Porto Velho as a city is fairly young. Don't expect to see fine examples of colonial architecture or even notably old buildings. At first sight for the traveler Porto Velho has little to offer but a main street with rather uninteresting shops that can be found anywhere else in Brasil. Look a bit beyond that and you'll find Porto Velho a lively community with plenty to keep you occupied. For exploration it is suggested to rent a car for a few days as there is no tourist infrastructure whatsoever. You will need local help in finding the interesting places as there is no formal tourist office. http://wikitravel.org/en/Porto Velho