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About Joao Pessoa and Paraiba

Paraiba has something for everyone from the Sertao (its inland desert area) to the tropical coastline with many beautiful and unspoilt beaches. Joao Pessoa is the eastern most point of South America and it is renowned for being the greenest and most beautiful city in Brazil. Many early risers walk to the "Farol" or lighthouse to take in the sunrise before walking back along the beaches of Cabo Branco, Tambau and Manaira.

Although it is situated close to Brazil's desert, the 'sertao', its coastal location and tropical climate make Joao Pessoa a vibrant and attractive City; a massive contrast to the arid 'sertao'. Joao Pessoa is the 3^rd oldest City in Brazil; founded in 1585 has many historic buildings, churches and beautiful baroque structures.

The city has the second highest amount of urban green areas per head of population in the world (according to a UN survey conducted in 1992), second only to Paris. There are hundreds of small gardens, areas of natural forest and larger parks. In total there is over 7 square kilometres of forested area in the city. This makes for a forgiving and picturesque urban environment rarely seen in South America or indeed most parts of the world.

Joao Pessoa has nearly 40km of coastline, much of which is attractive beaches. Along the shoreline of Joao Pessoa there are many options for leisure. From Cabo Branco to the Poço, passing through Tambau, Manaira, Bessa and Intermares, you will find many beach bars selling fresh fish dishes, coconuts and beer. On one side of the beach road you will find the most modern buildings in the city and on the other coconut trees give a tropical feel.

Another treasure on the littoral of Joao Pessoa is Picaozinho, a coral formation 1.500 meters from the Tambau beach. There you can enjoy diving with colourful fishes that live in the corals that form safe swimming areas at low tide. You can feed the fish and even have your photo taken with them.

The same can be found at Ponte da Seixas and at Areia Vermelha, an island that appears during low tide for about 3 to 4 hours a day, this small but beautiful island turns into a place where you can sit and eat lunch as many of the local bars take everything they need to provide tourists with a full menu and plenty of tables and chairs.

Local attractions include Sao Francisco Church said to be one of Brazil's finest examples of Baroque architecture. Located in the historic heart of the city, the church also has a museum attached that contains a large collection of religious artefacts, paintings and sculptures.

There are also large shopping centres such as the 'Manaira'(2nd largest in the north east) and Mag Shopping as well as Tambia in the centre. These are similar to a British or US style of shopping centre, with chain stores, restaurants and cinemas and children’s play areas. Mag shopping also boasts an entertainments hall for concerts, exhibitions and evangelist meetings..

Many of the local squares or "praças" have concerts too as does Praia de Jacare most weekends along with the local Forrock concert hall on the BR230.

In fact Joao Pessoa is very fortunate to have a very culturally aware Prefeitura which invests heavily in local culture programmes such as art, drama and music. There are several orchestras and national choirs some of which are based at the huge Espaço Cultural in Tambauzinho. It has three theatres, book shops, museums, planetarium as well as some arts and crafts studios and dance classes. The centre hosts many exhibitions and auctions.

There are many fine restaurants in the city, (restaurant review) Churrascarias restaurants come particularly recommended. They operate in a similar way to 'all you can eat' buffets in the UK. You pay one price upon entering the restaurant, and everything you eat afterwards is paid for by that amount.

However, the fact that you are served at the table rather than serving yourself at the buffet means the dining experience is more relaxing and like a traditional restaurant. Another option is to pay by weight "comida per kilo" where you pay for the amount of food selected.

Joao Pessoa has an international airport, although at this time it receives very few direct flights from abroad, it is more common to fly to Sao Paulo or Rio de Janeiro and then catch an internal flight to Joao Pessoa.

The south littoral of Paraiba offers pleasant and comfortable beaches, Jacuma, Tabatinga, Guamame, Coqueirinho and Pitimbu are noted for there remarkable preservation and unspoilt beauty . For naturists there is the beach of Tambaba.

Following the coastline, leaving behind the Capital, Joao Pessoa; Porto de Cabedelo, Baia da Trai~ao, Barra de Camaratuba and Outreiro can be found, reached by the highway BR-101, that leads to Rio Grande do Norte.

The BR101 is an important highway linking the north and south of Brazil. It crosses the Trans-Amazonian highway (BR230) at Joao Pessoa making it an important link in distribution networks.

Other Cities with a population of more than 40,000 are Campina Grande (352,400), Santa Rita (106,200), Patos (93.200), Bayeux (92,600), Cabedelo (49,900), Sousa (47,000), Guarabira (46,400) and Cajazeiras (43,000).

Smaller cities include Sape (34,800), Mamanguape (32,000), Pombal (23,300) and Sao Bento (22,600).

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