João Pessoa – The sea is blue, bordering on green, and fills the eyes. There are handicraft fairs, with thousands of colourful dresses and accessories, to fill your bags with. There is good food, mainly fish and shrimp, to satisfy your appetite, and also much history to hear and repeat. That is tourism in João Pessoa, one of the many beautiful capitals of Northeastern Brazil, where the pointers of the clock seem to move slowly and happily.
The centre of the city is lively. The small trade hub is bustling: forró music plays from the stalls of pedlars and supermarkets have lines at the tills. People enter and leave offices, in medium-sized buildings, alongside historic constructions that are visited by tourists in sandals, showing that to those who live there, life moves fast. But it is in the surrounding areas that abundant leisure and peace live.
The blue of the coast is the most appealing colour of João Pessoa. There blue sea is two steps away from the beach-front hotels on Bessa, Manaíra and Tambaú beaches. But it is further away that the great landscapes of João Pessoa may be seen. Cabo Branco beach is on the outskirts of the urban area, heading south, and, apart from the exuberant natural scenery, it also has good restaurants, houses and hotels. There, after a swim in the sea, you can eat large shrimp and curds with honey.
Heading further south, the landscape is expanded even further. It grows because the road takes you up a hill, from which you can see the entire coast of the city. There you may visit Cabo Branco Lighthouse, with its belvedere for tourists. The site has little structure, with souvenir sales, but there is not much to do apart from appreciating the clean waves and calm tides far down, with boats in the distance, far away, in the deep sea.
Further south, the landscape of beaches is more exotic and quiet. In the list of beautiful beaches are Seixas, Penha and Jacarapé. But for those who like the hustle and bustle, the suggestion is making a u-turn and heading to the North of João Pessoa. In the middle of the route you will find Tambaú, a beach with a handicraft fair that goes by the same name. It is almost on the sand, across the street from the beach. There, dozens of pedlars sell cotton clothes, with sayings about João Pessoa and the state of Paraíba, handcrafted bags, costume jewellery, lace products, leather shoes and caps, among others.
After stuffing your bags, at the handicraft fair it is possible to eat well, and cheap, at the food court. All you need is appreciation for tapioca, baião de dois (a mixture of rice, beans and jerky) as well as a liking for being surrounded by people. You also need a little patience as service takes a while. But there are also restaurants nearby, a little more expensive, with delicious fish dishes, much less crowded. Many tourists stay at Tambaú as it offers all kinds of services.
When visiting João Pessoa it is also essential to visit the historic centre. You can also do much for free there, viewing its many churches. São Francisco church, with its 18th century Baroque architecture and art and an aged aspect on the outside, offers an interior full of precious artefacts like Portuguese tiles and gilded wood. Also in the surrounding areas is Nossa Senhora das Neves Church, which has lived many reconstruction since it was originally built, in 1586, and São Frei Pedro Gonçalves church, in neoclassic style, from 1843. The joy of the centre is completed by streets and a square surrounded by ancient and colourful houses.
João Pessoa also offers other options like Tambaba nudist beach, boat trips to natural coral pools off the coast in Picãozinho, some two kilometres off the coast, an ample botanical garden named Benjamin Maranhão and buggy rides, among others. For those extending their trip and going a little further, the distance from João Pessoa to Recife (in Pernambuco) is 120 kilometres. To Natal, in Rio Grande do Norte, the distance is 185 kilometres. It is also not distant, just 123 kilometres away, from Campina Grande, a busy economic hub in the state where, in the middle of the year, there is a famous party in honour of St. John.
*Translated by Mark Ament
