Forte do Castelo & Mangal das Garças

Belém, May 2024

My first time going to Belém while working on the A321LR. I took a friend with me so the layover could be more bearable to me. Since I had company it was easier to explore the cultural side of this city.

This is a panoramic view of the city from my room:

Surprisingly this a city with lots of high-rise buildings!

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Forte do Castelo

Forte do Castelo (also Forte do Presépio) was our first stop. The original fortress was built by the portuguese in 1616. Today it serves as a museum, including an indoor section with a collection of historic artifacts found since the early days of the occupation of Amazonia by humans.

I don't have photos of it but the indoor exhibition is called "Museu do Encontro".

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Catedral da Sé

This church, also called "Catedral Metropolitana de Belém" was our next logical visit since it nearby "Forte do Castelo".

Located at the same square of this church is the "Casa das Onze Janelas" which seems to be a very popular venue among my fellow colleagues. We saw the exterior of the building but I can't remember exactly why we didn't get inside - whether if it was closed that day or if simply it wasn't on the top of our priority list.

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Mangal das Garças

Although I already visited this park and covered it on a previous post, for someone who is visiting Belém for the first time (I took a friend with me on this layover) this place is an absolute must.

The biodiversity is incredible: flamingos, herons, lizards, turtles, etc

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Farol de Belém

This time I thought it was it was a good idea to go to the top of the old beacon of Belém. There is a lift that takes you there and the cost of the ticket is nothing. On the other hand, the views over the city and of the park are absolutely stunning. It's really worth it.

After going down to the park again, we had lunch at the restaurant "Manjar das Garças". In 2017, this restaurant was a buffet type but since the pandemic it seems to have evolved to the à la carte standard. The food is still delicious and I do recommend this restaurant.