Driving up the coast of Pernambuco - Porto de Galinhas
Porto de Galinhas is a major tourist destination in the Brazilian State of Pernambuco. It boasts a lively atmosphere and a beautiful coastline. There are many secluded beach towns just outside of Porto de Galinhas. South is Praia dos Carneiros, famous for the Capela de São Benedito (chapel) on the beach, and Ilha Santo Aleixo. North is Praia de Muro Alto and Casa do Faroleiro. Porto de Galinhas is closest to Recife, the capital of Pernambuco.
Porto de Galinhas has an average temperature of 27-30 C (86-92 F). The rainy season is March - August with June experiencing the most rain. The best time to visit is in November, but we enjoyed our time there in April with plenty of sunshine!
Beaches South of Porto de Galinhas
Tamandaré is a sleepy beach town with a lot of charm. We stopped here for 2 nights on the drive between Maragogi, Alagoas and Porto de Galinhas, Pernambuco.
Praia dos Carneiros is where the Capela de São Benedito is located. The Church is at the mouth of the river 15 minutes North of Tamandaré. This is one of the most beautiful Churches in Brazil. The property is private, so you cannot enter the Church but many people take pictures outside. If you arrive before 9 AM it is empty.
Beach vendors sell drinks, food, and souvenirs. The boat captains take tourists to the surrounding beaches, natural pools, and a huge sandbar at the mouth of the river.
Pro tip: If you drive, you must pay for parking to access this beach. Prainha dos Carneiros Restaurant is slightly North of the Capela with a $15 RS per person entrance fee (includes use of facilities: lounge chairs, tables, shaded areas, bathrooms, food vendors and parking). There was no wifi here. It takes 8 minutes to walk from here to the Capela.
Ilha Santo Aleixo is a private island 40 minutes South of Porto de Galinhas.
Group day tours - $100 RS per person
No infrastructure so I recommend to bring your own snacks/drinks - or you can purchase from the two floating food and drink boats (options are limited)
I recommend this trip for a group of friends to share the price of a private boat, otherwise you might want to skip this island.
Downtown Porto de Galinhas
Maracaipe is a five to ten minute walk South of Porto de Galinhas.
This beach is preferred by those looking for a quiet, long stretch of sand. There are not as many natural pools here, but there are many palm trees. It is a beautiful spot for a secluded walk in the white sand with the ocean all to yourself.
Porto de Galinhas is a lively town with a picturesque beach. The natural pools here are famous because they are the closest to the shore in all of Brazil. The beach is best at low tide because you can take a short walk from the shore to the natural pools, hire a jangada, or rent a stand up paddle board or kayak.
Look for the Sombrinhas na Rua, a cute display of umbrellas over the sidewalk. The main street is R. Doctor Manuel Uchôa where you can find plenty of delicious and reasonably priced places to eat along the water and through the town square. Check out the artisanal market on Rua Beijupirá for souvenirs and handicrafts.
Beaches North of Porto de Galinhas
Praia de Muro Alto is a gorgeous stretch of beach with very few people 20 minutes North of Porto de Galinhas. Large rock formations just off the shore become visible at low tide and create natural pools of calm water. Barracas (beach vendors that rent chairs and umbrellas) set up along the shore.
The tide was high when we went but I was able to swim out to the rock formations and walk along them. Bring water shoes if your feet are sensitive.
Casa do Faroleiro is an abandoned lighthouse 35 minutes North of Porto de Galinhas. The path is narrow and you must park and then walk a small trail for 10 minutes. The view of the ocean is beautiful and you can walk around the abandoned building. It is best in the morning when there are not many people around.
Praia de Calhetas is a cove with a small stretch of sand and calm water. Here there is a tirolesa (zipline) into the water. This is a great place to zipline and one of the last places you are able to swim before arriving in Recife.
Pro Tip: As you continue North you can find these beaches: Gaibu, Enseada dos Corais, Xareu, Caletas and Paiva. These are all beautiful beaches but you should not swim. Recife is known for shark attacks and as you get closer to Recife it becomes more risky.
Check out my other posts for more destinations...
Where to stay
Praia dos Carneiros - many beachfront pousadas close to the Capela de São Benedito
Maracaípe - Pousada villa Maraca for secluded pousadas that are still close to the action of Porto de Galinhas
Porto de Galinhas - Pousada Canto do Porto for beach access and proximity to town
Praia de Muro Alto - secluded beachfront accommodations
There are many beautiful pousadas. Most have reliable WiFi for video calls. I can help pick the right option, specific to your style.
I recommend 4 days to explore Porto de Galinhas and the surrounding beaches.
Where to eat
Tamandaré
We took advantage of the grocery store and our kitchen. Supermercado Verde Mares has fresh produce, a large selection of meats and plenty of dry goods.
Porto de Galinhas
Beijupirá - amazing seafood in an artsy atmosphere
Restaurante Farofa Fina - affordable lunch special, quality food
The grocery store here is large and they have a Hortifruti (fruit and veggie store)
Where to exercise
Tamandaré - Physical Academia day pass is $10 RS and it has good equipment. There is no A/C - just open windows and good music.
Porto de Galinhas - Academia Porto de Galinhas day pass is $25 RS and it has good equipment. There is no A/C in this gym.
How to get to Porto de Galinhas
Tour Companies
Many companies offer van service from Recife to Porto de Galinhas. They do day trips but I recommend a longer stay. The trip cost is $70-80 RS one way per person.
Uber
Recife to Porto de Galinhas is 1.5 hours and the Uber costs $90-110 RS.
Car
From Maragogi the drive to Porto de Galinhas is 1.5 hours North. Most of this drive is along the coast.
From Recife the drive to Porto de Galinhas is 1. 5 hours (60 km South). Most of this drive is also on the coast.
The car allows for more flexibility when exploring the many beaches.
Bus
Vera Cruz operates a bus (line 195) that takes 3-4 hours and costs $20 RS.
Air
Fly to Recife and then use one of the above options to arrive in Porto de Galinhas. Recife is a very popular destination for all airlines in Brazil.
Pro Tip: When driving to Porto de Galinhas, at the town entrance there will be tour vendors in the middle of the street trying to get you to stop the car and buy a tour from them. Ignore them and keep driving!
Map of all places listed
Porto de Galinhas Album
Drone shots by Jon Brierley
@jbfilminit
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