There are various freight transport companies plying between Belèm and Macapá (Santana). Most of them sail on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and the crossing takes 35-42 hours. Most of these companies are situated along the waterfront north of downtown Belèm.
It pays to shop around and get various quotes from different companies. After choosing the company either stock up on food and water if you want to be independent or join the crew and other drivers in the canteen where they serve three meals a day.
While you have to wait for your turn to drive onto the cargo boat, you might want to camp at the company’s designated dock. They told us they’d load at 7 pm, but we loaded only at 11 pm. This could happen the other way around as well, so better be there early.
Price to Ship Your Vehicle
For the Land Cruiser and the two of us we paid 1000 reais (including meals). In retrospect this may have been too much. We thought all prices were one way, but later we were told that trucks pay 2500-3000 reais for a return ticket (they have to return within the same week).
Some companies only allow the driver to accompany the car. In one case, I (Karin-Marijke) was only allowed to cross as a stowaway – which I did not find a good plan. In the end we shipped with J. Sabino Filho, where I could travel as a legal passenger.
Shipping Companies
Ours: J. Sabino Filho – Tropical Transportes
Rua do Cruzeiro 985 (between R. 15 de Agosto and R. Juvêncio Sarmento)
Icoaraci (north of downtown Belèm)
Crossings on Monday, Wednesday, Friday
GPS Waypoint: -1.175390, -48.289220
Another company north of downtown Belèm is Sanave
AV. Pedro A. Cabral 1323, Bairro Umarizal
www.gruposavanve.com.br
We know of a couple that paid 2000 reais for the crossing of their MAN truck and the two of them.
Next:
- The story of our beautiful Amazon Crossing
- Stories about our next destination: French Guiana (back to Europe!)
Check it out: the Landcruising Adventure’s Goodies Collection
Sign up for our Newsletter
Sign up for our newsletter and receive an occasional email with news, updates, and the best bits from the blog.
No spam, rare enough so as not to annoy, and easy to unsubscribe from.
Im hoping to take a barge from Macapa to Santarem or Manaus with a car this summer but still have not talked to anyone who has done it yet
Great post as always
Kurtis,
We know carchallenge.nl organized for a number cars (driving in three weeks from Suriname to Lima) to be shipped from Macapá to Santarem. The website is in Dutch, but you can no doubt contact the founder and head of the organization, Jan-Willem Koudstaal, and ask him for specifics. Just click on ‘contact’ on his website; no problem to email him in English.
Hi, When Hendrik and I were shipping from Belem to Macapa, we found an agent in Belem to do all the leg work for us. He knew which boats were possible, had their schedules and prices and called them to check availability. We booked with him which saved us a lot of hassle. At the same time we met a young over landing couple in a VW Combi, they also went with Hendrik to the agent and got prices but wanted the best deal possible so then they went to the port area to shop around for a better deal. In the end the agents price was as good as any at the port area and they went back and booked with the agent. They were travelling Belem to Manaus. The port area isn’t nice and it’s confusing, so if your portuguese isn’t wonderful, I think an agent is worth a go. ( The Belgian and The Aussie )
Hello Ali, that is wonderful news and great to hear. Do you remember the name or company or of that agent by any chance? And what did you guys pay for the crossing?