Sand,
Surf,
and Sun

Founded in 1585, the coastal city of João Pessoa is the capital of Paraíba. It lies 120 km north of Recife, 688 km south of Fortaleza, and 185 km south of Natal. While the city center lacks flavor, Tambaú beach, seven km east, is a pleasant place to hang out for a few days.

The city is named after João Pessoa, the governor of Paraíba who formed an alliance with Getúlio Vargas to run for the presidency of Brazil in 1929. In response to advances from other political parties attempting to gain his support, João Pessoa uttered a pithy `nego'(I refuse), which is now given prominence in all Brazilian history books, and is emblazoned in bold letters on the state flag of Paraíba.

João Pessoa's aspirations to the vice presidency were short-lived: in July 1930 he was assassinated by João Dantas, an event which sparked a revolutionary backlash that eventually swept Getúlio Vargas to power (with considerable help from the military) in October 1930.

Orientation

The rodoviária is on the western edge of the city. The main hotel and shopping district, known as Praça, is further east; and close by is Parque Solon de Lucena, a large lake circled by trees, which locals simply call Lagoa. There are numerous bus stops here which are convenient for local transport for example, to travel to the beach district of Tambaú or further up the coast to Cabo Branco.

Information

Tourist Offices PBTUR (226-7078), at Avenida Almirante Tamandaré 100, in Tambaú, provides maps and leaflet. It's inside the Centro Turístico, diagonally opposite Tropical Hotel Tambaú. There are also tourist information stands at the rodoviária (which only opens irregularly and at the airport.

Money

Banco do Brasil is on Praça João Pessoa—a couple of doors down from Hotel Aurora. It's open from 10 am to 4 pm Monday to Friday. In Tambaú, the branch in the Centro Turístico is open the same hours.

Post & Telephone

The main post office in the center of town is on Avenida Guedes Pereira. The main office of TELPA, the state telephone company, is at Rua Visconde de Pelotas 259.

Dangers & Annoyances

João Pessoa has an odd variety of `noisemobiles,' vehicles converted to carry as many loudspeakers as possible. They cruise the streets deafening everyone with advertisements for underwear at amazing prices or airing political grievances.

Igreja São Francisco

The principal tourist attraction is the Igreja São Francisco, considered to be one of Brazil's finest churches. Construction was interrupted by successive battles with the Dutch and French, resulting in a beautiful but architecturally confused complex built over three centuries. The façade, church towers and monastery (of Santo Antônio) display a hotchpotch of styles. Portuguese tiled walls lead up to the church's carved jacaranda wood doors. The church is open Tuesday to Saturday from 8 to 11 am and 2 to 5 pm and on Sunday from 2 to 5 pm.

Museu Fotográfico Walfredo Rodrigues

The Walfredo Rodrigues Photography Museum in the old Casa da Pólvora (Powder House), on Ladeira de São Francisco, has an interesting collection of pictures of the old city. It's open daily from 7 am to noon and 1 to 5.30 pm.

Beaches

Aside from the rusty remains of battles against the French and Dutch, the beaches are clean. Praia de Tambaú, seven km directly east of the center, is rather built up, but nice. There are bars, restaurants, coconut palms and fig trees along Avenida João Maurício (north) and Avenida Almirante Tamandaré (south).

South of Tambaú is Praia Cabo Branco. From here it's a glorious 15-km walk along Praia da Penha—a beautiful stretch of sand, surf, palm groves and creeks—to Ponta de Seixas, the easternmost tip of South America. Clear water and coral make it a good spot for diving.

Immediately north of Tambaú, there are good urban beaches: Manaira, Praia do Bessa I, Praia do Bessa II, Praia do Macaco (a surf beach) and Praia do Poço.

Twenty km north of Tambaú are the Forte Santa Catarina, Costinha and Camboinha beaches.

In the past, Costinha was a center for whale hunting, but this bloody practice should have ceased by now.

Praia Cabedelo has a couple of pousadas, restaurants and bars. Boats to Ilha de Areia Vermelha, an island of red sand, which emerges from the Atlantic at low tide, also leave from here. In summer, dozens of boats park around the island and the party lasts until the tide comes in.

Boat Trips

Navegar Turismo (246-2191) operates excursions on a motor schooner to Areia Vermelha and Praia de Santa Catarina, and various sunset-moonlight cruises. The trips last between three and four hours.

Places to Stay—bottom end

João Pessoa's main attraction is Tambaú beach, and that's where many of the hotels are, although there are modest hotels in the center as well. When inquiring about room prices, it's worth being persistent: some hotels will instantly claim that all the cheaper rooms are occupied.

City Center

The Hotel Aurora (241-3238) at Praça João Pessoa 51, has adequate quartos at $6.50/10 for singles/doubles. Avoid the rooms overlooking the streets, which can be noisy.

The Hotel Franklin (222-3001), at Rua Rodrigues de Aquino 293, is a basic, family-run place with quartos at $6.50/11 for singles/doubles.

The Hotel Guarany (241-2308), at Rua Marechal Almeida Barreto 181, is clean, but some rooms with fan have a gaping hole where the air-con has been removed, and a similar void in the wall above the door. Apartamentos with fan start at around $14/21 for singles/doubles.

The Hotel Kennedy (221-4924), at Rua Rodrigues de Aquino 17, has apartamentos with air-con at $14/17.50 for singles/ doubles, with a sumptuous breakfast included; with fan and no breakfast, the price drops to $6/9.

Tambaú

The friendly hostel Albergue da Juventude Tambaú ( 226-5460) is at Rua Bezerra Reis 82. There's another hostel just south of Tambaú, at Cabo Branco: Albergue da Juventude Cabo Branco (226-3628), at Avenida Padre José Trigueiro 104.

The best deal in Tambaú is the Hotel Pousada Mar Azul (226-2660), at Avenida João Maurício 315. Huge apartamentos with a kitchen and refrigerator cost $18, single or double. Breakfast is not included.

The Hotel Gameleira (226-1576), at Avenida João Maurício 157, has quartos (without fan) at $14.50/15.50 for singles/ doubles, and standard (with fan) apartamentos at $15.50/20 for singles/doubles. If you want to upgrade, luxury rooms and suites are also available.

Praia de Seixas

If you fancy camping at the easternmost tip of Brazil, there's a campground, Camping-PB-01 run by Camping Clube do Brasil at Praia de Seixas, which is about 16 km from the center of João Pessoa.

Places to Stay—middle

City Center

The Paraíba Palace Hotel (221-3107), at Praça Vidal de Negreiros, s/n (no number), is quite an impressive colonial palace which includes a swimming pool and a restaurant. Although it is certainly a top-end hotel, its prices are currently a bargain in the middle range. The standard apartamentos start at $35/45 for singles/doubles, and the luxury rooms cost $50/60.

The Hotel Lagoa Park (241-1414), next to the Lagoa, at Parque Solon de Lucena 19, is a modern hotel with well-appointed rooms at $32/42.50 for singles/doubles.

Tambaú

The Hotel dos Navegantes (226-4018) at Avenida Nossa Senhora dos Navegantes 602, has apartamentos at $40/44 for singles/doubles. It's close to the beach and has a swimming pool.

Places to Stay—top end

The five-star Tropical Hotel Tambaú (226-3660), at Avenida Almirante Tamandaré 229, on Praia de Tambaú, is the city's entry into the world of modern architecture. From a distance this immense edifice (part of the Varig hotel group) bears a close resemblance to a rocket launching pad. The hotel has standard singles/doubles for $97/112, and luxury singles/doubles for $136/156.

Places to Eat

City Center

Cassino da Lagoa has an open patio and a fine position beside the Lagoa. Seafood and chicken dishes are recommended. La Veritta, at Rua Desembargador Souto Maior 331, does good Italian food. Tempero da Mãe, at Rua Marechal Almeida Barreto 326, is a good bet for tasty regional dishes. Sorveteria Tropical is close to Hotel Guarany and serves ice cream in exotic flavors. Vegetarians can head for O Natural, at Rua Rodrigues de Aquino 177, but it serves lunch only.

On the 3rd floor of the Paraíba Palace Hotel is an excellent restaurant with an international menu. Prices here are high, but you can also simply order a beer with an appetizer or snack and enjoy the view of the weird moat and city life from the terrace.

Tambaú

Rua Coração, a block back from the beachfront, near the Tropical Hotel Tambaú, is a compact restaurant strip with a variety of styles. Adega do Alfredo, at Rua Coração de Jesus 22, specializes in Portuguese dishes, but it's a bit of a tourist trap. Nova China, at Rua Coração de Jesus 100, is an inexpensive option for Chinese food. For seafood, there's Meio Ambiente, a cool bar and restaurant at Rua Coração de Jesus 144, or Peixada do Duda, at Rua Coração de Jesus 147. The ensopado de caranguejo (crab stew) here is superb.

Rosbife, opposite the Tropical Hotel Tambaú on the corner of Avenida Olinda, is a good lunch spot with cold meats, salads and hot food priced by the kilo.

Entertainment

Nightlife in Tambaú centers around the beachfront along Rua João Maurício and Avenida Olinda, which runs off the beachfront near the Hotel Tambaú.

Bahamas, on Rua João Maurício next to the pier, is a popular meeting place and has live music on the weekend. For forró and lambada dancing in Tambaú, there's Opera Light, at Rua João Maurício 33, and Casa Blanca, at Praça Santo Antônio 22. Along Avenida Olinda, Colt, Estação and Forró Jazz are hip bars; there's usually some live music on weekends. On the corner of Avenida Almirante and Avenida Olinda, there's a small outdoor bar which caters for João Pessoa's alternative crowd—grunge types, surf rats, metal heads and punks all thrown together in the one place!

Things to Buy

Avenida Rui Carneiro, on Praia de Tambaú, has ceramic, wicker, straw and leather goods for sale. On weekends, craft stalls set up in front of Tropical Hotel Tambaú. In the city center, Casa do Artesão Paraibano, at Rua Maciel Pinheiro 670, also has craftwork for sale.

Getting There & Away

Air

Aeroporto Presidente Castro Pinto (229-3200) is 11 km from the city center. Flights operate to Rio, São Paulo and the major cities of the Northeast and the North.

Bus

The rodoviária (221-9611) is on Avenida Francisco Londres. There are frequent buses to Recife ($3, two hours), Natal ($4.50, 2 1/2 hours) and Fortaleza ($16, 10 hours). There are five daily departures running direct to Souza ($12.50, seven hours).

Getting Around

Bus

Local buses can be boarded at the rodoviária; at the bus stop next to the main post office; and at the bus stops next to the Lagoa. Bus No 510 runs frequently to Tambaú ($0.30, 25 minutes). Bus No 507 runs to Cabo Branco.

Taxi

Taxistas on short hauls may try to charge tariff 2 (generally applicable at nights and on Sunday) instead of tariff 1, which applies during the daytime. Take a careful look at the price table, and work out your position on the map and point out obvious `detours'.

A taxi to the airport costs around $18 from the rodoviária to the center costs around $2. To telephone a taxi call Teletaxi (221-3187).

SOUTH OF JOÃO PESSOA

Jacumã & Praia do Sol

Thirty-five km south of João Pessoa, Praia Jacumã is a long, thin strip of beach featuring colored sand bars, natural pools, mineral water springs and barracas.

The town's pousada, the Valhall, perched on a hill overlooking the ocean, is run by a group of young Swedes led by Leif, who has traveled widely in Brazil. Comfortable apartamentos cost $15/18, with a huge Swedish/Brazilian breakfast included. In summer, there's live music in the attached bar/restaurant.

Halfway between Jacumã and João Pessoa is Praia do Sol, which is similar to Jacumã and an equally good place to relax—swaying in a hammock and sipping coconut milk in the shade.

The Buraquinho Forest Reserve, operated by IBAMA, is 10 km before João Pessoa on BR-230.

Getting There & Away

There are direct buses to Jacumã from the rodoviária in João Pessoa. Travelling north from Pernambuco state on BR-101, ask to be dropped off at the Conde/Jacumã turn-off, and take a local bus from there to Jacumã.

Tambaba

About 10 km south of Jacumã is Praia de Tambaba, the only official nudist beach in the Northeast. The beach, rated by Brazilians as among the top 10 in Brazil, is divided into two parts: one section is reserved exclusively for nudists, and the other is open to clothed bathers. To prevent problems, the nude section has public relations officers who explain the rules to bathers. There are two barracas along the beach. When the beach is crowded, men are not allowed in the nude section unless accompanied by a woman.

The Associação dos Amigos da Praia de Tambaba (Association of Friends of Tambaba) (290-1037, evenings only) can provide more information.

To Tambaba, Pousada Valhall may be able to arrange transport; otherwise it's a 1 ½ hour walk along the beach from Jacumã.

Pitimbu

Praia Pitimbu, 75 km south of João Pessoa, has a long, broad beach, a coconut grove, some thatched-roof houses, and a couple of bars frequented by sugar-cane farmers, fisherfolk and jangada sailmakers. There are no hotels, but if you look friendly and bring a hammock, someone will put you up for a nominal fee.

Travelling north on BR-101 from Pernambuco state into Paraíba state, there's a turn-off just after the border, which leads 35 km down a rough road to Praia Pitimbu.

BAÍA DA TRAIÇÃO

Despite its peaceful, reef-sheltered waters, Coconut palms and gentle breezes, Baía da Traição has a bloody past. Here in 1501, the first Portuguese exploratory expedition was slaughtered by the Tabajara Indians. In 1625 the Portuguese had it out with the Dutch, claimed victory and left some rusty cannons and the ruins of a fortress in their wake.

This fishing village, 85 km north of João Pessoa, has no regular lodging, but the beach is better than the one at Barra do Cunhaú, which is further north along the coast, in the state of Rio Grande do Norte.

Getting There & Away

There's a partially paved turn-off to the beach on BR-101 at Mamanguape. The Rio Tinto bus company operates buses twice daily, at 5.30 am and 3 pm, from João Pessoa's rodoviária ($2.50, two hours).

SOUSA

Sousa, 420 km west of João Pessoa, is known for an offbeat tourist attraction: dinosaur tracks. The tracks were discovered in 1920 by a geologist who was researching drought—a major preoccupation in the sertão. Later discoveries of tracks at over 13 different sites along the Rio do Peixe showed that the whole region had once been a Vale dos Dinossauros (Valley of Dinosaurs). There are at least three sites in the proximity of Sousa. The best is four km from town, at Passagem das Pedras da Fazenda Ilha, on the banks of the Rio do Peixe, where at least 50 prints have been left by dinosaurs which, judging by the depth and size of the imprints, weighed between three and four tons.

This site is subject to flooding during the rainy season and is best visited with a guide. Transport options are limited to either hiring a taxi at the rodoviária or asking the staff at the Hotel Gadelha Palace to arrange transport and a guide.

Travelers interested in handicrafts should make a side trip to the town of Aparecida, 14 km east of Sousa, which is famed as a center for the production of superb hammocks, textiles, and goods made from leather and straw.

Places to Stay & Eat

The Hotel Gadelha Palace (521-1416), at Rua Presidente João Pessoa 2, has apartamentos for around $18/22 for singles/doubles. There's a restaurant in the hotel, or if you hanker for pizza, try Diagonal, at Rua Getúlio Vargas 2.

Getting There & Away

There are six bus departures daily which run via Patos and Campina Grande to João Pessoa ($12.50, seven hours). Buses also depart four times daily to Juazeiro do Norte.

Excerpts from Brazil - A Travel Survival Kit, 3rd edition, by Andrew Draffen, Chris McAsey, Leonardo Pinheiro,  and Robyn Jones. For more information call Lonely Planet: (800) 275-8555. Copyright 1996 Lonely Planet Publications. Used by permission.

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