Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
5
attractive as well as educational, and any money you spend here goes not only to the
upkeep of the museum and its grounds but also to a wide programme of research in
everything from anthropology to zoology. This is one of only two Brazilian research
institutes in the Amazon, and it plays a vital role in developing local expertise.
A small
zoo
is set in the compact, but beautifully laid out, botanical gardens.
Tapirs, manatees, big cats, huge alligators, terrapins, electric eels and an incredible
selection of birds make this place an important site for anyone interested in the
forest, and by Brazilian standards the animals are reasonably kept, too. The
aquarium, with its selection of piranhas overmatched for sheer ugliness and menace
by the (actually quite harmless)
matamata
turtle, was closed for renovation at the
time of research.
Parque da Residência
The grounds of the leafy
Parque da Residência
, formally the of
cial residence of the
governor, have been converted into a small park and cultural centre. This very pleasant
spot houses a theatre, where the old governor's limo is displayed in the foyer.
Bosque Rodrigo Alves
Av Almirante Barroso 2453, Bairro do Marco • Tues-Sun 8am-5pm • R$2 • Take the bus from the centre marked “Almirante Barroso”
(R$2.20; 30min)
Inspired by Paris's Bois de Boulogne, the
Bosque Rodrigo Alves
is an entire city block
of trees as tall as a five-storey building. Though not as domesticated as the (botanical
garden, it's well kept and gives you a sample of the jungle around the city. Here you'll
be able to stroll along pretty tree-shaded paths flanked by the occasional animal
enclosure; you'll find hundreds of turtles, and a café by the side of an artificial lake.
The highlight, however, is without doubt the
Amazon manatee
, the
peixe-boi
(literally,
fish-cow, and up close you see why - it's big). These mammals are increasingly rare in
the wild. As this is the only chance you will have to see one in the Amazon, the
opportunity is not to be missed: they are astonishing creatures, combining breathtaking
ugliness with sheer grace as they move through the water. The enclosure at the Bosque
includes a bridge built over the water - where manatees graze on aquatic grasses -
allowing you within a few metres.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
BELÉM
Santarém (Tues-Fri 6pm; 3 days; hammock R$150, double
cabin R$500) and Manaus (Tues-Fri 6pm; 5 days; hammock
R$250, double cabin R$1000). Tuesday departures to
Santarém and Manaus leave from Porto Líder at Bernardo
Sayão s/n), while Wed, Thurs & Fri departures leave from
the Porto de Belém.
BY PLANE
Belém international airport is 15km out of town. Regular
buses (every 15min; 40min; R$2.20) connect the airport to
the city centre. A taxi from the airport costs R$45 (30min).
Destinations
Brasília (5 daily; 2hr 30min); Macapá (1 daily;
1hr); Manaus (5 daily; 2hr); Santarém (5 daily; 1hr 30min)
and at least once daily to all other major Brazilian cities.
TAP recently started flying Lisbon-Manaus-Belém-
Lisbon (3 weekly; 11hr).
BY BUS
Belém's rodoviária (
T
91 3266 2625) is in the district of São
Bras, about 3km from the centre. There are plenty of bus
companies with services to major destinations, including
Transbrasiliana (
T
91 3226 1243) with daily buses to Belo
Horizonte (48hr; R$475) and São Paulo (49hr; R$493), and
Itapemirim (
T
91 3226 3382) with services to Salvador
(daily 3pm; 31hr; R$341) and Fortaleza (daily at noon;
24hr; R$255). Any bus from the stops opposite the entrance
to the rodoviária will take you downtown (R$2.20; 20min).
A taxi into town costs roughly R$25.
BY BOAT
Larger riverboats dock at the Porto de Belém near the town
centre, from where you can walk or take a local bus up
Avenida Presidente Vargas (not recommended if you have
luggage or if it's late at night), or catch a taxi (R$15).
Macamazon, with o
ces at Boulevard Castilho França 716
(
T
91 3222 5604), serves Macapá (Mon, Tues, Thurs & Fri
10am; 24hr; hammock R$130, double cabin R$500);
