Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
5
Located on the riverfront, this rustic bar on stilts is a good
spot for a late afternoon
caipirinha
(R$6) as you watch the
sun set; it's also worth heading here for the good regional
food (mains R$35) that on weekends can be enjoyed to the
sound of live
carimbó
,
forró
and pop-rock bands.
Tues-Sun
noon-midnight.
★
W
roxybar.com.br.
Attracting well-heeled Belenenses, the
queue at this hugely popular joint forms way before the
doors even open and you'll always see eager customers
outside waiting to be seated. The trendy interior features
bare brick walls, funky paintings and a fun menu with
dishes named after famous movie stars. Mains R$45.
Daily
7.30pm-2am.
Roxy Bar
Av Senador Lemos 231
T
91 3224 4514,
ENTERTAINMENT
CINEMAS
Cine Olympia
Av Presidente Vargas 918
T
91 3230 5380,
W
cinemaolympia.com.br.
Run by the local government,
Belém's oldest cinema screens art-house movies and foreign
films. Entry is free.
Screenings usually at 6pm.
Cinépolis Boulevard Shopping
Av Visconde de Souza
Franco 776
T
91 3241 4045,
W
cinepolis.com.br.
Within
the Boulevard Shopping Centre, this cinema shows the
latest blockbuster movies.
SHOPPING
Belém is one of the best places in the world to buy
hammocks
(essential if you are about to go upriver) - look in the street
markets between Av Presidente Vargas and Ver-o-Peso, starting in Rua Santo Antônio.
Casa Amazônia
Av Presidente Vargas 512
T
91 9144
7317.
This small shop has a decent selection of local crafts
on offer.
Mon-Fri 7.30am-5pm, Sat 7.30am-noon.
Espaço São José Liberto
Praça Amazonas
T
91 3344
3500,
W
saojoseliberto.com.br.
Within the complex of
São José Liberto (see p.338) there are stalls displaying all
manner of arts and crafts from all over Pará, including
ceramics, traditional handicrafts, adornments, woven
objects, aromatic herbs and regional liqueurs.
Tues-Sat
9am-7pm, Sun 10am-6pm.
Perfumaria Orion
Tv Frutuoso Guimarães 270
T
91
3241 3726.
This tiny place produces and sells a wide range
of rainforest oils, scents and cosmetic products.
Mon-Fri
8am-6pm, Sat 8am-noon.
DIRECTORY
Internet
Porão
at Rua Senador Manoel Barata 943
(Mon-Fri 8am-4pm; R$2/hr;
T
91 3222 1776);
non-guests can use the business centre at the
Hilton
at
Av Presidente Vargas 882 (daily 8am-6pm; R$6/hr;
T
91 4006 7000).
Laundry
Lav & Lev Travessa Dr Moraes 576 (Mon-Sat
8am-6pm; wash R$10, dry R$10;
T
91 3223 7247).
Money and exchange
Banco da Amazônia, Av Presidente
Vargas 800; Bradesco, Av Presidente Vargas 988; Banco do
Brasil, 2nd floor, Av Presidente Vargas 248. There are also a
number of ATMs in the Estação das Docas. Many of the larger
shops, travel agents and hotels will change dollars.
Post o
ce
The central post o
ce (Mon-Fri 8am-5pm) is
at Av Presidente Vargas 498.
Around Belém
There are interesting places
AROUND BELÉM
, although you should mostly resist the
temptation to swim at the river beaches anywhere close to the city. The locals,
indifferent to high fecal counts, regularly do, but it plays havoc with the unaccustomed.
We've listed a number of places nearby that you can visit, but the best bet for a day at
the beach, if a day is all you have, is
Mosqueiro
. If you have longer, head for the
altogether more enticing destinations of
Algodoal
and
Marajó
- further afield but
worth the effort.
Icoaraci
The easiest of the beaches to reach from Belém is
ICOARACI
, with local buses from
anywhere downtown taking about an hour. Walk towards the river from the bus
terminus and you'll hit the two things that make the trip worthwhile. One is the
ceramic workshops
on the newly paved and reconditioned riverfront, which sell
distinctive pottery based on the ancient designs of the local indigenous tribes. The
