Maps of the Amazon
Obtaining decent (intelligible/up-to-date)
maps of Manaus city remains almost impossible, and maps
of the surrounding region are limited to the military maps produced
over 20
years ago. These are expensive, awkward to obtain and are in any case
ink-jet prints of images of the original maps (and they therefore cannot be used
anywhere near water, of which there is a fair amount in the rainforest).
For those particularly interested in maps, see the
section below on
these maps and how to obtain them. So over the years we´ve had cause to
design our own maps for a range of specific purposes, and we reproduce them here.
Some you can copy and use freely (and we state this clearly), and
print-quality Rio Negro river maps are available from our
orders page
for a small fee.
1. Amazon river "tube" map
(free - click to view/download a print-quality PDF version)
This map was originally developed for a visitor who found himself
exasperated at the lack of information on how to get around the
region by boat. in his particular case he wanted to go to
Itapiranga, but couldn´t tell which boats would call there, nor
even whether the boat destinations he found were before or after
Itapiranga.
Obviously the map is not to scale - it merely intended to show the
relationship between Manaus and the principal towns of the region.
2. Map of Manaus city centre
(free - click to view/download a print-quality PDF version)
Everything you need to get around the "golden square kilometre" of the
city centre is here.
The map is to scale and shows the main points of
interest and principal roads.
Simple and straightforward, and used
already by hundreds of visitors.
3. Map of Amazon Jungle Lodges
(free - click to view/download a print-quality PDF version)
Since
we discovered one lodge advertising its distance from Manaus based on
the actual routing of the car/van/boat etc., we decided it would be
useful to plot the locations of the lodges we know so that the
straight-line distance is easy to see. This is perhaps a better
indication of the remoteness or otherwise of the lodge (although this is
not necessarily an indication of how remote the lodge will feel). At
least it´s honest!
Note: To better appreciate the distances involved, you should be aware
that access to most lodges is via a combination of road and river, so
that your average groundspeed is likely to be around 20-30kph.
4. Leisure maps of the Rio Negro, the largest tributary of the
Amazon River
(not free - click to view larger PDF image)
These
maps were primarily developed for local pleasure craft skippers, and
show the locations of various features on the river (floating
restaurants, beaches, floating fuel stations, local dangers etc), based
on Google Earth
™ images and updated by GPS
in 2010.
We
offer two map sets - set 1, which is the Rio Tarumã plus the Rio Negro
from the Tarumã upstream to the Anavilhanas reserve; and set 2, which is
the lower Rio Negro plus Lago Janauari. Click on the image to preview
these.
We originally published these for free, until we found someone selling
them locally(!) We now offer a printable PDF version of each map for a
small charge of
GBP2.99 (around US$4.50/€3.60 at the time of writing) - sorry, but they took
a long time to develop and we need to cover our costs somehow.
The downloadable maps can be ordered from our
orders page and paid via
Paypal.
5. Map of the state of Amazonas
(free - click to view/download a
print-quality PDF version)
A
basic map of the State of Amazonas, which shares international
borders with Peru, Columbia and Venezuela, as well as the Brazilian
states of Roraima, Pará, Mato Grosso, Rondônia and Acre.
The state of Amazonas is the largest in Brazil, with nearly 1.6m km2 of
territory - larger than Alaska, and larger than several relatively tiny European
countries like Germany or France
Printed maps of the Amazon - a note
Born of the mistrust bordering on paranoia of earlier military regimes
in Brazil, authorities have never been particularly eager to give out
sensitive information on the region (like, for example, where it is);
and anyway demand for maps and information was for a long time supressed
by historically low levels of literacy in the region. Of course this is
all changing now, and Google Earth has in a real sense opened the Amazon
up to anyone with a PC, a modem and a printer. It is interesting to
consider, before you scoff at the relative
dearth of maps and info
b.g. (Before Google), that there are
some highly regarded political and economic models out there which
predict a future where blood will be shed over fresh water. So - "just
because you´re paranoid, it doesn´t mean they´re not all out to get
you."
But we digress.
The only practical printed travel maps you will find of the Brazilian
Amazon (please - if anyone discovers differently, let us know!) are the
1:100,000 military-series maps originally produced in the 1970´s. We are
aware that it is planned to update these and release an updated set in
the future, but so far this has not come to pass (or if it has, they´re
being kept quiet). In these maps, the State of Amazonas is mapped
on a grid which extends from 4 degrees South to 10 degrees South and
from 75 degrees West to 54 degrees West. The easiest way to see how they
are developed is via the
EMBRAPA site. By clicking on the satellite image of the state, you
will be able to drill down to the lowest level compatible with the
original maps, and you will see the map references displayed at the top
of the screen in the form "Carta: SA-20-Z-D-III-2" for example. Although
you can drill down to a 1:50,000 equivalent, there are very few of these
maps still in existence, but many of the 1:100,000 series maps can be purchased from
the military base near the water pumping station at Ponta do Ismael on the Estrada do
Bombeamento, district of Compensa. The entrance is at 3°
6.916S 60° 3.440W and you will be able to specify the grid reference of
the map (folha) that you require and have it printed out (on an inkjet!)
in (very variable) quality. But first you will have to get a bank
payment form and go to a bank and pay the fee, then wait 24 hours and
come back.
For all practical purposes you are likely to find good quality
print-outs from Google Earth sufficient for the main areas, however off
the beaten track you´ll find the definition too poor to be of that much
use. On the other hand, bear in mind that the majority of the printed maps you
can purchase were developed in the mid 1970´s, and the most recent
updates we know of were in 1987 - so at best they are nearly a quarter
of a century out-of-date.
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