Le Nordeste, Brésil - Show Me The Road

The North of Brazil is full of heavenly beaches and historical places. From the Maranhão state to the Pernambouc state, these are the places we visited :

São Luis :

São Luis is actually located on an island, even if you don't realize it once there. It is the only territory of Brazil that was colonized by the French. Its historic center is a UNESCO heritage site and we quickly understand why. It is a set of small alleys with colorful houses, there are many small art galleries, shops, bars and restaurants. The central square is also very lively in the evening, ideal for drinking one or two caipirinhas. We enjoyed discovering this city, strolling in the center of the city where there is all the daytime entertainment, enjoying the galleries of the historic center and the festive atmosphere in the evening.

What are the best things to do in São Luis?

Historical center : stroll through the historic center, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Along the cobbled streets with colorful houses, there are many souvenir shops, a few galleries, bars and restaurants,

«Merchant» center : here we find the usual activity of a shopping center, markets, shops, entertainment, : only during the day – nothing going on at night,

Beach : São Luis owns few beaches, ideal to relax,

Watch the sunset : meeting point to watch the sunset

Alcantâra : village on the mainland in front of São Luis, nice walk to do in the village with some ruins and beautiful views, : 24 reals the round trip, : check the boat schedules according to the tides,

What are our good adresses in São Luis ?

Solar dos Poetas – Pousada e Cafeteria: basic room, clean but a bit small. Breakfast is included and is very good and plentiful, : 95 reals /double room,

Cafofinho da Tia Dica : we have not tried it but according to travelers we met on site, it is a very good restaurant, : 25-30 reals/person, : 11:00-23:00 – Sunday 11:00-17:00

Pousada e Restaurante Jacaré : restaurant in Alcantâra, near the arrival of the boat, different daily specials, good food, : 20-30 reals/person, : 09:30-00:00 – Sunday 10:00-21:00

Ilha Bella Bar e Restaurante : bar in the square in the historic center, plastic tables and chairs, very popular, : 09:30-00:00 – Sunday 10:00-21:00

Our tips for São Luis

Visiter le village d’Alcantâra, la balade est très agréable. Pour savoir où prendre le bateau c’est ici 👉🏼

Be careful, especially at night if you go out. There is quite a drug problem in the historic center, so as always be careful and don't have anything of very high value with you.

(by Show Me The Road)

Lençois Park :

The Lençois Park is one of the many national parks in Brazil and is undoubtedly one of the best known. It is an expanse of dunes interspersed by lagoons. There are also oases where some families originally from this park live and where you can stop for the night when hiking for several days in the park. The landscape is breathtaking, it is an experience not to be missed, we highly recommend that you do 3 days of hiking in the park. Hiking barefoot in the sand does not happen often!

What are the best things to do in the Lençois park?

Three days hiking in the park : wonderful experience, barefoot hiking in the dunes, swimming in the lagoons, discovery of the oases and their inhabitants, two nights in a hammock with the locals, : 170€/person for a group of 6 people, : 3 days,

Atins : originally Atins was a fishing village, today the village takes on the appearance of a seaside resort with its small sandy streets, its many pousadas and a few restaurants. Very relaxed atmosphere, it is also an ideal starting point for the 3-day hike in the Lençois park,

What are our good adresses for the Lençois park ?

Prana Eco Villa: pousada in Atins, spacious and comfortable room, breakfast included, : 250 reals/room for 4,

Jungle Atins : burger and pizza restaurant, very chill vibe : 19:30-23:30

Charme Beach Bar Atins : bar on the beach of Atins, with DJ set all day. Very good cocktails, prices higher than the average, : +/-30 reals the cocktail, : 11:30 – 21:30 from Sunday to Friday

Hike in the Lençois Park with the agency O Gente do Brasil : we went through Frank (from the O Gente do Brasil agency) to organize our three days in the Lençois park. He gave good advice and was very accommodating. We compared the rates of the different agencies and the rates offered by Frank are very correct, even the cheapest. : 170€/person for a group of 6 people, : 3 days/ 2 nights

Our tips for the Lençois park

Go spend at least 3 days in the Lençois park and not the simple day trips where you will see the same lagoons as all the other tourists.

Equipment to take in your bag for the 3 days of hiking in the Park: daytime clothing that dries quickly because you will regularly cross the lagoons, protection for the sun (cream, cap, long clothes) it hits hard in the dunes, a warm evening outfit it can be chilly, a pair of flip flops for the evening, socks for walking if the sand is too hot during the day, a bathing suit of course, a flashlight and your toiletries and change of clothes. We advise you not to bring sneakers or walking shoes, you will rather wear them on your back than have them on your feet. And remember to bring cash to pay for the bottles of water or other drinks that you will consume with the inhabitants of the oases of the park.

This kind of activity can be expensive especially when you are doing a very long trip on a low budget. We therefore recommend that you find other travelers with whom to do this adventure. Indeed the price per person is decreasing according to the number of people in the group.

(by Show Me The Road)

Parnaíba :

Parnaíba is the city near the Delta where the Rio de Parnaíba flows into the ocean. The historic center is small but pleasant. The main attraction of the delta are the red Ibis which return to bed in the evening. You can witness the flight of thousands of red Ibis returning to bed, it's simply wonderful.

What are the best things to do in Parnaíba ?

Visit the center of Parnaíba : small city center, not many things to do but pleasant to visit,

Flight of the red Ibis : near the Delta of Parnaíba there are thousands of red Ibis who come back every night. It is a wonderful show to observe, : 500 reals the boat for 4 people, : Arrive around 2 p.m. to have time to negotiate a boat before the departure time,

What are our good adresses in Parnaíba ?

Pousada Vila do Carmo: hotel very near the city center, correct room, good breakfast, : 170 reals/quadruple room,

Dr Camarão : restaurant at the Parnaíba river's edge, good vibe, live concert, popular,

Our tips for Parnaíba

If you can join another group of tourist it will be less expensive to go see the red Ibis.

(by Show Me The Road)

Jericoacoara :

Jericoacoara is a natural reserve in Brazil, made up of dunes. The town looks like a beach resort with its small sandy streets, beach bars, shops and restaurants. It is certainly a very touristic place but where life is good. The park and its dunes can of course be visited but as we were coming from the Lençois park we were not too interested in the dunes of Jericoacoara. We rather took advantage of the village and the beach to relax and party to celebrate my 30th birthday.

What are the best things to do in Jericoacoara ?

To relax on the beach : enjoy the beach and its "beach clubs" to chill and relax,

Walk to the "Pedra Furada" : very pleasant walk with some view points, surrounding by rocks and cactus, the walk reaches an arch rock. Be ready to wait if you want a picture because lots of people come here to take photos,

Sunset at the Port do Sol dune : very popular spot to watch the sunset,

Kite surf : good kite and surf spot, wilder beached less crowded,

Exploration of the Jericoacoara dunes : several activities are proposed to discover the park of Jericoacoara. We have no information to share as we have not done any of this. All we can say is that you can forget the "nature" discovery, it's more buggy, motorcycle or 4*4...

What are our good adresses in Jericoacoara ?

Villa Mar Residence : really nice flat with two rooms, two bathrooms, kitchen and living room, : 35€/night flat for 4-5 people,

Night market : in the main street, there are several stands where to eat, : 15 reals/person,

Serramar – Bar, Cultura e Arte : great samba or forro night, really good vibe and the caipirinhas are big and strong, : 30 reals ingress with one drink : Samba night every Wednesday

The main beach : lots of caipirinhas stands, it's usually there that everybody meet to party specially late in the night,

Our tips for Jericoacoara

Perfect place to chill and party!

(by Show Me The Road)

Itarema :

Itarema is a peninsula, and a good spot for kite surfing. On the other hand, you have to expect a little solitude if you go there in low season. We were the only tourists there, everything was closed bars, restaurants... It's probably very nice but in high season.

What are the best things to do in Itarema ?

Barra Ceara beach : large beach, a bit wild, good spot for kite and surf,

Walk around the Kite Lagoon : at low tide it is possible to pass from one side to the other of the lake and to walk around, : depends on the tides,

What are our good adresses in Itarema ?

DoMar Brasil : it is a guest house that also serves as a restaurant. Tasty dishes and you can even enjoy the pool and the beach at the same time,

Our tips for Itarema

Do not go there in low season, it's completely dead ^^ There were a lot of guesthouses closed as well as most restaurants and bars. It was therefore difficult to find food. In addition, we really did not meet many people.

(by Show Me The Road)

Canoa Quebrada :

Canoa Quebrada is an old fishing village, today known as a seaside resort south of Fortaleza. The city is pleasant with its bars, restaurants as well as the many food or craft stalls that can be found in the main street at the end of the day. Its large white sand beaches bordered by ocher cliffs make it an ideal place to relax.

What are the best things to do in Canoa Quebrada ?

Walk along the beach : nice walk on the beach along the cliffs and palm trees. We also pass in front of the symbol of Canoa Quebrada drawn in the cliffs,

Canoa Quebrada beach : enjoy the beach, swim, relax and chill, and why not try to play « foot-pong »,

Pôr do Sol dune : dune, nice view, good sunset spot, : Free,

What are our good adresses in Canoa Quebrada ?

Pousada Refugio do Manati: very nice guesthouse, comfortable room, good breakfast, swimming pool, : 25€ /double room with breakfast,

Vila Pura Vida: comfortable room, nice swimming pool, : 25€ /double room,

Freedom bar : beach bar, really good reggae parties,

Natal (Ponta Negra & Genipabu) :

Natal is a big coastal city with a lot of buildings, it's not really what attracts us. If we come here it is rather for the surroundings. We also stayed in Ponta Negra which is a seaside town close to Natal and spent a day in the small village of Genipabu.

What are the best things to do in Natal ?

Ponta Negra beach : beach with lots of bars and restaurants. Be careful at high tide there is hardly any beach left,

Genipabu : small village, with a few shops and restaurants. Quite large and beautiful beach , with restaurants, there is also a beautiful dune which offers a nice view and where you can go sandboarding, : 16 reals the way around in bus from Ponta Negra,

What are our good adresses in Natal ?

Residencial Ponta Negra Flat: small flats, basic but clean, very pleasant and helpful hosts, : 90 reals /double room,

Restaurante Bem Bolado : restaurant in Genipabu village, really good « prato », friendly welcome, : 15 reals/person,

Our tips for Natal

The beaches are not the most beautiful in the area and the city has nothing very interesting. We do not advise you to stay there very long.

(by Show Me The Road)

Pipa :

Pipa is a small seaside resort south of Natal. It is a somewhat touristy place and very famous for surfing. We loved the beaches which are simply magnificent. This is one of our favorites places, where we marveled at the beauty of the fauna and flora. The city is also ideal for relaxing and partying.

What are the best things to do in Pipa ?

Praia do Amor : nice beach with a few restaurants and beach bars. Be careful at high tide there is little sand to put your towel on,

Pipa Chapadao : point de vue sur la Praia do Amor et les environs, très beau au coucher du soleil. Lorsque vous êtes au niveau du Chapadao si vous continuer le long de la falaise vous trouverez des escaliers qui descendent sur une petite crique. Si vous voulez profiter d’une plage en toute solitude et tranquilité c’est l’idéal. Vous pourrez même peut-être, comme nous, avoir la chance d’observer des bébés tortues partir à l’eau 🐢,

Walk from Pipa's beach to Madeira's beach : very nice walk on the different beaches. Please note that this can only be done at low tide. Otherwise you have the bus option to reach Madeiro beach. Madeiro beach is also a good surf spot, you will find rental companies on the beach as well as bars and restaurants, : Free, : at low tide,

Swim with the dolphins : go spend the day at Dolphin bay, everyday the dolphins come there, you will be able to watch them and even swim at few meters from them,

Surf : Pipa is one of the very famous surf spots in Brazil, beginners and experts can enjoy the waves in Pipa, there are surf rentals on almost all the beaches,

What are our good adresses in Pipa ?

La perla hospedaria: very pleasant guesthouse, owns few bed in dormitory and flats. Comfortable flat for 4 people with kitchen and balcony, : 20€/flat,

Our tips for Pipa

Stroll on the different beaches and take the time to observe nature. You will have the pleasure of observing dolphins, perhaps baby turtles and other animals.

Watch out for the tides, there are beaches that are accessible only at low tide

Be careful on the beaches there are white pickets. Don't sit next to them, they are there to spot turtle nests. By settling or walking on these areas you will compact the sand and make it more difficult for baby turtles to come to the surface.

(by Show Me The Road)

João Pessoa :

João Pessoa is a coastal town. We were pleasantly surprised by this city which has a beautiful historic center. We were able to wander the streets, visit historic buildings and churches. There is also a beautiful promenade along the sea where everyone comes to do sport or enjoy the bars and street food stalls at the end of the day.

What are the best things to do in João Pessoa ?

Visit the historical center : João Pessoa has a beautiful historic center, where you can visit the Hotel Globo a historic monument that offers a beautiful view, many churches, stroll through the streets, the central market, enjoy the lake and the activity in the streets around, : Free,

Walk along the promenade : nice walk along the beaches. At the end of the day, everyone comes here to do sport or take a walk. There are small markets and many stalls or restaurants to eat, : Free,

Cabo Branco lighthouse : easternmost point of the continent, ocean view, : Free,

What are our good adresses in João Pessoa ?

Hotel Brisa do Mar Tambau: gogo hostel, comfortable and clean room, good breakfast, : 135 reals /double room,

Acarajé da Edna : really good place to eat tasteful Acarajé, : 15-20 reals/person, : 18:00 – 22:00

Outside foodcourt : place with several restaurants with special dishes of the area, tapiocas, pizzas, burgers, : 15-30 reals/person,

Olinda :

Neighboring the big city of Recife, Olinda has a very pretty historic center listed as a UNESCO heritage site. Strolling through the colorful streets and along the sea or wiggling on the Forro music are things to do in Olinda.

What are the best things to do in Olinda ?

Visit the historical center : Olinda has a very beautiful historic center listed as a UNESCO heritage site, stroll through the colorful alleys, visit the few galleries and markets,

Walk on the Olinda dyke: beach, walk on the dyke, observe the fishermen,

Visit the historical center of Recife : the old center of Recife seems nice to visit. However, we recommend that you be vigilant because the city has a very bad reputation in terms of security,

What are our good adresses in Olinda ?

Hostel Da 13: hostel in the historical center of Olinda, with dormitories and private rooms, room clean and comfy, really good breakfast, very pleasant small swimming pool to cool down after a sunny visit day, : 22€ /double room,

Market : small market with many stalls with various special dishes, nice view on the city, : 15-30 reals/person,

Our tips for Olinda

One day is enough to visit the historical center of Olinda

(by Show Me The Road)

Porto de Galinhas :

Porto de Galinhas is the first of a long series of beach resorts on the coast between Recife and Salvador. The sea is beautiful and calm, with pretty natural pools at low tide. On the other hand, the city is too touristy to have charmed us.

What are the best things to do in Porto de Galinhas ?

Natural swimming pools : at low tide there are plenty of small natural pools on the beach, as it is crowded you can forget to snorkel but the swimming is nice, otherwise you can take a boat to see the natural pools further out to sea, : at low tide,

Pontal de Maracaipe : very cool place to swim, this is where the river and the ocean meet, perfect place for enjoying the beach which is wild and quiet, : Free,

Praia de Maracaipe : walk along the beach to reach Maracaipe beach, the walk is nice, Maracaipe beach is a bit desert, with bigger waves,

Praia de Muro Alto: the beach is said to be very beautiful, with a sandbank that protects from the waves and allows a very quiet swim but also to snorkel,

What are our good adresses in Porto de Galinhas ?

Apartamento Praça Nove: clean and comfy flat with kitchen and balcony, in the center, near everything, : 125 reals/flat,

Residencialpinheiro: clean and comfy flat with kitchen and balcony, at 5min walk from the center, friendly host, : 125 reals/flat,

Tamandaré :

Tamandaré is a seaside resort, much less touristy than its neighbor Porto de Galinhas. The city is even a little "dead" in the evening. However, the beach is beautiful. We loved walking along the beach and especially swimming in its natural pools with translucent and turquoise waters.

What are the best things to do in Tamandaré ?

Tamandaré beach : very beautiful beach, the water is turquoise and transparent, a real pleasure to swim there,

Praia dos carneiros : nice walk along the beach to reach Carneiros beach from the center of Tamandaré,

Natural pool : at low tide, you can swim/walk to a rock barrier, this creates a large natural pool where you can swim and snorkel, : Free, : at low tide,

What are our good adresses in Tamandaré ?

Pousada Mar Azul: correct hotel, very basic but clean room, helpful and pleasant staff, : 120 reals /double room,

Our tips for Tamandaré

We really loved our swims on Tamandaré beach. We recommend this beach and its neighbors.

(by Show Me The Road)

Maragogi :

Maragogi is a booming seaside resort, there are many infrastructures (guesthouses, roads) under construction. The beaches are pretty but we were much less charmed than those of Tamandaré for example.

What are the best things to do in Maragogi ?

Maragogi beach : large beach, family quiet, with some bars and restaurants,

Maragogi view point : point of view which offers a beautiful panorama, you have to go through a guesthouse and therefore pay an entrance fee, : 5 reals/person, : 08:00 – 17:00,

Snorkeling : this is one of the activities offered in Maragogi, we were disappointed because the coral reef is not at all protected or well preserved, so there are few fish and corals but a lot of people. We just participated in mass tourism, disrespectful of the environment and we aren't very proud of it, of course we do not recommend this activity : 150 reals for two,

What are our good adresses in Maragogi ?

Marville Flats: flat with kitchen, clean and comfy, hosts really friendly, : 80 reals/flat,

Our tips for Maragogi

We do not recommend you to do snorkeling in the coral reef. It is only mass tourism that contributes to the destruction of a threatened environment.

(by Show Me The Road)

Japaratinga :

Japaratinga is the last of the seaside resorts that we visit in the North of Brazil. It is a small village, quiet and friendly. A perfect place to relax while enjoying beautiful wild beaches. During our visit the weather was not always very good but we were able to take beautiful walks along the beach and have fun in the coconut trees with their particular shapes.

What are the best things to do in Japaratinga ?

Japaratinga beach : nice beach to relax, swim or do some sport,

Walk to the Boqueirao beach : very nice walk along the beach, bordered by many coconut trees, some of which have very particular shapes,

Monte Tabor view point : point of view which apparently offers a beautiful panorama, : 5 reals/person,

What are our good adresses in Tamandaré ?

Flat japaratinga beach: nice and clean apartment, be careful there are only fans so it can be hot, very close to the beach, : 150 reals/flat,

Our tips for Japaratinga

If you need calm and tranquility and you like natural beaches then this is the right place.

(by Show Me The Road)

Others places in North of Brazil :

There are many other places we didn't have time to explore, but we would love to do it next time :

Serra da Capivara : natural reserve	Parque estadual do Jalapão : natural reserve
Fernando de Noronha : island

The North of Brazil

São Luis :

Lençois Park :

Parnaíba :

Jericoacoara :

Itarema :

Canoa Quebrada :

Natal (Ponta Negra & Genipabu) :

Pipa :

João Pessoa :

Olinda :

Porto de Galinhas :

Tamandaré :

Maragogi :

Japaratinga :

Others places in North of Brazil :

The Amazon

Bahia

Minas Gerais

The South of Brazil

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