Mazagão: Riverfront, Ceramics and History

Mazagão brings together riverfronts, local crafts and historical traditions. If you’re looking for a holiday rental in Mazagão, these different themes can help guide your travel plans: the city itself has its river connections and crafts, while the history of nearby Mazagão Velho is a distinct focus.

Riverfront and City History

Mazagão lies on the right bank of the Vila Nova River. In Mazagão Novo, the waterfront promenade is located at Beija-Flor; it’s suitable for walks in the late afternoon. The riverfront thus adds a specific activity to the cultural themes. The present-day city of Mazagão was founded on November 15, 1915. This date is part of the history of today’s Mazagão and should be distinguished from the older colonial history of nearby Mazagão Velho.

Ceramics and Local Crafts

Casa do Artesão is located in the center of Mazagão. It provides a place for the work of local artisans and other local workers to be produced. The output consists mostly of ceramics featuring Maracá/Cunani graphic motifs; wood is also an important raw material. Alongside the river connections, this provides a distinct cultural focus, separate from the religious festival traditions of nearby Mazagão Velho. For anyone interested in local crafts, Casa do Artesão is a specific point of interest in Mazagão.

Mazagão Velho: Colonial History and Festival Traditions

Nearby lies Vila de Mazagão, now known as Mazagão Velho. It is the colonial city of Mazagan, which Portugal relocated from Morocco to the Amazon region between 1771 and 1775. Some historic buildings in the Vila may have been built in the second half of the 18th century. One archaeological site there is the Ruínas da Igreja Marroquina, which bears traces of the founding of Vila de Mazagão Velho. Check current access arrangements before visiting the ruins.

The Festa de São Tiago has been held in the district of Mazagão Velho since 1772. It includes religious rituals, Cavalhada and open-air theatre depicting the battle between Moors and Christians in African territories. The tradition thus combines religious and theatrical elements. The festival dates vary each year depending on the programme; check the latest dates if you’d like to plan your trip around it.

A 2022 report also mentions August festivities in honour of the city’s patron saint, Nossa Senhora da Assunção, the Festival da Laranja in August and the Festival do Abacaxi in the first week of September. If you’d like to plan your trip around one of these festivals, check the latest event dates in advance.

Nature and Getting There

The wider area of the municipality of Mazagão also offers scenic attractions: the waterfall on the Maracá River is one of the municipality’s natural attractions, while Lago do Ajuruxi is noted for its idyllic scenery. The waterfall on the Maracá River and Lago do Ajuruxi are characteristic of the municipality’s landscape, while the riverfronts form part of Mazagão’s cityscape. Mazagão is connected to Macapá by both river and road. Check routes and travel times in advance when planning your journey.

When choosing a holiday rental, it helps to distinguish between the different focuses: if you want your stay to centre mainly on Mazagão’s urban character, riverfront and crafts, focus your search on the city. If you’d also like to include the history or festival traditions of nearby Mazagão Velho, factor in a visit when planning your itinerary.

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