Macapá
Capital Of Amapá And The Only Brazilian State Capital Crossed By The Equator, Marked By The Marco Zero Monument; Home Of The Fortaleza De SãO José De Macapá · Macapá, Amapá
Macapá, the capital of Amapá on the northern bank of the Amazon's mouth, is the only state capital in Brazil that the equator runs through, and that is the reason most visitors come. The Marco Zero do Equador monument marks the line, with a painted stripe to stand across, and at the equinoxes in March and September the sun sets directly along the monument's axis, an event the city celebrates. Next to it, the halfway line of the local football stadium is said to follow the equator, so each team defends a different hemisphere. On the riverfront, the Fortaleza de São José de Macapá, a large star-shaped Portuguese fort completed in 1782, faces the Amazon, which here is so wide the far bank is out of sight. The city is small, hot and off the main tourist routes, reachable only by air or by boat from Belém, as no road links Amapá to the rest of Brazil. The famous pororoca tidal bore on the nearby Araguari River has largely vanished in recent years. A day is usually enough.
Marco Zero do Equador, Macapá, AP, Macapá, Amapá, Brazil
A city, always open, and most sights are outdoors. The Marco Zero do Equador and its monument area keep daytime hours and are busiest around sunset; the equinox celebrations in March and September draw crowds, music and stalls, and those evenings are the one time the city fills with visitors. The Fortaleza de São José de Macapá opens in the daytime, but it has closed on some weekdays and for periods of repair, so check before crossing town for it. The Sacaca museum and other cultural spaces keep daytime hours with weekday closures. The riverfront and the Trapiche Eliezer Levy are open all the time, best at sunset, but quieter parts of the waterfront are best left after dark. Heavy rain from January to July can wash out an afternoon. Flights are few and boats from Belém run on set days, so your time here is fixed by transport. Confirm opening days locally.