Leg 29 SBSN - Santarém (Brazil) to SBMQ - Macapá (Brazil)
SBSN - Airport Info
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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.
SBMQ - Airport Info
ICAO code: SBMQ
Airport name: Macapá Airport
Location: Macapá Brazil
Useful information
Airport elevation: 56'
Time zone: AT (UTC-4)
Lighted runways : Yes
Maximum runway length: 6890'
Runway surface : Asphalt
Instrument approach (ILS, LOC, LDA, and SDF):
None
Macapá Info
Macapá is the major city located on the border of Amazon river, at the exact moment where the river water joins the sea water, over the Equator Line. Its architecture of harmonic lines is amazing. As natural attractions, Macapá has fluvial beaches such as Araxá and Fazendinha and the Lago Curiaú (Curiaú's Lake).
The main cultural attraction is the Marco Zero - Linha do Equador (Landmark - Equator Line).
The typical dish of the region is the famous shrimp no bafo and the fish stew of tucunaré, among the other typical baked fishes of the Amapá's State. There are several interesting museums. The strolls to igarapés (narrow waterways) are good tourist options.