Leg 28 SWMW - Maués (Brazil) to SBSN - Santarém (Brazil)
SBEG - Airport Info
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ICAO code: SWMW
Airport name: Maués Airport
Location: Maués Brazil
Useful information
Airport elevation: 69'
Time zone: AT (UTC-4)
Lighted runways : No
Maximum runway length: 3937'
Runway surface : Asphalt
Maués Info
Maués is one of the most beautiful cities of Amazon, known as city of "guaraná" because its first inhabitants, the indians "mundurucus" and "maués", already they cultivated it. Being still today, and even for the national valuation of the product, the most cultivated in the region.
Maués has 39,675 Km² , with approximately 36,420 inhabitants, and is located 267 kilometers of Manaus, also possessing the most famous beaches of the state.
Beyond beaches, it has several other options in cultural activities and leisure: sports, boat tour, igarapés (small rivers inside the forest), and the direct contact with the culture of some aboriginal civilizations, these responsible for a variety of workmanship (hand made) and legends, being distinguished the workmanship (hand made) "saterê-maué", ethnic group that inhabits a stretch of the river "urupadi", and the legend of "guaraná".
The limpid waters of the rivers of Maués also allow the practical of the dive fishing, technical brought by immigrants of the south, carried through with frequency for some inhabitants.
The name "Maués" has origin of the language "tupí": "Mau" adjective translated for curious, intelligent; "ueu" bird of the chaste of the parrots; Maué or Maue used name to assign the aboriginal nation that inhabited the region and its translation is "curious and intelligent parrot"; Maués city of the intelligent parrots.
Beyond the natural beauties, Maués becomes a great center of tourism of the State of Amazon and carries through parties almost all the year, of which is distinguished the "Party of the Guaraná", carried through normally in the November month; the "Summer Festival", carried through in the September month and that it gives emphasis to the beach competitions; the "Street Carnival" that counts on some small groups that keeps the beauty of the old carnivals; and the "Party of the The holy ghost" carried through in the May month.
SBSN - Airport Info
ICAO code: SBSN
Airport name: Santarém Intl Airport
Location: Santarém Brazil
Useful information
Airport elevation: 198'
Time zone: AT (UTC-4)
Lighted runways : Yes
Maximum runway length: 7874'
Runway surface : Asphalt
Instrument approach (ILS, LOC, LDA, and SDF):
Rwy 10: ILS heading: 98 degrees localizer: 109.30
Santarém Info
By far the most interesting place in Santarém, at any hour of the day or night, is the waterfront. There are always dozens of boats tied up, with the accompanying bustle of people and cargoes being loaded and unloaded, and constant activity in the shops and outfitters lining the riverfront. You will probably have to wander along the front anyway to find boats to points around, but a sunset walk is reason enough to venture down here. Many of the city’s restaurants and nightspots line the riverfront, but it is especially lively during the rainy season, when the beaches are under water. The waterfront also boasts a surprisingly good museum, the Centro Cultural João Foua, a fine turn-of-the-century building constructed during the rubber boom and standing in splendid isolation on Praça Santarém just past the Mascotinho restaurant. The highlight of the collection is some stunning Indian pottery, small but elaborately decorated and around 2000 years old. The building itself is also very pleasant and the shady internal courtyard is a good spot to hide from the sun on a hot day.
Beaches
Unlike the eastern and western reaches of the Amazon, the region around Santarém has a very distinct dry season, stretching from June to December. In the dry season, Santarém and its surroundings get extremely hot, even by Brazilian standards, with a particularly enervating dry heat. Fortunately this is also the time of year, especially between July and February, when the Amazon drops and the region’s magnificent river beaches are exposed for you to cool off. If you are unlucky enough to be in Santarém in hot weather while the beaches are still flooded, gringos can use the swimming pools at the Hotel Tropical or the Yacht Clube, a short taxi ride from the centre.In the city itself, the beach which forms at the waterfront in the dry season is definitely not recommended despite the number of locals you’ll see swimming there: you can count the raw sewerage outlets draining directly into the water as you walk along the promenade. A much better option is to get the local bus to Maracana on the far side of town, which is clean. There are lots of small bars and restaurants here serving delicious freshly caught fish. The very best beach near Santarém, however, is 15km away at Alter do Chão.