The Amazon - The Rough Guide to Brazil - page 349

5 CROSSING INTO FRENCH GUIANA

One reason to come to Amapá is to get to French Guiana (or Guyane). The key road in the
state connects Macapá with the town of OIAPOQUE , on the river of the same name that
delineates the frontier. The road isn't asphalted all the way, but even where it's dirt it's usually
good going in the dry season; in the wet season, however, it can easily double travel time.
From Macapá's rodoviária catch a bus to Oiapoque (daily 5pm & 7pm; 10hr, can take up to
24hr in the rainy season; R$92); there are also 4WD services that shuttle passengers (7hr, can
take longer in the rainy season; R$150). Once in Oiapoque, catch a boat (every 5min; 10min;
€10) across to Saint-Georges. Brazilian exit stamps can be obtained from the Polícia Federal
at the southern road entrance into Oiapoque; on the other side you have to check in with the
gendarmes in Saint-Georges. From here you can hop on a bus to Cayenne (3hr; €35).
CROSSING THE BORDER
If you are not a citizen of a European Union country, the US or Canada, you will need a visa
to enter French Guiana. There is a French consulate in Macapá at the Hotel Pousada Ekinox
(see p.339), though it's better to try to arrange the visa before you leave home. If you're going
to travel overland, buy euros in Belém or Macapá. You can get them in Oiapoque but the rates
are worse, and you can't depend on changing either Brazilian currency or US dollars for euros
in the border settlement of Saint-Georges in Guyane.

really worth the extra expense. There's an open-air gym as
well as a lovely rooftop terrace with little gazebos and
river vi ews - the perfect spot to catch a little evening
breeze. R$190
Hotel Ibis Rua Tiradentes 303 T 96 2101 9050,
W ibishotel.com. An excellent budget option offering
clean practical rooms with private bathrooms, a/c units
and cable TV. There's a small pool table in the lobby
area, along with a restaurant serving very reasonably

priced food. R$159
★

Hotel Pousada Ekinox Jovino Dinoa 1693 T 96
3223 0086, E [e-mail]. This lovely
pousada , which doubles as the French consulate, has
comfortable spacious rooms set around a pretty verdant
patio. All rooms are equipped with a/c, wi-fi and cable TV
and the restaurant serves up very good nosh too. They don't
accept walk-in s - ma ke sure to ring or email ahead to make
a reservation. R$190

EATING
Cantinho Baiano Rua Beira Rio 328 T 96 9154 5001,
W cantinhobaiano.com. On the river front, this a/c
restaurant specializes in fish and shrimp dishes - try
the peixe região dos lagos (fish served with jambú risotto;
R$73). Dishes are big enough to share, although
if you're travelling alone they will make single portions
at sixty percent of the dish price. Daily 11am-3.45pm &
6-11.45pm.
Churrascaria Santa Rita Av Mendonça Furtado
2084

restaurant offers a wide range of salads, fish and
excellent churrasco for meat lovers. Prices are reasonable,
the service is good and the food certainly makes it worth
visiting. Daily 11am-3pm.
Restaurante Estaleiro Av 1 de Maio 52 T 96 3222
8375. Set in a pretty wooden building resembling a ship
with anchors lying outside, the real draw here is the
excellent seafood, served by friendly waiters dressed in
sailors' outfits. Tues-Fri 7.30pm-midnight, Sat 7.30pm-
midnight & 11.30am-3pm, Sun 11.30am-3pm. T 96 3223 4889. Macapá's best por quilo

Santarém
Around 700km west of Belém - but closer to 800km as the river flows - SANTARÉM is
the first significant stop on the journey up the Amazon, a small city of around 130,000
people, which still makes it the fourth largest in the Brazilian Amazon.
Santarém is located at the junction of the Tapajós River and the Amazon; the waters mix
in front of the city and the contrast between the muddy Amazon and the deep blue and
turquoise of the Tapajós is as spectacular as the much better-known merging of the Rio
Negro and the Amazon in front of Manaus. During the dry season (June-Nov) the
Tapajós drops several metres, fringing the entire river system with stunning white-sand
beaches. Santarém is a rather unattractive town of concrete blocks; it's much better to