Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
DRINKING AND NIGHTLIFE
João Pessoa has a surprisingly rich but fluctuating
music scene
for a city of its size, concentrated in some of the character-
laden bars and venues in the
centro histórico
where Rua Braz Florentino remains the uno
cial
beco cultural
(“culture alley”)
despite police crackdowns. At the Tambaú seafront the beach kiosks are the most fun, but the square in front of the
Tropical
Tambaú
is also a relaxed place for a drink and some live music.
Cachaçaria Philipéia
Rua Braz Florentino 35
T
83
9984 1110.
Cool
cachaça
bar that gets especially busy on
Saturdays after the “Sabadinho Bom”
chorinho
party (
choro
is the Brazilian instrumental music genre) in nearby Praça
Rio Branco ends around 4pm. Try the house speciality,
Cachimbinho,
cachaça
with honey and lemon for just R$2/
shot.
Mon-Sat 2-8pm.
Centro Cultural Espaço Mundo
Praça Antenor
Navarro 53
T
83 3021 5233,
W
coletivomundo.com.br.
Housed in an historic mansion in the old centre, this
cultural space and bar hosts live music and art expos, and
sells CDs (there's also a lunch buffet Mon-Fri 11am-3pm
for just R$15/kg).
Thurs 8pm-1am, Fri & Sat 8pm-3am.
Giramundo
Av Almirante Tamandaré 634, Tambaú
T
83 3023 1660.
Seafood kiosk on the beach best viewed
as a fun bar, with an excellent range of microbrews,
German-style sausages and buzzing atmosphere - no live
music, though.
Mon-Thurs 6pm-1am, Fri & Sat
6pm-2am.
Vila Do Porto
Praça de São Frei Pedro Gonçalves 8
T
83 3222 6900.
This restaurant bar hosts some of the
best dance parties in the city, with samba on Mon from
9pm (R$8), and a sunset party on Fri (R$5) and Sat (R$7)
from 4.30pm.
Jacumã and around
Some 30km to the south of João Pessoa lies the small seaside town of
Jacumã
,
jumping-off point for the gorgeous
Praia Coqueirinho
(2km further south), lined
with
barracas
and popular at the weekends. Another 4km south is
Praia de Tambaba,
the first o
cially recognized nudist beach in the Northeast (though there is a
non-nudist section).
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE JACUMÃ
Getting to Jacumã by bus from João Pessoa is easy (every 40min), but from here you'll be reliant on taxis or
moto-taxis
for
the beaches (R$15-20).
4
Rio Grande do Norte
Until the late 1980s, the small state of
Rio Grande do Norte
and its capital,
Natal
, were
sleepy, conservative backwaters rarely visited by tourists. But two things have
transformed the state into one of the Northeast's biggest tourist centres:
beaches
and
buggies
.
North of Natal
, the
sertão
rolls down practically to the coast, and the idyllic
palm-fringed beaches give way to massive sand dunes. From Genipabu just north of
Natal you can drive in a beach buggy for 250km of uninterrupted dunes as far as Areia
Branca, near the border with Ceará. And if you haven't yet tried Brazilian
caju
(cashews),
you will here - locals are genuinely proud of the local crop and the dubious honour of
having the
world's largest cashew tree
, though the local
mangoes
are just as good.
Natal
Founded by the Portuguese in 1599 on the banks of the Rio Potengi,
NATAL
is now a
laidback seaside city of over one million. Though its languid old town contains a
smattering of sights, Natal these days is essentially a major beach resort, with all the
action on the Atlantic side of the city. From here the giant dunes and dazzling beaches
of the state are easily accessible on day-trips (often via those infamous beach buggies).
As befits a popular resort, Natal is also a party town;
forró
originated in this part of the
Northeast, and at places such as Rastapé you can watch and learn how to dance with
the help of locals.
