2 Best Sights in Macapa, The Amazon

The top man-made attraction in Macapá also happens to be Brazil's largest fort. Completed in 1782 after 18 grueling years, Fortaleza de São José de Macapá is constructed of stones brought from Portugal as ship ballast. The well-preserved buildings house a visitor center, an art gallery, a meeting room, and a dance-music recital room.

The Marco Zero do Equador is a modest monument to the equatorial line that passes through town. Although it consists of only a tall, concrete sundial and a stripe of red paint along the equator, there's a distinct thrill to straddling the line or hopping between hemispheres. The soccer stadium across the street uses the equator as its centerline. From Macapá's outdoor bus terminal on Rua Antônio Coelho de Carvalho, a block from the fort, catch the bus labeled "b. novo/universidade" to the Marco Zero, a 20-minute ride.