “second vacation” to your trip at no extra charge.
Options from the South
If the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale/Panama City options don’t work for you, or if you’d like to see another city in Brazil as part of your trip, you can go south of Manaus before heading there. Although the first leg of your trip will likely be much longer, the in-country flight will be slightly shorter. You can fly directly to Brasilia, Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro from the following North American cities:
Brasilia – Miami, Orlando
Sao Paulo – Miami, Orlando, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, Chicago, Washington Dulles, NY JFK, Newark, Boston, Toronto, Montreal
Rio de Janeiro – Houston, Miami, Atlanta, NY JFK
Notes
As always, before booking any flight for a fishing trip, check the airline’s luggage allowances, particularly if you intend to bring a rod tube.
Furthermore, remember that just because you can check a 50 pound or heavier bag on the commercial plane, you might not be able to bring that much on an in-country float plane.
Even if you fly on a Brazilian airline, you may be able to book the tickets through a US carrier with whom you have status or frequent flier miles.
South America Flight Links
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