Brazil travel blog by Mark Berman -
April 2015
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View Photoset (21 Photos)
Oiapoque is as far north as you can get on the east coast of Brazil and is the border town that sits on one side of the Oyapock River,
the other side is French Guiana. I arrived in Oiapoque late one night after a long trip by car from Macapa, the next city southward. I
spent a couple of hours in the morning having a look around. The nice thing about Oiapoque is the river, this is what makes this place beautiful, the town itself is nothing special.
Oyapock River Bridge Opened (18 March 2017)
The main sight in town is the Oyapock River Bridge across to
St. Georges
in French Guiana. It's quite a landmark! Most of Oiapoque's activity is riverside with people arriving from and leaving to French Guiana.
It only takes 10 minutes to cross the river to St. Georges. Oiapoque has a couple of churches, one is Igreja Nossa Senhora das Gracas and
has a large water-tower across the road from it, the other church is Igreja Presbiteriana do Brasil and is small and green. There is a
big red fire station up the road from the river. Hotels and shops are scattered around the streets in town. Many of Oiapoque's roads
around the center are made of dirt, so it can get quite muddy when it rains. At the north/eastern end of town I had a look around the
houses that sit above the river, walking on boardwalks to get there. From the looks some of the locals gave me, not many travelers do that.
It is easy to change money in town and there is an internet cafe or 2 incase your hotel doesn't have any.
Or Take a Boat to French Guiana
It was a beautiful day with blue sky and sunshine. I thought to myself, what a nice day to go to French
Guiana! I was so excited to get there that after getting my backpack from my hotel I headed down to the river and took a boat across
to French Guiana without getting an exit stamp for Brazil on my passport. Stupid me, nevermind, I was able to get one on the other side
as well as an entry stamp to
French Guiana all at the same office, now there's a tip!
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A community living in a watery area above the river in Oiapoque.
Boardwalk above water out to the edge of the Oyapock River from a house in Oiapoque.
Passenger boats cross paths on the Oyapock River in Oiapoque, the border of Brazil and French Guiana.
Boats in the Oyapock River, some moored, some traveling, in Oiapoque.
