Come for the beaches, stay for the parties - Pipa Beach
Pipa beach (Praia da Pipa) is one of Brazil's most famous beaches. The beaches are beautiful, the restaurants are great and the nightlife is hot. Many foreigners come to visit and decide to stay. Do not miss Praia do Amor for surfing and good vibes and Baía dos Golfinhos for dolphin sightings. If you are looking to get LIT then check out the boat tours on the Lagoa de Guaraíras. Pipa Beach is closest to Natal, the capital of Rio Grande de Norte.
Pipa Beach has an average temperature of 28-31 C (82-87 F). The rainy season is February - August with April experiencing the most rain. The best time to visit for dry and hot temperatures is November, but we enjoyed our time there in April even with a little rain!
Beaches of Pipa
Praia de Sibaúma is 20 minutes south of downtown Pipa Beach. It is popular for families because the reefs form natural pools with calm water. The river meets the sea here, so if you do not arrive at low tide then you may have to swim across the river opening. Barracas and restaurants serve food/drinks and rent umbrellas/chairs. There are many vendors that walk the beach selling different items.
Praia das Minas is 10 minutes south of downtown Pipa Beach. This long stretch of white sand beach is surrounded by beautiful red cliffs (falésias). If you decide to visit this beach you will most likely have the place to yourself. Sometimes you will find surfers or kite boarders here when the tide and winds are right. It gets hot here and there are no beach vendors so bring water and an umbrella if you plan to stay for the day.
Chapadão Falésia da Praia de Pipa separates Praia das Minas and Praia do Amor. This is a popular lookout point and the view does not disappoint. Close by you can find Amô Restaurante e Tapiocaria. This restaurant has beach access to Praia do Amor. More information on this restaurant in the "Where to Eat" section down below.
Praia do Amor is home to the good vibes of Pipa Beach. This is the beach for volleyball, foot volley (futevolei), surfing or other action sports. There are many rocks close to the shore - at high tide they are hidden under water, so be careful walking into the ocean.
Many young people hang out here from sunrise to sunset and late into the night. Barracas serve food/drinks and rent umbrellas/chairs. Enjoy a beach day here full of relaxing, hippie vibes.
You can walk through the town (from the center at Rua Albacora) to get here in 25 minutes. There is a parking lot where you can find the entrance that leads you down steps to the bottom of the cliffs and onto the beach. Be prepared for many stairs.
Praia da Pipa is best at low tide. At high tide there is no sand and the water rises right up to the bars and restaurants. You can watch the sunset from the Mirante Sunset Bar.
Praia Baía dos Golfinhos is known for dolphin sightings and many sea turtles live here too. This is a long stretch of white sand with red cliffs. You can rent kayaks here, just be respectful of the wildlife.
Praia de Madeiro is another dolphin watching spot! There are not many coral reefs here so that means the ocean can have strong waves - be cautious when swimming. There are kayak and surfboard rentals at this beach, but this is a preserved area so please respect the rules!
Dunas de Cacimbinhas are the largest dunes in the region. Many people practice sand boarding here because the incline is very steep. There are two options - standing up or sitting down - and both get you very sandy. Standing up is more difficult than sitting down, but both are tons of fun. They have boards that fit two people sitting down. You can go once or multiple times if you enjoy it.
It is possible to climb the dune for sunset, but it is quite a big climb. Make sure to bring water! Also, if there is a lot of wind the sand can be painful.
Praia das Cacimbinhas is below the dunes. The beach has beautiful red cliffs that drop down into the ocean and the shore is basically deserted. Many people stop at the top of the cliffs to take pictures of the beach and viewpoint.
Praia do Giz is a good place for a swim with views of the ocean and the lagoon. There are many quiosques (beach restaurants) where you can find good food for a good price. This is a popular spot for families and a great place to watch the sunset.
Pro tip: Be careful of the rocks.
Lagoa de Guaraíras is 8 km north of Pipa's downtown and it is popular to visit by boat tour. Catamarans provide all-inclusive food and drink day trips. They spend the day exploring the Lagoa de Guaraíras and dock at the sandbar for lunch.
If you are looking to get lit on a boat - this is the trip for you. They play music all day long and the crew knows how to party.
There are many restaurants along the Lagoa de Guaraíras. where you can watch the sun set behind the lake and the sand dunes. I highly recommend this area for sunset.
Downtown Pipa
Rua do Céu and Rua da Mata are some of the popular becos (alleyways) in downtown Pipa beach. You can find hostels, pousadas, restaurants, bars and little shops hidden in these alleyways. It's worth a walk through to see what you can find!
There is nightlife all over Pipa Beach. Here are a few of my favorite spots...
Mirante Sunset Bar, BarGunca de Vicetne, Ginkas Bar, Dudo Bar, Pipa Beach Club
The Best Day Tours in Pipa
Pipa Aventura - Camaro 4x4 Jeep Tour
The company has been in business 7+ years and the driver was awesome.
1st - Chapadão view point
2nd - drive south on top of the coastal cliffs to Praia das Minas
3rd - drive further south to Praia de Sibaúma. Park the Jeep and walk across the river (at low tide it was ankle deep).
4th - Amô Restaurante e Tapiocaria
5th - sand boarding! Expect to get sandy
6th - Creperia Por do Sol at Lagoa Guaraíras
2. Barco Solemio at Lagoa Guaraíras
This is a catamaran tour of the Lagoa Guaraíras. It starts at 11:30 AM and the tour includes snacks, lunch and drinks. Lunch is served on the boat while docked at the sand bank in the center of the lagoon.
3. Quadriciclo/ATV Adventure
There are many options for the ATV adventure. You can choose to go to the many beaches of Pipa by ATV (instead of Jeep). The other option is to pair a half day of ATV with a quick boat tour at the lagoon. A third option is to take the ATV to the sand dunes and explore the dunes - tons of fun and adrenaline!
4. Surfing at Praia do Amor
There are many places to rent surfboards at Praia do Amor. Make sure to ask the shop owners about the rocks in the ocean. It is better to be safe than sorry!
Check out my other posts for more Brazil destinations...
next post is NATAL out on 7/29/2021!
Where to stay
There are plenty of beautiful pousadas and hotels located in Pipa's downtown area. Many of them are run by foreigners so it is easy to find English speakers.
Airbnb at Pipa Ubaia has great WiFi, a beautiful pool, and super clean rooms.
Piparadise Hostel is great for those who want direct beachfront access to Praia do Amor at a good price.
Pousada Oasis is in the center of downtown with a beautiful pool.
There are many accommodations to choose from. I can help pick the right option, specific to your style.
I recommend 5 days to explore Pipa Beach and the surrounding beaches.
Where to eat
Tapas - This is, by far, the BEST. The sesame crusted tuna is a must order!
I also recommend the: passion fruit shrimp, beef gorgonzola, garlic shrimp, ginger shrimp, octopus, tuna tartar, seared tuna with mango chutney and tzatziki
The prices are high, but it is absolutely worth it. We went twice and ordered almost everything on the menu.
Oca Toca by Toca da Coruja - chic and elegant with good food
Dallitaliano Restaurante - wood fired pizza and dessert pizza
Café e Padaria Central - this is the best place for chocolate or Nutella croissants. There is also an Italian restaurant next door that our Airbnb host recommended but we did not try.
Sr. Croissant Padaría Café - another great spot for chocolate or Nutella croissants, coffees and other pastries
Terramar - $120 RS dinner for two plus two caipirinhas, a Heineken, and a dessert
Oba - check out their sakerinhas
Camarao na Fazenda
Amô Restaurante e Tapiocaria - good food, a pool, hammocks and beach access (walk down the steps to get to the beach). Great place for families to spend the day. There’s a minimum spend of $30 RS - relatively easy to hit. Beautiful views above Praia do Amor.
Where to exercise
Academia Performance - rooftop, open air gym where the equipment is a little rusty but they have everything you need for a good workout. Day pass is $10 RS - cash or card.
CrossPipa - brand new CrossFit gym that has a variety of daily classes. The space is beautiful and if you like CrossFit then this is a great place to train.
How to get to Pipa Beach
Uber/Private Van/Private Cary y . Do not miss
Natal to Pipa - The ride was about 2 hours. We took a private van for $50 RS per person. They leave at 8 AM and a few other times during the day. They have a 10 PM trip that costs $30 RS.
Bus
João Pessoa to Pipa - I cannot recommend a route because all of the options I saw take 4+ hours and are very confusing.
Ponta Negra, Natal to Pipa - The bus ride is approximately 2 hours and it costs about $20 RS per person. The bus leaves from Rodoviária de Natal and the company is Viação Riograndense. The first bus it at 6 AM and the last is at 6 PM with plenty of options in between.
Pro tip: The bus DOES NOT have air conditioning.
Air
Fly to Natal and then use one of the above options to arrive in Pipa. Natal is a very popular destination for all airlines in Brazil.
Map of all places listed
Pipa Beach Album
Drone shots by Jon Brierley
@jbfilminit
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