The many seas of Pernambuco
Pernambuco is a place of many seas. It offers options for all tastes. From busy to deserted beaches, there is no lack of spots where one can find warm waters, natural pools and coconut trees. Furthermore, the sun shines here all year round. Taken together, the North and South coasts represent 180 kilometers of beaches, with an average temperature of 260 degrees Celsius.
What a beautiful coastline!
With its many beaches, the South coast attracts visitors for a variety of reasons, starting with Boa Viagem beach, in Recife. Boa Viagem offers tourists and Pernambuco residents alike several options for leisure. The beach is known internationally, for its unequalled beauty where summer lasts all year long, with its natural warm water pools, fine white sand, coconut trees and small fishing boats (jangadas). Besides the options on the beach itself, there is the comfort and facilities of the area of the same name, ensuring excellent and modern urban infrastructure. The five-star hotels of Boa Viagem are also noteworthy, as well as high-quality inns that serve national and international tourists.
In the evening, tourists can enjoy the nightlife of Boa Viagem, in the innumerable bars, restaurants and nightclubs, as well as the traditional market, open every Sunday in Boa Viagem Square. Further down one can visit the beaches of Piedade, Candeias and Barra de Jangada, all in the municipality of Jaboatão das Guararapes. Here one can sip a cold beer on the beach, or some coconut water in the bars and restaurants on the seaside. At Piedade, the Church of Our Lady of Piedade (Piety) is right on the beach, a landmark of the town.
There are bars at Candeias where one can rent hangliders and glide over all three beaches. The environment at Barra de Jangada is quiet and less visited than the others due its being on an estuary. It is a semi-desert area, and a haven for surfers. Road access is via highway PE-60. Another favorite beach of surfers is Itapuama, 1.5 kilometers long, with coconut trees, shrubbery and stretches with barriers. Gaibu beach is also in the municipality of Cabo, and a stop on the surfers´ itinerary. It was a hangout for hippies from all over Brazil in the early 1970s. Even today, the paradisiacal climate of freedom remains. The warm and crystal clear waters of Gaibu irresistibly invite one to dive in.
About three-and-a-half kilometers on foot from Gaibu, gazing at the beauty and feeling the sea breeze, you arrive at the wondrous, enchanting and beautiful beach of Calhetas. It is formed by an almost deserted one kilometer long inlet. The calm waters of the Calhetas sea are greenish blue and have an average temperature of 280 degrees Celsius, and are clear down to over one meter deep. The exuberant landscape of the beach is highlighted by the presence of rock formations starting on land reaching out towards the sea, with small bushes, fishermen’s huts and a few bars, where visitors can savor (to the sound of reggae) a bit of fried fish and other seafood-based dishes, accompanied by a cold beer, or batida, a cocktail made from tropical fruits from the region. Calhetas is a refuge for people seeking an alternative society. Serrambi has perfect waves for radical surfing. The beach is five kilometers long and, at the water’s edge, has a sand bank 15 meters wide. On the way to Serrambi it would be interesting to visit the Church of Our Lady of the Conception of Outeiro and the Outeiro Lookout Point. You can also take tours out to the neighboring islands, such as Santo Aleixo.
The Porto de Galinhas Beach, the most important tourist attraction of the South Coast, is perfect for surfing at high tide, and for taking a boat, jangada or even a dune buggy ride at low tide. Porto has very efficient tourist infrastructure. The itinerary can be even further enriched by visits to the ruins of old convents and historical fortresses. The beauty continues as you go to Tamandaré beach, in the municipality of Rio Formoso, some 101 kilometers from Recife. The district has seven beaches. But before going to the beaches, one should stop at the enchanting Saltinho Ecological Reserve. The Reserve is protected by Ibama, which stipulates norms regarding visits in order to not disturb the ecosystem’s equilibrium.
Tamandaré is tranquility itself, a perfect place to rest. The São José church is right on the ocean, as are several restaurants that serve wonderful fried fish and other seafood dishes. The landscape is made up of a small coconut grove and some summer residences. There are nice inns there too. The waters are great for a pleasant boat ride.
All of these beaches are just part of the enchantment, beauty and magic of Pernambuco´s South Coast. A scene from paradise.
If you found this page useful and interesting you may also like to read about the State of Pernambuco, north-east Brazil.
