Macapa

Macapá is a city and the capital of Amapá state in Brazil, South America. It is located in the North Region.

The city lies exactly on the Equator and there is a monument to this, known as Marco Zero ("Zero Mark"). Being on the Equator, the weather can be extremely hot.

Macapa is part of Amazonia. The area is rich in flora and fauna, especially flamingos, turtles, armadillos and giant alligators. It is also a stop over for migratory birds.

Other attractions include Sao Jose fortress museum, the church of Sao Jose de Macapa, which dates back to 1761, Centro de Pesquisas Museologicas Sacaca Museum and Museu do Desenvolvimento Sustentavel.

At Casa do Artesao, visitors can purchase ceramics and indigenous art pieces or shop at Macapá-Santana Free Zone on Rua Cândido Mendes/Rua São José for a good mix of local and imported items.

There are a number of small beaches around the city. Fazendinha is the easiest to access and has direct buses from the city centre.

Fresh fish, shrimp and crab dishes are popular as well as other local specialities and international options such as Japanese and Italian.

Cruise ships dock at Macapa port, near to the centre of town.