Marco Zero Monument

Macapa is the only Brazilian state capital sitting on the equator, and the line is marked here by a concrete monument with a gap through the middle, aligned so that at the equinoxes in March and September the sun passes directly along the slot at midday and the shadow falls into it. A painted strip runs out from the base and continues into the neighbouring football stadium, the Estadio Milton Correa, known as the Zerao, which was built so that the halfway line coincides with the equator and each team defends a different hemisphere. There is an observation platform and a small interpretive centre. Handheld satellite receivers usually disagree slightly with the painted line, which is a well-known local quirk.

What to look for

• The equator in concrete - a monument aligned to the equinox sun.
• A stadium split by the line - each team defending a different hemisphere.
• A painted strip on the ground - the line running out from the monument.
• A slight disagreement with GPS - the marked line and the measured one differing.

When to go

The equinoxes in March and September for the sun effect; otherwise any time. An hour.

Good to know

There is very little here beyond the monument itself and the visit is short. It is fully exposed with no shade in equatorial sun. The stadium is not always open. Macapa has few other attractions to combine it with.

Nearby

The Sao Jose fortress is in the city centre; the Amazon waterfront runs north.